I’ve been a storyteller ever since I picked up my first camera when I was about 8.  It was one of those disc cameras. I spent my summers on the Cape in Hyannis and traveling visiting my older sisters who were  9 and 10 years older than me; one in Orono, Maine and the other in Washington, D.C.  I loved to travel as a child and would pick up my camera and tell the story of whatever my eyes saw on my trips or at home. I was drawn to people and children mostly and all the cats we had growing up. We always had kittens.  When I was 13, my sister Gina gave me my first film SLR camera. A Minolta SRT201 ( yes I still remember it). She gave me a roll of Ilford b/w film and told me to  take photos and film the 24 frames and then send them to her. I only knew to keep that needle in the middle when I looked in the view finder to make sure I got the exposure correct.  When she came back to visit she showed me how to develop film and print b/w in a tiny closet in the basement of our Longmeadow, Mass home. I was hooked as I watched images magically appear under the red beam of light as I moved the developer back and forth over my first print.  I went to a high school that offered photography and was quickly on the school newspaper. I went onto a 2 year college where I learned more about the fine art of photography coupled with art history and graphic design. That still wasn’t enough for me, I then transferred to a 4 year college and was accepted into the Communications Media – Photography degree program. I was very fortunate that my sister Gina had since moved to California from Maine and was a photojournalist in Southern CA. One summer she invited me out and helped me build my portfolio. I went on assignments that included a forest fire in the hills, to a portrait of a local business owner, finding features as she drove through the canyons. At that point, I knew I wanted to be a photojournalist, to tell people’s stories through my eyes.  I landed an amazing internship my last year in college at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and then was offered to be a freelancer which turned into part-time staff and then a full-staff photographer. After 10 years I did end up leaving that field as I had welcomed 2 adorable boys to my family, which soon turned to 3 boys 3.5 years old and younger. I knew I didn’t want to leave photography, so I started my portrait photography business Paula Swift Photography.

This brings me to now… 30 years in the field of professional photography, in a career that I love as much as the day I entered it. I love meeting people and telling their stories. Whether it’s the excitement of a couple expecting their first child, a new baby that has been welcomed into a family, a milestone of a child who has lost his 2 front teeth, a new puppy, a family outing to the beach at sunset, a 17 year old senior who wants show the world how amazing she is to that young couple in love walking through the park.

Let me tell your story, as I have for the past 29 years through my experience in photojournalism, as a mom, a friend, a wife, a sister and a daughter. Life is so precious – what happens now can be remembered best through storytelling portrait photography by me, Paula Ferazzi Swift – owner of Paula Swift Photography, Inc.

Now the professional part…

Paula Ferazzi Swift is a Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, Certified Professional Photographer, Author, Photography Educator and an International Award Winning photographer working in the Metrowest area of Boston specializing in the art of capturing images of children, their families and relationships that couples share in front of her cameras  You will find Paula’s professional photography studio in Sudbury, MA.

Photography has been a passion of Paula’s ever since she was a child herself, as she was the subject of many photos taken by her older sister, a photojournalist. She was given her first manual camera and introduced to the magic of photography at the young age of 13 and later went on to receive two college degrees in photography and photojournalism.  She worked as a staff photojournalist at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette for 10 years.  Paula decided to take a new path in photography into the world of children and family portraiture, after having had her first son in April 2003.

Paula is an award-winning and nationally-recognized photographer for her published work in newspapers and magazines.   She has been nominated for and won several national and international awards including the recognition of her and the photography staff at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette as finalists for the 1999 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography for their coverage of the Worcester Warehouse fire that killed six Worcester, MA firefighters. Paula has won National Press Photographers Association, New England Associated Press Editors Association awards for her photojournalism work as well as local advertising awards for her photography. She is also a member of such professional organizations as the Professional Photographers of America and the Professional Photographers Association of  Massachusetts.

In 2009, Paula was the recipient of the Hallmark Award for best color portrait, Kodak Gallery Portrait Award , the highest scoring portrait print, judges choice ribbon and 3 blue merit ribbons at the Professional Photographers Association of Massachusetts annual print competition. In 2010,  2011, 2102 , 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Paula’s work was recognized and awarded the highest honor of Loan Collection and General Collection at the Professional Photographers of America International Photographic Competition. In January 2024, Paula was recognized as a Platinum Medalist at the International Photographic Competition for an image she took at the 2023 Boston Marathon.  In 2022, Paula was awarded a Silver Medal and 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2014 Paula was recognized as a Bronze Medalist for her photography at the Professional Photographers of America – International Photographic Competition. Paula continues her education and love for photography by attending professional photography seminars and workshops.

Paula is a member of the Professional Photographers Association of Massachusetts where she is currently the President of PPAM. She is also a member of the Professional Photographers of America and is a Councilor for the state of Massachusetts and a PPA Approved Juror.

Her work has been published in a variety of publications, including The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Times, Time, Newsweek, USA Today, and Esquire. Please visit her Photojournalism gallery to view the way she saw the news.

Paula who grew up in Longmeadow, MA currently lives in Metrowest Boston with her husband Chris and their three sons Ryan, Trevor, and Logan … her inspirations.

September 2016, Paula announces her first book ” Storytelling Portrait Photography: How to Document Children and Families” is available on Amazon.com.  It can be ordered today HERE .  The book is also available at Barnes & Noble, Hunts Photo and Videos and now internationally on Amazon.

Paula Swift Photography, Inc. is a licensed photography business in the state of Massachusetts and a fully insured photography studio and on location photographer through out Boston, Massachusetts and Southern New England. Remember to hire professionals who are licensed and insured when selecting a photographer to capture your special memories.

Storytelling Portrait Photography – How to Document the Lives of Children and Families Book written by Paula Swift.
This book showcases images Paula has taken using her storytelling photography skills as a trained photojournalist.
You get a glimpse of what went into capturing each image along with the technical data. There are limited quantities of this book. Please email  paula@paulaswift.com to inquire about purchasing the book.