A friend of mine has a 2 year old with cerebral palsy. An organization we are both in is having a silent auction to benefit her medical fund. I am going to take some portraits to display. This little girl is simply gorgeous with the most AMAZING eyes.
Does anyone have any tips on photographing a child with special needs. She is not walking yet. I don't think she can sit up on her own yet either. Ill also take some shots with her beautiful mama.
I also need some general portrait tips and advice if you can help me! I've also agreed to donate a portrait session for the auction. I am
So nervous about that I think I'll vomit...
I have done a session at a child advocacy center of neglected and abuse children, not the same as special needs but similar in a way.
From experience, I wouldn't even try to get them to look at the camera, just let them be comfortable in their environment. Let them play with toys or ask that the parent or guardian bring the child's favorite toy as it will allow them to relax.
I have recently photographed my friends 4 year old grand daughter who is terminally ill and has a severe disability, sadly she is fading before our eyes and is not expected to live much longer. I am a total amateur at photography but my friend has always liked my photography and asked me if I would mind taking some photographs of Jessica for a keepsake album. Jess is confined to a wheelchair and not able to communicate in anyway.... although she is aware of her grandmother and responds to her touch and hears her voice.....
I was very nervous but was put at ease by my friend and Jessica's Daddie who was happy for me to snap away... and this I did... once I began taking shots the photographer in me just flowed and so it will for you....
I cannot give you tips as I am not professional but all I can say is it will be absolutely fine... your gift will flow and the results will bring much happiness and many treasured memories.... Wishing you well, Jane xx
keep mom happy. the kid will sense mom is at ease, and will be more likely to be at ease. and as chris said, allow time for them to become more at ease. theses will make it a lot easier to get good shots. allow lots of extra time, outdoors would be best, so you have plenty of light and can fire off lots of shots quickly, also shallow depth of field. might be tricky to get shots of the eyes, so may have to fire a lot to get a good shot, which is why i suggest outdoors. possibly a couple sessions, less nervous for all parties, and little one might be more comfortable around a camera that way, plus ya will have plenty of shots to choose from, so no stress to worry about.
If you can, focus on the eyes primarily. It's the eyes we all look at and that is where you will see the light of the child. Give them something familiar to look at or give them something that sparks their interest. Also, get them interacting with others or pets. Holding hands or a balloon, anything that brings out their spirit even it it's just in the eyes.
I have worked with children and adults with special needs for over 20 yrs, as you know someone with C/P can have some low tones and its hard for them to control their heads.... the trick is to get that smile you want from her, have her favorite music playing in the back ground... room temp is important , making sure she is comfortable... well rested .. fed.. etc.. all good things for any child really..
I would try and go for the side view of her face.. kids with special needs have the most amazing wonderful smiles , but sometimes a full shot of it is very hard to get... and most times you will have the parents hand in the shot holding the head up...
if there is a noise or toy she loves then use that to get her attention.. ask mum not try not to talk to much to her.. that way the child is responding to you and not distracted by mum...
I would do it in bursts..as to not to burn her out...
as you are friends with her and her mum I would spend some time with them before the shot.. so that she will be very comfortable with you and responds to you...
Most of all, relax have fun and it will show in your shots...........
depending on what your friend wants I would take shots of her in her wheelchair too.. this is who she is and should not be hidden.. although at 2 yrs she is most likely still in a stroller Im guessing.. so maybe not..
I can't give you technical tips, but as a mother of a young man with Down's, I would say: take a deep breath to relax you, be yourself, photograph her with your heart - you sound like you have plenty of it :-) - and you'll do fine!
Have you ever photographed children before? If so, photograph this child as you would any other child. She is NO DIFFERENT. The worst thing you can do to anyone who is "special needs", especially a child, is treat them differently. I have to 100% disagree with @nikkers , DO NOT make emphasis of her wheelchair. THE WHEELCHAIR IS NOT WHO SHE IS! If she is most comfortable in her chair, that's fine, but do not go out of your way to show the world that she's not society's view of normal.
When I photograph children I get them doing things they love and the smiles come. Since she'll be with her mom, have her mom and her engaged in a task that she enjoys and the photos will come naturally.
