Naperville Senior Photographer | Special Needs Photography

I really do love photographing special needs children.  While usually, things go smoothly, there are times when it is rough.  Unfortunately, this was a rougher session.  This lovely high school senior has Down Syndrome.  That is not a problem.  But she doesn’t like her picture taken.  She closes her eyes and looks down.  She is also a cheerleader and has learned from the high school cheerleaders during pictures to put your hands on your hips and cock your head.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t get her not to do it, so she would shut her eyes and cringe a smile.  But she did not want to be doing this and kept saying ,”No cheese”, because she didn’t want to say cheese for a camera.  I tried to reassure her that she didn’t have to say cheese or smile.  She even cried a little, which broke my heart.  I tried to make it fun, but she just wasn’t having it.

This is the face she would do when I picked up the camera.

But when her mom gave her a piggy back ride, I got this smile.

 

At this point, she seemed to relax a bit more, though she still wouldn’t open her eyes.

 

I got a quick one with her eyes open!  Look at those gorgeous eyes!

 

We called it quits and told her we were all done.  I was walking backwards and sort of tripped. She smiled.  So I kept doing it and got this one of her.

 

Waiting for her mom, she gave another real smile.