Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel and Vicki Singer-Coya.
Starfish Studios was created by a husband and wife team, Danny and Vicki. They have both used their strengths to help make Starfish Studios the success it is today. Danny is the third generation of photographers in his family. His grandfather Albert Coya was a Cuban refugee and became the first bi-lingual photographer at the Miami Herald where he worked for over 30 years. Photography was in Danny’s blood, he was lucky enough to get his grandfather’s hand me down cameras and even had a dark room in his house. It was a chance encounter at a photo store where Danny’s father was asking if anyone was looking for help that started his 16-year career. It turned out that the person looking for help was one of the biggest wedding photographers in South Florida. In the first 10 years of being in the business, Danny worked for some of the biggest wedding photography companies where he would photograph 50-60 weddings a year. This was great practice for learning to not only take beautiful photos but also how to deal with the dynamics of the wedding day. There are a lot of beautiful moments but there is also a lot of pressure that comes with the most important day in your life. Danny always makes sure his clients are having fun and are relaxed which helps him capture those organic emotions that a wedding day brings out. His favorite photos to capture are the moments that truly showcase the love between a couple and all the joy that it brings to their family and friends. The first look is by far one of his favorites, the reactions are priceless so much happiness and a lot of tears of joy are shed. After being in the business for 10 years Danny convinced his then fiancé to leave her career in real estate and start Starfish Studios. Being a real estate agent was a great training ground for having your own business. A commission based job teaches you to never get complacent and that customer is king. They strive to be better in every way possible year after year.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
They say it takes 10 years to be an overnight success! We both started out in business when the economy went into a downward spiral. There was no help from anyone, no one was loaning money. We traded a BMW for a Toyota Prius and a 1991 Toyota Camry. We did a lot of jobs for free just to create relationships with vendors and we charged very little for our photography. We kept focussing on two things creating beautiful photos and great customer service. We would be on our computers from 9 am to midnight a lot of nights. But year after year, we delivered more beautiful images and increased our prices and we were finally able to create a business that affords us a great lifestyle and we are not slaves to.
Please tell us about Starfish Studios.
I think what sets us apart is that, not only do we create beautiful timeless images but we provide each couple with a great experience from the time they book to the time they receive their photos. We are so proud to have won the best of the knot and the wedding wire couples award year after year but the biggest compliment is referrals from our past couples. We also pride ourselves with the relationships we have made with some of the biggest wedding venues in South Florida. When our venues refer us, we understand they are putting their reputations on the line. We want them to always feel they can trust us to provide the best experience for their couples wedding after wedding. We have also expanded our team to a full-time studio manager and branched out into offering videography and photo booth services. We want to be a one-stop shop but still, offer a boutique service by focusing on delivering beautiful images and making every one of our 50 couples a year, feel like they are the most important client we have because they are!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Vicki – I grew up in New York so, I always loved going to the Met and exploring all the exhibits. I especially loved the Egyptian Wing. It felt like you stepped back in time.
Danny – Being in the darkroom and watching my first photo come to life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.starfishstudiosfl.com
- Phone: 561-376-3730
- Email: hello@starfishstudiosfl.com
- Instagram: starfishstudiosfl
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starfishstudios/
Image Credit:
Starfish Studios
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