Special Needs Photography
Over the past few months, half of my clients have been families who have children with special needs. For some reason the universe knew that we needed each other. It was one of the best experiences of my photography journey so far!
I try my best to make the experience as fun and natural as possible for all of my clients. Posed photos with no emotion aren't my cup of tea. I prefer to capture connection and those real smiles. But, photographing special needs children was going to be challenging. I was feeling all sorts of emotions before my first session.
I wanted these families to feel as comfortable as possible during the whole process. I've read about the fears that special needs parents have. Fear of being judged, fear that their children won't be accepted, fear that something will happen to them, or looked at with pity instead of, "Wow, what an amazing family!"
I asked myself so many questions. Did I have enough patience? Did I have enough tricks up my sleeve to keep them happy and engaged? Would I be able to keep mom, dad, and siblings happy? Most importantly, would these children feel comfortable with me? I chose to focus on my excitement and not my fear. I'm so glad I did!
Since I was a child, I was very accepting of children who were different than me. I befriended everyone, because I believe everyone deserves that. It is my belief that these wonderful children are here to teach us compassion among many other lessons. They are some of the most wise and loving souls I've ever met!
The first special needs session I had the honor of doing was for a super kind family. They have a beautiful little girl named Emma who has Autism and can't speak. But, she is very good at communicating in other ways. I loved her bouncy red curls, the way she looked at her sweet parents, and her love to explore. I let her play for a while to burn off some energy. She wasn't sure how to feel about me at first. But, by the end of the session she grabbed my hand and my heart melted! What a wonderful feeling! Her parents were so happy with how the session went, that they asked me to come visit sometime! Bre, lets make a plan soon!
My next session was with a lovely family who has a child on the Autism spectrum with high functioning Aspergers. His name is Ayden. He is so smart and LOVES to read! His favorite book is Diary of a Wimpy Kid. So, I made sure to incorporate that in the session. His parents told me that he carries it with him wherever he goes. He was also very patient, had such good manners, and was great with his little sister! I loved that he shook my hand when we first met. What a gentleman! I loved witnessing the playfulness in their family, too! Dad was giving piggy back rides and mom was running around playing tag.
My first down syndrome session was with a wonderful family who is extremely helpful in our community. I wanted to be able to do something special for them, since they put so much time and effort into helping others. I met their son Ben a few years ago, but didn't get a chance to know him very well. Well, this ray of sunshine sure knows how to light up a room! What a ham! We were all giggling like crazy! His older brother was so good with him, too. Very protective and kind. I loved watching the two of them look at each other with such admiration and love!
I LOVED that they were comfortable enough to dance for me, too!
My next down syndrome session was with a very sweet family who had 3 boys. The boys were so kind to one another and so considerate of their brother Daniel. You could tell that they really looked out for one another. At one point, Daniel led us into the woods to a bench where he wanted me to take photos of his family. It ended up being one of the best locations! Daniel, I should hire you as my assistant! There is so much love and laughter in this family! I'm sure there is never a dull moment in their home!
These next photos are of very old friends of mine. They weren't from a photo session, but from New Year's Eve. Their son Kain has down syndrome as well. He loves listening to his dad sing and play the guitar. I was smiling ear to ear as he swayed back and forth watching his dad create music. Kain has been in the hospital a lot since he has been born and is such a strong little boy! He couldn't eat for quite some time and now that he can, he loves food! Maybe he will end up being a fantastic cook like his mommy or a talented musician like his dad! His big sister is so good with him and helps out a lot! So much that her mom thinks she will be a nurse some day!
I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with these AMAZING families! Thank you again for choosing me to be your photographer and for trusting me with your wonderful children!
