It just looks better.

My name is Paul Reitano, and I am a portrait and wedding photographer based out of western Massachusetts. I serve all of New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the rest of the Universe.  I am a hybrid shooter, meaning I shoot film and digital, but vastly prefer the look of film. Not because I am some latter-day hipster or celluloid snob, but rather because it simply hasn't been improved upon, at least not for meaningful work. When the lights go down, or during a fast paced event, digital certainly has the advantage. But for anything that counts, for images that stand the test of time, film portraiture, particularly on B&W film, has never been replicated. Modern digital technology has given photographers the ability to (kind-of, sort-of) recreate the look of celluloid, but in truth only film looks like film. While film has grain, digital has 'noise' which might tell you everything you need to know. It has the distinction of somehow being both soft and sharp, flattering and imperfect, and most of all, it just looks better. 

Why I shoot.

In the autumn of 2012 I was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. My diagnosis and subsequent treatment at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pa., has influenced me both as a person and an artist ever since. As most cancer patients will tell you, their history is defined by the moment of diagnosis, and there is only 'before' and 'after'. My own history is bifurcated by my diagnosis on October 11th, 2012, and I live happily here in the 'after' with my wife and daughter in western Massachusetts, along with our dogs, cats and chickens. As a photographer, I am struck by my immense good fortune to be present on your wedding day, and have a heartfelt sense of urgency to make images that are both substantial and filled with meaning.

The notes you don't play.

While I have shot lots of corporate work, innumerable headshots and countless events (and happy to do so for YOU if you like) photographing weddings with people who want to collaborate on something beautiful is where I really thrive; images that are not influenced by trends or the desire to scroll endlessly through social media feeds. I am most comfortable in the moments in between the poses, when I can get you to laugh or let your guard down and just be in the moment. Or, as Miles Davis famously said - "It's not the notes you play, it's the notes you don't play."

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