When I first started planning this session with his mom, I inquired about his challenges and she shared the two things that are difficult for him. He has a difficult time making eye contact and giving a genuine relaxed smile. There were also a few minor sensory concerns, but nothing she thought would be an obstacle during the session. Having this kind of information before the session is so helpful because it helps me to make a plan for addresses these issues and to be ready for it.

Not having eye contact in any of these images would instantly lead you to find the child who has this issue. However, using my bag of tricks, J just looks like an 8-year old boy who enjoys goofing around with his brothers and is dearly loved by his family. And that is what we wanted. Mission accomplished.

{To find out which method worked to achieve such amazing eye contact, check back for the revision of the SpecialT Guide to Photographing Children with Special Needs.}

They just had to get a little run in the middle of the session. Boys.

And they loved the images so much that a mere 20×30 canvas was not going to cut it. This display featuring a 30×40 canvas is now the focal point of their living room.

I was so pleased when this family contacted me to photograph their family again. Their kids are just so darn cute and mom and dad are super nice and easy going. Just a pleasure to work with.

Since I have some history with M, their SpecialT, I replanned how I would shoot their session this year. I usually like to warm up, hang out a little bit, let the kids check out my gear and props. But I know that M, who has a communication deficit, also has been having some anxiety issues. Knowing that my SpecialT families treasure those family (the whole family) photos, I chose to attack that first. I had everything set up before they arrived and put everyone in place for M’s anxiety had a chance to appear. And it worked. Beautiful family shot accomplished, then I just had to get the sprinkles on top.

It really truly pays to take that time to ask questions and plan your session with a special needs client.

Now if you are a photographer reading this post and are thinking, “Shoot, I should have done that.” It’s not too late. Simply CLICK HERE if you want to be part of this big-hearted network of photographers.

If you are already part of the network and are thinking, “Shoot, I forgot to get my donation/discount in!” It’s ok. You are still awesome for being a part of the SpecialT network and it’s not too late. Just CLICK HERE.

If you know a family with a special needs child and they are near one of these fabulous people, please pass this on! EVERYONE deserves to have beautiful memories on their walls.

Here are the awesome folks who are donating or discounting for families with a child with special needs. Please contact these photographers directly with questions and to book your session, or just to tell them how awesome they are.

South Windsor, CT: Sarah Cruz Photography is offering half off! $125 for 45 minute session, (1) 8×10, online gallery, and 3 digital images to decorate their social media. Other options also available.

Bristol, CT: All God’s Children is offering complimentary sessions! Rachel is an aspiring photographer who I (Marsha McNeely, founder of SpecialT) personally mentored. Please contact marsha@marshamcneely.com for Rachel’s contact information.

Mountain City, Georgia: Micah 6:8 Studios Photography is offering a $150 photo session for $25 for a family with a child with special needs. This will also include (4) 5×7′s and 50% off additional prints ordered.

Hospers, Iowa: Small Town Photography is offering 50% off session fee and 50% off any package for a family with a child with special needs.

Shelby Township, MI: A – Maes Photography is offering $15.00 session fee and it will include 5 – 10 free edited photos! (Photographer’s choice) to a family with a child with special needs. Other products also available.

New Jersey: Faith Bell Photography  is offering either 50% off your portrait package or $50 sitting fee for a family with a special needs child. Contact Faith about booking your session.

Rhode Island: KAJ Photography is offering 50% off any session fee as well as 50% off any prints after the session. Contact Keli to book your session.

Charleston, SC: Teresa Howell Photography of Charleston, SC is offering 50% off $100 45-minute session and includes 5 digital images. Other products available with 30% off discount.

Summerville, SC: InFaith Design & Photography is offering 50% session fee and it will include your choice of 1 digital file to a family with a child with special needs. Other products also available.

Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Little Lubby Dubby Photography is offering up to 3 FREE SESSIONS that will include a disc of 5-10 images for families with children with special needs.

Dallas, TX: Vickie Cunningham Photography is offering a 20% discount to her session fee and other options for a families with a child with autism. Please call Vickie for details and to book your session

 Stanton, VA: Christy McKee Photography is offering on complimentary session to a family with a child who has Autism during the month of April. Please contact Christy for details.

I’ll just let you peek at the images. Be sure to read the descriptions for my notes. Enjoy!

Happy kids laughing at mom who just scared them with my shark puppet.

More happy kids.

