Conversations with Courtney Dahlsten

Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Dahlsten.

Hi Courtney, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
It’s been a whirlwind! My husband and I met thru a non-profit missions organization in 2015 that is based out of Gainesville. (I’m from Memphis, he’s from Kansas). He then went on to work for the organization, while I was teaching in Memphis. A year later, I moved to Gainesville, too. I started teaching Middle School Spanish and started a side job, a wedding planning company. Since then: we got married, I eventually stepped away from teaching & the wedding industry, started my photography career, and now Georgia is our home with our three beautiful children by our sides.

In 2023, I opened a small 300 sqft private studio and soon after opening the need became abundantly clear: there is no where for photographers in our town to shoot studio sessions. I was not allowed permitted to rent my small studio out to others. At this point, our community was growing. I begun to wonder where could we have more baby showers & celebrations if not in our home or at a park (because my current studio was entirely too small to host such celebrations).

The more I listened, the more I realized our community wasn’t missing just a studio.

It was missing a place.

In 2024, the idea of Selah came. An idea that I was convinced would be a pipe dream. (I tend to dream big.) I wanted to open a large space that could hold space for two of my favorite parts of life: photography & celebrating with others. A space that all photographers, videographers and content creators could rent and use for their clientele without having to drive an hour or more to the metro Atlanta area. A space that could host baby and bridal showers, church gatherings, business luncheons, and dinner parties.

I didn’t want Selah to feel corporate. I wanted it to feel like walking into someone’s home.

That year, I researched studios across the country. I talked with owners. I built business plans, ran numbers, and prayed more prayers than I can count. It felt impossibly big, especially while raising our growing family and welcoming our third child in the midst of all ot it.

I just couldn’t shake the feeling that Gainesville deserved something new, something different.

2025 was the year of waiting. The hardest part wasn’t building Selah. It was finding a place for it to exist.

We pursued more than 30 properties across Gainesville before one finally became home. There were plenty of closed doors, disappointments, and moments where the dream felt impossible. But every “no” only strengthened my conviction that this community needed a place like Selah. There was a lot of heartbreak and almost giving up that year. Call it stubbornness or confidence in this dream from the Lord, but I didn’t give up.

In the early days of 2026, we found our property and were given a yes. After building out the space, Selah opened on March 20, 2026.

In the Bible, Selah means ‘to pause, to rest, to reflect’. And ever since opening, that has been my hope and prayer for whoever walks thru the doors – that each and every person is given an opportunity to selah.
Whether you’re pausing everything going on in your life to get sweet pictures done with your family, selah.
Or if you’re coming to a small group gathering or a dinner party to rest and just be, selah.
And if you come to celebrate and reflect on someone or something bigger than yourself, selah.

It’s been beautiful so far.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. But, it’s been a sanctifying one. Lost a lot and learned a lot. Met many amazing, new people in our community who kept cheering me on. But bringing a dream to fruition while raising 3 small children and being a full-time photographer, was not easy. Balancing everything was nearly impossible. But somehow, by the grace of God, we did it. I don’t think I would be the woman I am today without all the hurdles, setbacks, joyous moments, days of doubt. I’m just thankful for all it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I absolutely love being a Photographer, I’m the face behind Dahlsten Photography. I specialize in families, newborns, branding and business events.
I guess what I am most proud of is being trusted to capture so many special moments in others lives. It is such an honor to me.
I feel like what sets me apart could be the way I just try to be intentional with every shoot. Whether that be being a goofball to get a kid to laugh, taking time to talk thru the worries with someone who may not be feeling their best that day, learning about businesses before I capture their events so I can capture what’s important to their values. I just want people to feel seen, heard and known and I try to bring that into my photography and also as the owner of Selah.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
After these last few years, I actually think people can confuse risk with recklessness.

I love dreaming big, but I also love planning. Before opening Selah, I spent months researching studios across the country, talking to owners, building financial projections, and understanding what worked and what didn’t. By the time I signed a lease, it still felt risky, but it wasn’t impulsive.

For me, risk isn’t jumping without looking. It’s doing everything you can to prepare, then having the courage to take the step anyway.

Pricing:

• Photographers rent at $100/hour
• Events start at $725 for half-day or full-day bookings
• Private production days/week are also available

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.selahgainesville.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/selahgainesville
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Selah-Studios-Events/61590260968600/#