Focused family
 
Jacob and Daniel Madwed, partners of Capitol Photo and Sons.
Capitol Photo Interactive, which was begun 32 years ago by Steven Madwed, has spun off into a separate business by two unlikely businessmen ”“ Madwed”™s twin 16-year-old sons.
 “We”™re the new generation with Capitol Photo and Sons,” said Daniel Madwed.
The photography and interactive graphic shop in Fairfield was taken over by Madwed”™s wife, Regina, after he died of lymphoma in 2003.
Since then, Regina has built the business into a studio and interactive graphics shop that boasts the best Web page designer in Fairfield in 2008 as chosen by the U.S. Local Business Association.
After marrying Steven, Regina became the greeter and receptionist at the photography studio.
“No one knew we were even married,” said Regina. “I had to teach myself everything and that”™s what I did.”
Madwed said she sees the business ability in her sons, Jacob and Daniel.
The boys began working with her last year and have recently started their own business Capitol Photo and Sons, an autonomous unit of Capitol Photo Interactive.
“Mom says we”™re in the black,” Daniel said. “We did everything on our own and to develop our own business.”
Daniel and Jacob who attend Westchester Hebrew High School in Mamaroneck take the train to school every day.
“We can manage our school time,” said Daniel. Most teachers don”™t believe we have a business. But we do homework on the train and it doesn”™t become an issue.”
Jacob and Daniel focus primarily on weekend youth and themed events and offer on-the-spot prints with frames and memorabilia, which they call photo favors.
“We look for photo favors that really correspond to your event,” said Daniel. “The parents and the kids love it. Our mother taught us that it”™s important for your customers to feel like we”™re doing that little bit extra. It”™s especially important that even though we are 16 we are seen as professionals and that we do everything to the standard of an adult. It”™s an actual serious thing that takes serious time that we put into it.”
Typically an event package starts at $750 and according to Jacob are booking the summer quickly.
Daniel and Jacob will usually have three photographers working any one session, which means the hiring of freelancers is up to them as well.
“It”™s their business,” said Regina. “I drop them off I might as well be a taxi driver. I”™m totally hands off. They understand the dollars and cents.”
Regina said she is taking the work-value system that she had with her husband and applying it with her sons.
“People don”™t know that they”™re twins or even that they”™re my sons,” said Regina. “They have to deal with a lot of adults. We have our split, Daniel talks like me and looks like my husband and Jacob looks like me and talks like my husband.”
The brothers are thinking of ways to further streamline their business by adding different technologies.
“I hope that they”™re able to have a nest egg in college that they can still run and when they leave college they have the chance to have their own business,” said Regina. “It”™s not a business that”™s an in and out. There will be people who always want a memory.”
Jacob said he can see himself going into business for himself in the future while Daniel has his eye on law school.