Now dad had the shark. All eyes up. All faces happy. This is what I call a miracle with 4 kids that are this young.

Found this awesome soft yet firm hedge. Nice backdrop, but also an AMAZING SENSORY opportunity.

Sinking into the hedge. Look at how relaxed his face became. Sweet sweet face.

And then he emerged with amazing eye contact and even threw me a little cheese!

Handsome and sweet oldest brother. He was quite the poser.

But then, the 4 small ones were over it. Mom and dad were totally cool. But the kids just cracked me up in this image. Not just one was done, but ALL of them. That’s life with kids.

Little pretty princess really wanted nothing to do with me today, but I LOVE this image of her. Can’t you just feel the 2 year old attitude!

She was trying her hardest to not let me catch her, but I did. She has no idea how persistent I am. Isn’t she adorable?

Once I got this little friend to slow down, he totally turned on the charm.

And onto the lollipop party. We ended last year with lollipops so why not bring them out again. Just fun and funny.

This will be short and sweet. Sometimes my best advice to you is to just work fast. Capitalize on the few moments you can grab at the beginning, the end or anywhere in between where the child is engaged. And when it’s obvious that he is done, just end the session early and let the family be.  There’s no reason to put more stress on them by making them stay to try 10 other locations or poses. That’s how this session went. Thankfully, mom mentioned in passing that our little buddy here had a bit of a meltdown on the way to the session. Knowing that going in really helped me to hone in on his limits and not push it any further, especially for a medically fragile child.

In reality, we had about 10-15 minutes of workable time where he was happy and compliant and I grabbed every bit that I could. He’s such an adorable little guy. I really just wanted to capture a few sweet moments for his family and then let them be on their way.

After I released the gallery to the family, the mom left me a very sweet voicemail. I have no intention of deleting it.

Enjoy.

Sweet moment with mama.

Always always always focus on the sibling(s) for a bit. Let them shine.

Being a little coy.

Sweet family shot.

Monkey see. Monkey do.

And no session is complete without a tickle fight.A little brotherly reassurance.And here is his sweet speech therapist who hooked up for a very a special session. This woman has a heart of gold.

For this session, I really didn’t do anything special. It was a full family session which gave me a great opportunity to capture the WHOLE family unit, but also still gave me the opportunity to focus on each person (even gave mom and dad the spotlight for a minute).

Eye contact was still a challenge this year, but putting him on his belly an pretending to cry instantly engaged him as he began to laugh at me. Needless to say, I ‘cried’ most of the session. Whatever it took to get those gorgeous brown eyes.

Here’s a small peak at our session. I sure hope I see them next year.

Sitting on the fence to still his need for movement coupled with a good ole cry got the eye contact and smile on this one.

Mom and dad need some love too.

Sometimes a different perspective helps...

The trick of putting of him on his belly to slow him down worked well with yet another good 'cry' from me.

No tricks used here. He was just being super cute.

Brother

Gorgeous sister

He was aware that this might be a place where bees might congregate. To keep him engaged, we just shot very quickly and moved to another spot. (note: no bees bothered us)

The writer contacted me for a phone interview, and she crafted the story. After a carefully timed pitch was written and presented, I was floored to find out that Jessica (above mentioned writer friend of my friend April) had pitched the story to O Magazine and they wanted to run it. {Insert my jaw on… the… floor.}  Then she did the unthinkable…she asked me not to discuss it with anyone until it hit the newsstand. Seriously? I get it but how does one just sit on something like this?

But on December 9, 2011 the wait was over. I was wandering through a local target with just Tynan and I saw the January 2012 issue. I nervously thumbed through the issue and found myself on page 30! {A huge rush of adrenalin was pumping through my body and once again, my jaw was on the floor.} When I hopped in the car to go home, I immediately called my friend Monica. Monica is the mommy of the two kiddos that are featured in the article with me. She knew that they would be in the article, but I didn’t tell her which magazine! Here is how that conversation went:

Me: Hi Monica.

Monica: Hi Marsha.

Me: You might want to run out to the nearest newstand immediately.

Monica: And what would I be looking for at that newstand.

Me: O Magazine.

Monica: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! GET OUT!

That was super fun even though I had tortured her for months by NOT telling her what magazine.

But here’s the part of the story that makes me step back, look at the bigger picture, and say “wow.” When I first started talking to Jessica, SpecialT existed to give that special gift of a captured memory for families. As we wrapped up our interviews, I realized that SpecialT could have more legs, and that it could become a resource place for photographers who want to serve this population. And all of this came about because of my special Tynan.