@meshinka@aromatic@cchambers@dmortega@nikkers@dulciknit Thanks you so much everyone for your ideas and encouragement. I really appreciate it. I found out today that the silent auction has been postpone a few weeks so i have a little more time! I think I'll try an indoor session first since the temp here is still in the 90s from dawn to dusk!
@mej2011 I'm sorry if my question hit a bad nerve for you- I meant no disrespect to anyone. I have photographed children, but no one this medically fragile (seizures, feeding tube, etc) so I was just looking for advice from others who might be more familiar with a similar situation. She doesn't have a wheelchair b/c she is only two. She doesn't look any different than other 2 year old, but she can't sit up yet so I
was just asking for positioning advice, as well as general portraiture advice.
Thanks again to everyone, and anyone else has any tips or advice I would love it!
@mjmama
Obviously you will not be able to remove the feeding tube, so just think of it as a birthmark or some other part of her that is natural and can not be removed. As far seizures, you want to check with her parent to see if the possible use of camera flash will trigger a seizure. If your goal is to photograph her alone as much as possible, maybe just some shots with her laying in the grass looking up at you?
you can use some props.. if she has low tones and it looks like you said she cant support herself yet..so a blanket or two.. small pillows as to not to overwhelm her size.. look at some new born shots.. see what they use to prop these babies up and do something similar
when we lay on the ground our faces dont look natural so I would try to avoid that kind of shot.
Hope you have a fun time with this little girl and her mother... what a great opportunity for all involved..
..
just wanted to say that what Melissa says about the wheelchair is a bit over the top. because then she back tracks and says you cant do anything about the feeding tube and treat it like its a birth mark?? if this little girl when she gets older cant walk , then a wheel chair will be part of her life that she will need too, just like the feeding tube.. as I said , she would most likely be in a stroller at this age,, and you agreed.. so its moot point.....
anyway didnt want to get into it with anyone , just giving advise on what I HAVE done for over 20 yrs of working with children and adults with special needs. in 4 different countries through out the world..
peace out ,,,
@nikkers
You can take a child out of a wheelchair, you can't take out a feeding tube.Either way, emphasis should not be put on anything having to do with the disability. My problem with your statement was you stated that the wheelchair was who she was. That is not accurate. She is a child, the chair is just her mode of transportation. I've lived with a physical disability that has left me wheelchair bound for 27 years, so I feel I have a bit more insight into how a special needs person feels, than your just working with them.
@lbaker Thanks Laura, I will try to check those out. I have a slow internet connection so I get impatient waiting for videos to load ;)
@nikkers@mej2011 Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Nikkers was just trying to say, Don't hide the wheelchair because its not something that should be hidden away and ashamed of. I have a similar debate with my husband - he is an amputee, he has one arm because of cancer. He wants people to see HIM & all the million awesome things about him. But a lot of people, when they notice the missing arm, that is ALL they see.
Anyway thanks for the suggestions they are really helpful.
@mej2011 Well I too am disabled and do have some insight.. so before you go off on me.. ask if I am talking from experience or just through my arse.. and you CAN take person out of a wheel chair.. yes indeed , but that wont make them walk...
@mjmama , and you are correct Bonnie.. was just trying to say no shame in wheelchair... or other aids that some people will need over their life time..
Bonnie, I have a lot because I'm a Special Ed. teacher and I have also written two novels about a nine year old Boy with Cerebral palsy. Duffy Barkley is Not a Dog and Duffy Barkley: Seek Well. I would donate a set of the books to your silent auction if you were comfortable emailing me the winners mailing address.
The photo thing is really the same as with any child, focus on their moods, try to get laughter or a serious moment or them watching someone else with delight or wistfulness. Take a lot of pictures until they barely are aware that you have a camera in your hand and talk to them without a baby voice! make sure their parents are ok with you using pictures of their child. If you are in a place where they can be playful and messy you can get great shots with water play or finger painting, or face painting
look through my pictures - my husband and son both play wheelchair basketball and i have several pictures of wheelchair sports. like someone else suggested, photograph them like you would any other child - keep them busy and entertained :)
@chasingwishes Unfortunately the little girl has been in and out of the hospital for months, so we haven't been able to do it yet. She has had a lot of physical issues they are trying to sort out. In the meantime I am gaining a good amout of experience photographing other children, so hopefully I can do a great job when I get to take her portraits. Thanks for asking!
