Paula Swift specializes in the art of portraiture photography and is especially fond of shooting children and families. She was introduced to the world of photography at the early age of 13 and she went on to pursue a career in photojournalism for 10 long years after competing college. The birth of her second son saw Swift switch to portraiture photography and shoot children and families with her unique photojournalistic angle. With several prestigious awards under her belt, Swift is among the most sort-after family portrait photographers in the world today.

If it weren’t for your sister, an established photojournalist, would you have taken up photography as a full time career?
I am not sure I would have been introduced to the magic of photography if it weren’t for my sister Gina, who is 9 years older than me. It started with me being her subject for her photography class assignments. She taught me how to develop photographs in our make shift darkroom which was a closet in our basement. When she became a staff photographer at a newspaper I spent my school vacations shadowing her on live assignments. I loved that she wasn’t stuck in an office and was out there meeting people. I was always a people person and loved the idea that I could possibly do that as a career when I got older. So when I entered high school I knew I wanted to be a photographer. Luckily, my high school had a student run newspaper, a journalism class and even a small photography program. So I was bit by the bug to capture and document everything I saw and I took it further in college to pursue my dream.

How much have your degrees in photography and photojournalism helped you in becoming a successful photographer?
Going to college helped me learn the basics such as learning how to hold the camera and print black & white and colour properly. I was also introduced to composition, studio lighting and how to run a photography business. I feel what really helped me in my photography career was the internship I did as part of my final semester in college. I spent 5 months working at a large newspaper in my state. I worked 40+ hours just for college credit and no payment.

I was a sponge and learned more in those short months than I had in my previous college years. I was treated as a real staff photographer as I was issued daily assignments and responded to breaking news stories. Being able to execute all the skills I learned in college put all the pieces together for me.

You have worked as a photojournalist for 10 years. What led you to take up portraiture photography? 
I decided to plan my exit from photojournalism when I got pregnant with my first child in 2002. It was really hard to juggle childcare and working 12 hour shifts some days with unexpected news events. I always loved children and knew I could take my skills to capture the unexpected into my portrait work. I loved using a photojournalistic approach to shoot my own children and felt that other parents too would appreciate this style for their children and family portraits. So I started my portrait business part-time in 2004 and left the newspaper in 2005 right after the birth of my 2nd son.

What do you think is the most important aspect of portraiture photography? 
I love capturing feelings that can tell a story in my portrait work. Whether it’s a mother throwing her daughter in the air, a father walking on the beach with his son or a boy playing in the leaves, I love to show the emotion I felt when I clicked the shutter.  

You have multiple prestigious awards to your name that you won as a photojournalist and as a portraiture photographer. Which among these two genres do you enjoy the most?  
It’s hard to compare my photojournalism awards to my portrait competition awards. All were very rewarding. I would have to say the portrait competition awards are a bit more “showy”. Meaning I have ribbons, trophies and plaques to showcase in my studio and to impress clients.

Whether it’s a mother throwing her daughter in the air, a father walking on the beach with his son or a boy playing in the leaves, I love to show the emotion I felt when I clicked the shutter.

What was your reaction when your entry won the Hallmark Award for best colour portrait?
I was in complete shock when I won the Hallmark Gallery Award last Feb 2009 at our state print competition. It was only my 2nd entry in the Professional Photographer of Massachusetts Print Competition. I walked away with 4 awards that night. I still can’t believe that I did so well.

What is the main difference between shooting as a photojournalist and as a portraiture artist?
When I was a photojournalist a large percentage of things I photographed were unplanned. I would drive along trying to find “feature art”- find something unique out on the streets and on the back roads of the towns and cities I covered. I would just start photographing people and would then ask for their information and permission to publish it in the paper. This way, I did not intrude and disrupt the moment. A great example is of the man I came across on Christmas Eve dressed as Santa Claus. I saw him getting out of his car. I stopped and started shooting him as he took off his boots to change into shoes before going into a local diner for a bite.

