Conversations with Selena Frey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Selena Frey. 

Hi Selena, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Have and To Hold Photography honestly saved my life. Most of my clients don’t know this but I actually got a degree in Theatre, which would probably surprise them considering I’m all about being behind the scenes now. About a year or so into post-grad, I was thoroughly burnt out of chasing a performative experience in an industry that had way more supply than demand. I had been exposed to weddings in several capacities, both as a server and a photo assistant, but I had too much imposter syndrome to make the leap to creating my own business. None of this would have been possible without Neil. 

He’s my photo/video partner, and yes also my boyfriend. He was the giant push to embarking on a full-time path of capturing weddings, not letting me sink into my uncertainty for a moment. I can safely say I wouldn’t have even tried if it weren’t for his belief in me, which is interesting considering I used to believe strength had to come solely from yourself. Now I know, at least in my case, successful entrepreneurship is exponentially more possible if you have the right support. 

I want to stress that I did not go to school for photography. I see it as a benefit. I taught myself everything from the ground up and didn’t come in with any preconceived or rigid notions about what is or isn’t the craft. I listened, stayed humble, and tried not to beat myself up when I didn’t “get it right” at least in my own head. 

What I’ve learned along the way is that for me, there’s nothing more important and fulfilling than celebrating other people & their stories. Art is endlessly lonely without an audience, but with weddings, your audience is your client and the work is so deeply important to them. And so, I take my relationships with each and every couple very seriously. I truly feel they are more than family to me, and my life’s work is to cheer them on loudly. 

So, I think the moral of the story, if I may be so bold, is that you absolutely do not have to do what you went to school for. And it’s never failure, it’s change. In fact, I’d go so far as to say had I stayed in pursuit of my acting career, that would have been the failure because I would have missed out on a chance to really serve others in a different medium, I wasn’t even opening myself up to. Plus, I would have been broke. And I wouldn’t have all these amazing humans to capture. I’m a portrait girl at heart & one of the highlights of my job is championing other women in making them feel as beautiful as they truly are through my lens. I can’t even tell you how fulfilling & full circle it is to have an opportunity to uplift other women, having been bullied for my own looks throughout my life. 

And so, I’ll end with this. I’m deeply grateful Neil didn’t let me use a laundry list of excuses to not get out there and start shooting. I’m grateful that I didn’t stay rigid in my goals for my life. And I’m beyond grateful for all my clients. They are the heart of my work, and I always keep striving, learning, & growing for them. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think some of our biggest struggles were defining our signature look. Our photos are light, airy, & classic, with a touch of vibrance. But it’s taken years to arrive at this consistent imagery. I used to do vastly different styles for different clients, and it left me feeling dizzy and not highly specialized in any one area. I was super inspired by light & airy film stocks like FujiPro400h, but wanted the flexibility and ease of digital because a wedding is such a high-speed almost sports-like event. I literally spent an entire year taking images on Fuji and recreating them digitally, analyzing the magic of the film stock, and going through intense trial and error to get my images to feel the same. 

Then, Fuji comes out saying they’re going to discontinue the stock. Gasp! I’m so grateful I had all my test images before this happened, but it was jarring. This film stock made me fall in love with light & airy wedding photography, I definitely mourned the loss of it a bit. But I’m super happy I can continue on in my own digital work with some of its remnants. 

Another big upheaval was getting our videography to match our photography. Anyone who works in cinema knows light & airy videos are not the easiest to achieve. But I suppose I enjoy a challenge. A huge leap was when we upgraded our video cameras to the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. The flexibility of the raw files is what allowed me to really become an expert in color matching our photos & videos for one seamless experience. So, I think consistency has been an endless road I’m committed to being on. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We are a luxury wedding photography & videography company based out of Denver, but serving all of Colorado. Our specialty is in light & airy images and I’m most proud of being able to offer light & airy video to our clients, which is very rare to find anywhere. 

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
In other news, Neil & I have an indie-folk band that we’re super passionate about. Our band name is Mary Helen Margaret and you can find us on Spotify and all the major streaming platforms! Our main focus is recording & producing music at the moment, but who knows where life will take us. I’ve learned not to limit or question it. 

Pricing:

• Starting Price: $2,800
• Up To: $6,300

Contact Info:

• Email: haveandtoholdphotography@gmail.com
• Website: www.haveandtoholdphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haveandtoholdphotography/

Image Credits:
Selena Frey
Neil Pepi