A few weeks ago, my favorite local photography studio, A Little Photo Studio, posted on their Facebook page that they were looking for a few types of photography subjects to come sit in test sessions with their new photographer, Lauren. My son didn't fit any of the descriptions, but on a whim, I emailed asking if Lauren would like to gain some experience with a child with special needs. Lauren responded with a resounding, "Yes!" and started the process of scheduling a time for us to come in to shoot.
As you may know, getting great photos of children is a challenge in and of itself, and getting photos of children with special needs can be even more challenging. Coming into a foreign space, being exposed to backdrops, lighting, technical equipment, and having to interact with strangers can certainly be stress inducing for littles. Add to that the challenges of children who may not respond to their names, who sometimes have fleeting eye contact, who often do not like to sit still, and who won't always smile for the camera (or even look at it) on cue can make the process of getting good photos even more daunting.
This is why I can't recommend A Little Photography Studio enough. From the very beginning, Lauren was warm, super reassuring, and eager to get practice with our super special kiddo. As a matter of practice, the photographers send out a little questionnaire beforehand to gather some information about the kid(s), and right on the form it asks "Are there any special needs we should consider to make sure we have enough time and the right tools to make this a fun and successful shoot?", followed by "If yes to above, please provide some details. (We have worked with a full spectrum of special needs and welcome everyone," and "We are a handicap accessible space, but our shoot space is downstairs, do you need us to make your shoot handicap accessible?" How cool is that?
On the day of the photo shoot, I was delighted to walk up to their gorgeous space and see a sign that reads something to the effect of "We welcome people of all abilities" right on their front door. And I found this to be very true. It took my son a little while to get comfortable in the novel space, and during this time, a few different employees (separate from the two who were working directly with us) warmly said hello to him, and one even joined in when he started making some interesting noise with their railings.
Lauren and her helper for the day (whose name I've already embarrassingly forgotten) were so patient with my son and pulled out all the stops to make him feel comfortable and to get him smiling. They even played One Direction music for him, which he can't resist! We found that my son was most comfortable when I was nearby, and they managed to shoot around me (and even got a few really sweet ones with me in them).
As for the results, simply put, the photos are beautiful. It was so hard to choose from all of the great shots Lauren got. Thankfully, Lauren was super helpful during the selection process having printed out physical copies of the proofs so we could arrange them in different ways, sort them, and compare them side by side. I really appreciated that she offered her opinion as well (versus giving a blanket, "It's up to you..." which is a nightmare for people with analysis paralysis like myself).
Anyway, I just wanted to share my experience with the clinic because I know special needs parents are always looking for recommendations for various service providers in the city. A Little Photo Studio really goes above and beyond to make their studio inclusive, and we had a great experience overall, not to mention some beautiful photos to cherish forever. read more
