Studio Personality Portraits of Children with Paula Swift- Hunt’s Photo Waltham

Join Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsmen, Certified Professional Photographer – Paula Swift owner of Paula Swift Photography, Inc. in Sudbury, MA as she shares her fun and stress-free approach to studio portraits of children. Paula loves to create fun and creative natural portraits of children using simple studio lighting and backdrops.  She lets children be themselves.  This could be by incorporating a hobby, sport or anything that they love into their session or just capturing their authentic smiles and laughter in front of her camera.

We laugh, giggle, sing, dance and pull out all the stops to get children to be who they truly are. Some sessions the focus is on their faces and expressions, so clothing is kept simple and classic making it a fun and stress free way to capture your kids portraits in a modern yet timeless way. Meanwhile other sessions include a sport or hobby. This helps to tell their story of who they are and to celebrate their uniqueness. Paula believes every child is unique and these types of portraits help to capture who they are…and how we will look back and remember that fleeting time of that age they were photographed.

This class will cover:

• Studio lighting and camera gear used
• How it’s important learn about the child(ren) you will be photographing
• How to direct children during the session
• To encourage children to be themselves during a session
• Learn how to sit back and watch a moment happen
• How to keep the session fun and engaging for each child

Please note: Certain special workshops, such as this one, are non-refundable. If you need to cancel more than 10 days prior, you can receive a 50% credit towards a class in the future. We do not offer credits within 10 days of the workshop.

About Paula:

Paula Swift, M.Photog, Cr., CPP started her portrait photography business in Framingham, MA in 2004 and then moved into a new studio in Sudbury, MA in December 2013. Paula is the recent Past President of the Professional Photographers Association of Massachusetts – PPAM (2021-2023), a PPA Councilor and PPA Approved Juror.

Paula was a staff photographer at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Mass from 1995-2005. Three of Paula’s images were part of a Pulitzer nomination and finalist entry in 2000 in feature photography for the photography staff’s coverage of the deadly Worcester warehouse fire that took the lives of six firefighters in 1999. Her photography has appeared in the Boston Globe, New York Times, LA Times, Esquire, People, Time, Newsweek and internationally via the Associated Press wire service

Her portrait photography has won her two Kodak Gallery Awards, a Hallmark Award, Photographic Degree of Excellence by PPAM, Loan and General Collections at IPC. ­­ In 2024, , Paula was recognized as Platinum Medalist,  a Silver Medalist in 2022  and in 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020 a Bronze Medalist for her photography at the Professional Photographers of America International Photographic Competition.

In May 2017, Paula’s book Storytelling Portrait Photography: How to Document the Lives of Children and Families published. The book offers ideas for creating a strong and lasting client connection, eliciting memorable moments, finding storytelling locations, inspiring natural action and reactions, and capturing the inter-relationships between siblings and between children and their parents.

Paula was born in Newport News, Virgina and grew up Longmeadow, Mass where she first learned to develop film in her parents’ basement with her big sister Gina who is a LA Times photographer.  She attended Fitchburg State University where she received her Bachelors of Science in Communications Media – Photography in 1995. Paula lives in Framingham, Mass. with her husband Chris and their three sons.