Deborah’s passion for photography started in college, in the darkroom, and has remained a constant keystone of her work throughout her career. It wasn’t the only skill she picked up on her path to creative independence, though. Her life is defined by phases of skill-learning; evolving from interior space planning to furniture design to photography through curiosity, risk and pursuit of dreams. Deborah has a determined spirit characterized by a certain one-track-mindedness when it comes to business and art, which is something I marvel at.

Deborah studied interior space planning and design at Purdue and the University of Copenhagen. Every year, she took life drawing and film photography classes because she loved the tactile nature and spatial composition of both mediums. After graduating, she got her first job at an architectural firm in Miami, drafting residential and commercial spaces. She wasn’t satisfied with the 9-5, however, and she took on many side projects and gigs. She followed her interest in spatial flow and the ergonomics of humans in those spaces, using her inclination for detail to develop intricate designs.

Deborah left her first job after about a year, driven to start her own boutique firm. She admits that, in hindsight, she wished she’d stayed a little longer. There was unique value in the relationships and resources she had at that job which she didn’t fully appreciate while there. Fueled by 20-something risk tolerance, she took an exciting leap to start her own graphic design and advertising agency. This decision forced her to expand her skillset quickly. “Entrepreneurship requires wearing multiple hats, and you learn quickly,” she says.

After several years as the creative director of her own boutique graphic design and advertising firm in Coral Gables, she moved to New York City and recreated the business there. While in the Big Apple, Deborah served clients in the fashion, food, product, corporate, and real estate industries. She often worked with skilled photographers, models and designers, but she also had to learn many skills on her own for the sake of efficiency and consistency. Sometimes a project required a high-pressure, single-day shoot, and she’d have to do it herself. During this time, she often described herself as a “wannabe photographer,” because it wasn’t her primary strength or moneymaker: it was a necessary piece in a whole range of work. As she practiced and improved, however, she began to enjoy the medium more and more, until it eventually became a full-time pursuit. Deborah describes her chapter in NYC as “fulfilling and vibrant.”

“I strive to harness the subtleties of daylight as it moves through each space.”

“There’s no question that I lean to tactile interests,” Deborah laughs, and her career certainly reflects that. Graphic design led to interests in photography, furniture design and small dwelling design.

After 13 years of working in New York City, Deborah was ready for another pivot, so she took another career gamble: She moved to Colorado and started a home furnishings brand in Evergreen with her then-husband. “We took a bet on ourselves.” She remembers this as a “sink-or-swim moment.” Had they not taken the plunge for a lifestyle change and let go of their client base in NYC, Deborah doubts they would have realized any success with the brand. The venture change was immediate, and they had no choice but to make it work. For many years, COCOPA For The Home worked out of the Red Barn, where Bivouac Coffee and The Woodcellar are today.

While working on furniture designs, building collections, taking them to trade shows, and selling to clients nationally, Deborah handled all of the marketing and advertising, especially by photographing the designs. When COCOPA For The Home sold, Deborah turned to photography full time, specializing in interiors photography and portraiture. She took portrait shoots for friends and family, and has done more senior photos than she can count. There’s a special sauce with portraiture that she loves, especially when she can build a relationship with her subject during a 90-minute session. “The success of the final image depends on the spontaneity of the moment,” she says. Many of her subjects start out camera-shy and nervous. Her trick is to show them their images in real time. When they see their photos, they start to relax and have fun. When there’s trust between client and photographer, everyone feels more comfortable. That’s when the magic happens.

When I asked about how her approach varies between portraiture and interiors, Deborah says, “Each are entirely different genres in how I function as a photographer.” While portraiture is a lot of improvising and on-the-spot adapting, interior work requires a certain ‘oneness’ with the room, cultivated by long days with one assistant and lots of camera equipment. The quieter, controlled process of photographing interiors is much more technical than portraiture.

For interiors, Deborah’s work is also more commercial. Her clients are typically architecture and design firms, and she works closely with them to get a sense of their priorities and vision. However, Deborah’s insistence on natural lighting, detail shots, and a romantic, lived-in feeling have made her a sought-after artist for capturing the essence and mood of her clients’ work. Romance is essential, whether that comes from the nuance of nature integrated into human spaces, the perfect moment where the light glows just right, or the intentional creation and staging of a scene. “I strive to harness the subtleties of daylight as it moves through each space,” she explains. And she always makes sure to include detailed vignette imagery in each assignment. “That focus on detail, which is often an up-close view through my lens, results in a final image that feels more real and intimate, inviting the viewer in.”

While photography may be her longest-term love, it is only a small piece of Deborah’s winding, creative life. She likes to stay diversified because “you have a lot more fun that way,” she says. She doesn’t like to be bored, preferring to explore different interests and simultaneously take risks to see how far she can take them. She chases the visceral feeling of nervousness or excitement about something, reading it as proof that her passion for the art is still alive. If a project doesn’t offer her that, she doesn’t want it.

Deborah’s photography work includes interiors, architecture, portraiture and personal branding. Don’t hesitate to reach out to discuss your photography needs.

Visit DeborahCota.com to view her work and learn more about her multidisciplinary creative pursuits. She can also be reached by email: [email protected]