Sporting events and spot news would challenge my skills and taught me how to be versatile. The versatility taught me to think quick, stay on my feet, what lens to use, what film speed, shutter speed and aperture to shoot at and how to deal with weather and lighting conditions that even the most seasoned portrait photographers would walk away from.

When I am photographing my portrait clients, it is often in a controlled environment where I have control over the lighting, location and what I want to happen in most instances. So if a certain pose or location isn’t working I can make changes. Even though I use a lot of my photojournalism skills to capture children at play and families interacting, I still need to give them guidance. So the element of surprise isn’t the same as you’d find in photojournalism as I need to suggest poses and activities to them.

I love the challenge that each session presents to create lasting memories for families of their children.

What is it about children that inspires the photographer in you?
I love how children can be themselves in front of the camera. They are unpredictable, which I love. I love the challenge that each session presents to create lasting memories for families of their children. I have leant how to break the shyest of 2 year olds and the crankiest of babies.

Do you think being a mom of three kids, helps you capture kids in their natural poses?
I think being a mom to 3 boys who are constantly on the go has taught me how to capture them in fun moments. I know the types of pictures I’d like to see of my family so I want to apply the same style for every family who hires me. I also believe my experience as a photojournalist has taught me how to be versatile and understand that each session has its own unique circumstances.

Is portraiture a lot about spontaneity or a meticulously planned affair?
My portrait work is pretty much planned out until I get there and start photographing the children. It’s very hard to plan what you want a 2 year old to do so I let the child lead the session without them knowing it. I tell the parents to go with the flow and not to be stressed.

How long can you go without shooting?
Once the holidays come around and I come out of the busiest time of the year which is late summer into fall, I may not pick up my cameras for a week or two - Unless my kids are doing something funny.

Can you tell us more about ‘Think Pink Photography’?
Think Pink Photography is a wonderful organization of photographers all across the world, who donate their services to photograph women that are battling breast cancer. I have met the most incredible women and their families through this organization. It’s an honour to offer my talent to photograph them and their families.

How much time do you still spend in the darkroom?
I haven’t been in a wet darkroom since December 2000, when I went fully digital. Before that I spent 5 days a week in the darkroom sopping film and then scanning and downloading the negatives to our computers at the newspaper. We stopped printing our prints around 1998.  I do miss the darkroom and I hope to get back to basics in the future.

Which is you favourite printer? Why?
I have been using Epson printers for probably 15 years. When Epson came out with their Artisan series (I think the 800 was the first one) with the Wifi. I was very excited. I love being able to print from anywhere in my home, I use a laptop for a lot of my editing along with an 24 inch iMac. I was also very surprised by the fast printing speed and how the ink lasts a long time. This is my 2nd year with my Artisan 800 and I won't be replacing it anytime soon.

	Quick6: Your Favourite Shoot: Currently I am still in love with a shoot of my own three boys from last fall. Photographing your own children is the hardest thing to do, so when I achieve this goal it’s so rewarding.  Your Preferred Location: Outdoors! I love fields and beaches as natural backdrops for my photo sessions. Favourite Photographer: Australian Photographer, Barb Uil Most memorable story: I was photographing a beach session with 3 year old twins, their 6 yr old brother and their parents. They were playing along the sand when they stopped and saw a ship pass by. They started shouting out at the ship saying “It’s a pirate ship, a pirate ship.” I stepped back and fired off about 20 frames as they stood there calling out to it. It was what we call a blessing from the photo gods. It was just a perfect moment with a spectacular background. I then had the mom and dad walk out towards the ship in the background as it sailed by. Luckily it was a slow passing ship and the tide was low. So they had some distance to walk out. To this day those are still some of my favourite images.  Current photographers you like: Gina Ferazzi (my sister Photojournalist at LA Times) Zoe Berkovic, a Portrait Photographer in New York and Laura Siebert in Denver for her commercial photography work. Toughest day at work: I am not sure if I really have a tough day at work. There are days where I get wiped out by a fussy newborn or when I have to chase down a two year old. However when I remember those sessions, I love them. I love the challenge that each portrait session offers and I love conquering it by creating lasting memories.

Photos by Paula Swift | Fotosocial