I am deeply honored and grateful to the editors at O Magazine who thought this was a story worth sharing. I just hope that my 15 minutes of fame can inspire others to bless so many deserving children and their families.

Click on the mag to check it out. Thanks for letting me share.

This awesome family found me by way of an auction! I had donated a session to a local mom’s club who was trying to raise money to purchase and fill backpacks for children who are taken into police custody because of something unfavorable that their parents have did. The backpacks are filled with many comforts of childhood to ease the child’s anxiety in these tense situations. I was happy to donate my services for this cause.

When I spoke to the winner, she practically jumped through the phone. I mean she was ELECTRIC with excitement. I was both honored and humbled by her reaction. Then she proceeded to tell me about her little J and how she has not had professional portraits taken of him since he was about 6 months old and he is now 4. At that same time, she also shared some of his struggles and why it is so hard to get great images of him. Ohhhhh, she needs a SpecialT session. Awesome.

Long story short, mom’s advice to me for the session, “Just wear your running shoes.” Ok! I’ve worked with lots of runners, no big deal, I thought to myself. Even better, I chose this session to take a mentee with me! I prepped her before we got there and discussed some strategies that we would use to get our little sprinter to slow down and engage with us.

All I can say is, I think that I think I ran, not jogged, a good mile during this session. He was fast and non-stop. But he was SOOOOO happy which made it really really funny to chase after him. I am still giggling about it. But seriously, I get his issue. We found ways to make it work and get those shots for mama. And you just got to love a kid who is so crazy happy, even if he is running faster than a gazelle.

See captions below images for the techniques that worked.

Taken by Kendra Watson Photography. Mom told me before the session that J loves trains and dinosaurs so I packed him a little reward suitcase.

Here is the pullback shot. That is me on the other side of the hedge. I am standing on the ground and he is sitting on a 4 1/2 foot high stone pedestal! Mom and dad were planted around the corners in case he thought he could get down. But he did not. He was happy with his trains. Kendra and I shot from either side of him so he could NOT avoid looking at one of us. I think he was flirting with Kendra a little bit, so that helped!

These shots were taken on the same kind of pedestal later in the session in a different location. It worked again.

He couldn’t resist flashing me handsome eyes.

Gorgeous light in a beautiful green area. Sweet little boy just enjoying the day.

I was chasing him around the green area and jumped out from behind a tree. He was just dying with laughter.

Dropped him to his stomach so it would take him longer to get up, but we had to distract with the dinosaur friends. I gave this one a little vintage feel because it just had a nostalgic feel to it. He was down there for about 5 seconds, so I had to drop down fast.

And then when you’ve tried all other motion stopping techniques, just throw them in a short tree! (With parent’s help and approval, of course.)

A big thanks to Kendra Watson Photography for running with us and getting some great shots. To see more of Kendra’s work visit www.kendrawatsonphotography.com.

To find out more about in session or phone/skype mentoring, select the contact tab above.

This little guy and his sister are about as cute as they come and mom did an amazing job with their wardrobe too! I chose a park that I frequently shoot at because of the variety of backdrops. There are streets you can ‘pose’ on, there are gorgeous stone steps everywhere, lots of green space, and lots of privacy since there is so much space. The afternoon was just filled with amazing light.

My challenge was going to be eye contact with L. He did not seem nervous around me, but he wasn’t throwing me any glances for free! Little sister was quite the opposite. She was ready for her closeup, so of course I had to take advantage of that!

One thing that worked for getting L to look my way was my magic tiny stool. All of my small clients love this little red stool, and L was no different. I set it up in the middle of one of those quiet roads and he started to twirl around on it. I watched, squatted, and waited for him to make the turn to look for mom or dad and snap! Got that cute face with bright eyes and even a smile!

The other jewel was that dad brought his guitar! The mom had shared with me before our session that her husband played and I insisted that he bring it! {I personally loved it because I used to play guitar and I love a little musical accompaniment while I am shooting.}. But the kids loved it to. It was an awesome mid-session change of stimulus but it was also sweet to capture something very personal and unique to that family.

I hope you enjoy!

By the 3rd or 4th time around he was having a great time.

Sweet moment with daddy

Fun moment with mommy

Peaceful & beautiful children

Great perspective.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/special-336731-needs-autism.html