Why Special Needs Portraits?

As previously mentioned, providing free portraits to families affected by disability is no gimmick. I’m part of the extended disability community: my younger sister, my cousin, one of my in-laws, and children of a some friends have varying degrees of special needs.

While our families are like most other families, there are some unique challenges, one often being a family portrait. Something that may often be taken for granted is often a source of pain, frustration, and embarrassment for many families with special needs. In short most photographers aren’t trained to work with families affected by disability, and some have intentionally (or unintentionally) hurt these families when they sought their services. Thankfully, there is a growing number of photographers serving families with disability, and a few organizations that provide training for photographers interested in learning how to serve my community. Some of these organizations were started by parents who were hurt when trying to go get photos taken of their family. There are even fewer portrait artists serving this (my) community.

However, I hope to change that with your help.

Cost is often another prohibitive factor, with many families carrying significant financial responsibilities for the care of their loved one(s). This is why my goal is to provide an 11x14 or 16x20 portrait free of charge to one family per month beginning in January, 2021 (preferably sooner).

This will be done through partnerships with faith-based organizations that directly serve families affected by disability. More information will be forthcoming.