Ala Moana Beach Park, Honolulu
Alvin reached out to me looking for one great photo of his entire family. Looking back at this family portrait session puts a smile on my face. Alvin and his wife Farah were so loving and kind every moment of our session.
At first they were a bit worried about the prospect of having family photos taken, mainly due to the challenges they have faced in the past with their autistic son. All she asked was for "one good family picture". I approached this family portrait session as I would every other family, and we had a great time. I feel like we were able to capture true snapshots of their family, including that "one good family picture".
Taking Photos of Children with Autism
I wouldn't call myself an expert, but there were some things that I found out that worked great for our portrait session and maybe these may help other families in capturing that "one good family picture".
Take a lot of photos and share them. Alvin's son loved seeing photos of himself on my camera. The camera isn't a big deal I didn't want to make it one.
Find out what they love. Early on in the session I found out that Alvin's son loved the Wiggles, especially one song. I' not a great singer, but I think it helped to create a fun environment for everyone.
Just talk. He may have not been looking at me the entire time, but he sure was listening, especially when he heard his name. I kept explaining what I was doing and used his name every time I was talking to him.
In the end this was an experience that I will never forget. I appreciated Alvin and Farah's trust they had in me and I hope that these photos are ones that they can cherish forever.
