I'M SHELLY AND THIS IS MY STORY

I am the mother of a 17 yr old with moderate, high needs autism, ASD Level II. When Sammy was diagnosed at age 3 it changed my world forever. Sammy was camera averse for many years which made getting family photos an impossibility. Our first family photo was taken by a professional photographer who mocked Sammy for crying and getting overstimulated and disregulated during our 15 min session. He managed to get one useable shot, which I have posted in this gallery. It was a traumatic and embarrassing experience for me as a young mother. I spent 45 minutes with him afterwards trying to help him calm down.

That experience along with the countless failed "school photo" attempts made me want to work at helping Sammy to become more at ease in front of the camera.

Capturing natural looking facial expressions on children requires that they feel comfortable, at ease and trusting of those around them.

Like any other learned skill, I quickly realized that looking natural was something you had to work at.

Photo sessions for children with Autism or other special needs are priced the same as all the other sessions but include double the time. In this way, we are assured of getting some useable shots, we can take breaks and your child can have time to feel comfortable around me and my camera.

To book a session for your autistic or special needs child, please email me with some details about your child's unique profile, days/times that work for you to shoot and what your ideal budget is. You can also see my pricing information by clicking on the "pricing" tab at the top of this page.

I look forward to talking more with you.