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From experience, I wouldn't even try to get them to look at the camera, just let them be comfortable in their environment. Let them play with toys or ask that the parent or guardian bring the child's favorite toy as it will allow them to relax.
I was very nervous but was put at ease by my friend and Jessica's Daddie who was happy for me to snap away... and this I did... once I began taking shots the photographer in me just flowed and so it will for you....
I cannot give you tips as I am not professional but all I can say is it will be absolutely fine... your gift will flow and the results will bring much happiness and many treasured memories.... Wishing you well, Jane xx
you will do fine.
I would try and go for the side view of her face.. kids with special needs have the most amazing wonderful smiles , but sometimes a full shot of it is very hard to get... and most times you will have the parents hand in the shot holding the head up...
if there is a noise or toy she loves then use that to get her attention.. ask mum not try not to talk to much to her.. that way the child is responding to you and not distracted by mum...
I would do it in bursts..as to not to burn her out...
as you are friends with her and her mum I would spend some time with them before the shot.. so that she will be very comfortable with you and responds to you...
Most of all, relax have fun and it will show in your shots...........
depending on what your friend wants I would take shots of her in her wheelchair too.. this is who she is and should not be hidden.. although at 2 yrs she is most likely still in a stroller Im guessing.. so maybe not..
anyway have fun... and enjoy..
@mej2011 I'm sorry if my question hit a bad nerve for you- I meant no disrespect to anyone. I have photographed children, but no one this medically fragile (seizures, feeding tube, etc) so I was just looking for advice from others who might be more familiar with a similar situation. She doesn't have a wheelchair b/c she is only two. She doesn't look any different than other 2 year old, but she can't sit up yet so I
was just asking for positioning advice, as well as general portraiture advice.
Thanks again to everyone, and anyone else has any tips or advice I would love it!
Good luck with the project.
Obviously you will not be able to remove the feeding tube, so just think of it as a birthmark or some other part of her that is natural and can not be removed. As far seizures, you want to check with her parent to see if the possible use of camera flash will trigger a seizure. If your goal is to photograph her alone as much as possible, maybe just some shots with her laying in the grass looking up at you?
when we lay on the ground our faces dont look natural so I would try to avoid that kind of shot.
Hope you have a fun time with this little girl and her mother... what a great opportunity for all involved..
..
just wanted to say that what Melissa says about the wheelchair is a bit over the top. because then she back tracks and says you cant do anything about the feeding tube and treat it like its a birth mark?? if this little girl when she gets older cant walk , then a wheel chair will be part of her life that she will need too, just like the feeding tube.. as I said , she would most likely be in a stroller at this age,, and you agreed.. so its moot point.....
anyway didnt want to get into it with anyone , just giving advise on what I HAVE done for over 20 yrs of working with children and adults with special needs. in 4 different countries through out the world..
peace out ,,,
You can take a child out of a wheelchair, you can't take out a feeding tube.Either way, emphasis should not be put on anything having to do with the disability. My problem with your statement was you stated that the wheelchair was who she was. That is not accurate. She is a child, the chair is just her mode of transportation. I've lived with a physical disability that has left me wheelchair bound for 27 years, so I feel I have a bit more insight into how a special needs person feels, than your just working with them.
@nikkers @mej2011 Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Nikkers was just trying to say, Don't hide the wheelchair because its not something that should be hidden away and ashamed of. I have a similar debate with my husband - he is an amputee, he has one arm because of cancer. He wants people to see HIM & all the million awesome things about him. But a lot of people, when they notice the missing arm, that is ALL they see.
Anyway thanks for the suggestions they are really helpful.
@mjmama , and you are correct Bonnie.. was just trying to say no shame in wheelchair... or other aids that some people will need over their life time..
http://www.heartfelt.org.au/
The photo thing is really the same as with any child, focus on their moods, try to get laughter or a serious moment or them watching someone else with delight or wistfulness. Take a lot of pictures until they barely are aware that you have a camera in your hand and talk to them without a baby voice! make sure their parents are ok with you using pictures of their child. If you are in a place where they can be playful and messy you can get great shots with water play or finger painting, or face painting
Dixie Goode email duffybarkley@yahoo.com
@pandorasecho Thank you for your ideas and thanks so much for offering the donation. I will let the organizers know and have someone contact you!