Special Needs Photographer - Zoe Morse

Photography is a powerful tool for capturing the uniqueness and beauty of every single person. When it comes to photographing children/young adults with special needs it becomes even more significant, as it allows us to showcase their unique personalities and to tell their stories. After recently photographing hundreds of children/young adults in a special education setting, I thought I would write this blog to share the things I took from the most rewarding job I have ever done. I write this in the hope this will inspire more photographers to offer their time and expertise to give these children, parents, grandparents and carers something every child should have access to, a humble school photo.

• Safety

Before taking on any job within a young/school environment, make sure all safety measures are put in place. Ensure that you will always have a chaperone who is DBS cleared and can stay with you the entire time of the shoot. Ensure all GDPR policies are reviewed and adhered to by everyone involved and that the school have obtained all the relevant permissions required from parents/carers for their child to be photographed and any child that doesn’t have this permission is not on the shoot list. Complete a thorough risk assessment before the shoot and make sure all equipment is secured with sandbags, warning tape placed around anything that could be classed as a hazard and that any electrical equipment is PAT tested. Also check that your PL Insurance is upto date and that this covers you for working within this environment.

• Plan, Plan, Plan.

Decide where the shoot will take place and what lighting set up well in advance so on the day you can focus on getting the children to feel comfortable around you, the camera, the equipment etc Speak to staff/colleagues and explain what will happen on the day so they can work out what is the best way to prepare the children for the shoot. Ask staff/colleagues to draw up a plan as to when each child will visit you to get their photo taken.

• Lighting  

I personally would veer towards using natural lighting where possible, however if the requirement is to provide a uniform school photo look, then I recommend flat lighting. This isn’t the time to be creative with light as these children move and move quickly.

• Be flexible

Start with a robust plan but be prepared to be flexible. Some children will be naturally quite daunted by the prospect of having their photo taken, so consider photographing them in an environment they are comfortable in for example a sensory room or ball pit. Check with staff beforehand so see if any of the children have light sensitivity issues and consider abandoning flash altogether and upping the iso. Also consider that some children may not be in the best of moods at their allotted shoot time, so if time allows, let them revisit later in the day when they may feel a little more relaxed.

• Communicate

Whether its speaking to staff about each child’s unique personality or chatting to the children/young adults themselves, it’s all about building trust/rapport with them. When they feel listened to, they will feel more comfortable around you and the camera, resulting in more authentic, relaxed images.

• Explore

Don’t forget some of these children will have never seen a large camera likes yours, a backdrop, or a lighting stand. This new environment could be quite daunting to them so let them explore your equipment.. Let them touch your camera or even take a photo of a member of staff. Show them the back of the camera and comment how wonderful they look and let them do a retake if they think they can smile wider on the next one.

• Posing

Everything you know about posing your subject needs to go out of the window in this instance. By all means ask if they would like to sit down with one shoulder off to the side but be prepared for them to stand or roll around the floor and pull funny faces. It’s all about making the child feel comfortable, not forced so concentrate on capturing their smiles & personality. Which brings me onto the next point…..

• Enjoy

Whilst photographing children/young adults with special needs is not for the faint hearted, it’s probably one of the most rewarding jobs you will encounter in your career. The smiles are raw and unfiltered, and I know personally for me, they are some of the best and most important images I have ever taken.