Special Needs Photographer in Miami, FL Area

I have never heard of a special needs photographer and I am not actually sure why that needs to be a specialty. Some photographers are good with kids others are not but it isn't like spectrum causes photography difficulties, at least none that are different than other kids. My older son was just a big a nightmare to photograph as my younger son with spectrum. Some did well, others did not.

I just feel like you are needlessly making things harder on yourself trying to find something that may not legitimately exist. Sure if you ask someone may lie and say yahhhhh I do that but they don't.

Tons of photographers do location shots, look for those.

I have to disagree to some extent with Momwithcamera, one of my favorite wedding pictures is all of us smiling, pained smiles but nice looking, big sis mumbling for little brother to chill while keeping the smile, and my son with spectrum trying to smile while screaming take the picture already!! Totally captured our family! God he wanted out of that jacket and tie more than anything on earth!

Julie S and Tara R, you are wrong. So wrong! There is absolutely photographers that have experience with special needs kiddos vs. normal photographers that will shoot on location of your choice. Let me explain something to you since I do have a child with Autism. Not "on the spectrum" but a child with full blown Autism. How long can your neurotypical 6 year old child sit for a picture and follow directions? 1 min? 2 min? Mine sits for about 2 seconds. How many neurotypical kids at age 6 can smile when the camera person says "now everyone smile"? My child does not make eye contact with the camera person, does not respond when her name is being called and in fact is constantly trying to get up from a sitting position because she does not want to sit. Try explaining to a 6 year old Autistic child with a mentality of an 18 month old to sit and smile for the camera. These "special needs photographers" come with experience, patience and different ways to get a forever family photo! How do I know? I have hired a normal photographer who didn't give two hoots about my SN child and was very impatient and didn't understand that Autistic kids are different. He was asked to leave my house. We decided to do a photo shoot at our home because that is where my Autistic child feels safest... at home. Not some strange studio with bright lights, loud clicking camera's and a fast moving camera man.

So P. G to make it easier on yourself, you look hard for that special needs photographer because they are out there and i promise you will not regret it!

This one looks cute:

http://www.tamijill.com/category/family-blog

I just googled "Miami natural light photographers".

Great news there IS such a thing as a photographer trained to shoot kids/families with special needs. There is a group called special kids photography of America that helps to teach photographers the in/outs of working with Children with special needs.

https://www.facebook.com/SpecialKidsPhotographyOfAmerica

http://www.specialkidsphotography.com/

Here is their photography directory:

http://www.specialkidsphotography.com/photographers.php?p...

and here is FL listings....

http://www.specialkidsphotography.com/photographers.php?s...

There is nothing wrong with explaining your needs ahead of time. There are specific photographers who have educated themselves to photograph those with special needs.

Some photographers are insistent that things go their way and they won't bend. This certainly would not be the photographer for you.

When I photographed a party of special needs, mostly autistic children, I used a long lens and backed off. The little boy had a pony party at a local farm and the photos that were taken from a distance were much better than the forced family portrait that the grandmother insisted on. There is nothing endearing about 3 adults screaming at a kid to find his circle.

In the end, after the family portrait, I managed to photograph each parent and grand parent with the children while they were together riding a horse or petting an animal.

I don't think there is such a thing as "special needs photography", but rather you need to find a photographer who does "on location" photography, meaning outside of the studio. This can be in your house, or at a neutral park or other setting.

Not sure what the special needs accomodation is for, but look for a photographer that specializes in children, & possibly pets (used to working with situations that cannot be "perfectly" set up). Also, a photojournalist will be more likely to shoot in a natural setting & capture the moment, vs. trying to frame the perfect shot.

Your situation is not too unusual, so I wouldn't go to great lengths talking to them about "special needs" etc. Ask if they shoot on location, & say you have a child/ren that would be more comfortable in your home. You might let them know if it is something along the lines of autism, where boundaries might need to be respected, or physical needs, perhaps to arrange a photo that doesn't show equipment or something. Not sure, your post didn't give a lot of detail.

Good luck! T.

This link might be helpfull.
Good Luck, I hope you get the picture that you deserve!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Changing-the-Face-of-Beaut...