We offer Special Needs Photography in St. Louis Area!
When I started this business one of things I said repeatedly to the hubs was that everyone deserves amazing photos. Everyone. Not just those who fit into a mold. Not the skinny gal, handsome man mold. Not the upper-middle-class white folk mold. Not the ‘my wedding hath no budget’ mold. Not the one man, one woman, 2.5 children mold. And certainly, certainly, not the average, meets-or-exceeds-all-developmental-norms, child mold.
Everyone deserves photos that capture them in different stages of their life, that capture who they really are and most importantly, that capture the relationship and bond they have with people in their lives at that very moment. Everyone deserves to look back on photos of themselves when they were little and see the relationship they had with their parents. Or to cherish a picture that shows the relationship between their parents. Every mom who has ever wanted to lock herself in her pantry with a bottle of red wine deserves a photos of her kiddo hugging her tight, smiling big. Even if that only happens for a short minute between periods of complete and utter chaos.
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I remember a conversation Zac and I had in April 2010. It was late on a Saturday night and we were sitting around our fire pit, sharing some beverages, chatting away. I was in limbo about my career. Or maybe more accurately in limbo about whether or not I wanted to start a second career. I’d been shooting portrait sessions from Spring to Fall for about 4 years. April was about to be season number 5 and I was wondering if it was time to make the leap from girl with side gig to girl with legitimate business. You know, the kind where you actually seek out business, charge actual money, pay taxes, risk what small savings you have on start up costs.
The conversation turned to what my ultimate goals were – who, what, where and why I wanted to shoot. Zac was about 3 weeks into a new career of his own. He’d transitioned from working with aging veterans to young children with a wide range of special needs, some very severe. He was learning a lot, and learning it quickly. So the conversation shifted to special needs services – the really great services available, the lack of enough really great services, the costs, the support, the need for more people who just get it. We talked about what raising special needs kids meant for a family – what it might mean for our own future family – and that’s when the two conversations collided.
“How do you get really amazing family photos in those situations?” I asked.
“From a really amazing photographer who actually gets it,” he answered.
I knew right then it had to be a part of my plan. Part of what I would do and why. I had to be the amazing photographer who could make that happen for people. Because every family deserves amazing family photos.
The part about being ‘amazing’ will forever be a work in progress. But I get it, we both get it, and that’s why we offer sessions for families with special needs.
The sessions, at the heart of them, are the same as any other session. But there’s more thought, more time, more consideration and an extra heap of team work.
Before your session, we’ll talk about what works for your family and what doesn’t. What kind of spaces, places, atmospheres trigger the biggest grins. We’ll talk about your family dynamic if you find it relevant – does someone respond best to his oldest big brother? We’ll use that information when we guide you into natural poses.
All consuming love of dinosaurs, trucks, chicken nuggets? (We aren’t above bribery here…although we prefer to think of it as positive reinforcement.) Share as much as you’re comfortable and we’ll do our best to get to know your family and your kids and create an experience that’s as good as it can be.
It won’t be perfect, but you probably already know that. We know it too. So leave worries and nerves at home. You can’t scare us. There is little we haven’t seen. Screaming does not phase us. We prefer not to be physically assaulted but hey, we’re tough and the gear is insured. (Please note we’re talking about children here. Children with special needs. Not adults with bad behavior. Do not bring us your nasty old Uncle Ned and expect us to tolerate cursing and pinching.)
We have enough patience to choke a horse. (Which is a morbid saying…who came up with this horse-choking thing?) Anyway, we have a bunch of patience. At the session we’ll take the time to meet your family, show off our cool equipment and talk about what we’re going to do and transition gradually into the actual photo taking.
Then we’ll rock the teamwork. Having 2 people with the right experience goes a long way – it allows me to convey our goal to the whole family, then get behind my camera and do my thing. That leaves the husband to wrangle run away children, talk to them about chicken nuggets until they smile, or coax them close enough to the camera that they’re in the frame : ) We’re upbeat, we’re loud, we’re goofy and we’ve no shame. Basically, we’re a freaking blast and your family is going to have fun.
Of course there’s more to it than that tho right? More people in the photo than just those that need a little extra attention. We’ll make sure everyone is having fun and we’ll make sure everyone looks good!
And when all is said and done, you will have the photos you deserve. The photos your kids deserve. And we’ll all be a bit happier for it.
Just get in touch if you have questions, want to know more, want to feel us out and see if its a good idea for your family. There’s a bit more information on the website, so hop over to www.maggiemedemaphoto.com and check out the Special Needs tab. Pricing is the same for all types of portrait sessions. Follow us on Facebook and keep an eye out for great promos and deals!
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