Shooting the HandiCapable

Ray Dauphinais

Lauren is a 24 year old with Cerebral Palsy - she was a lot of fun. The challenge was how to portray Lauren as 'handicapable' (her word), maintain dignity and give the client, a Healthcare Consulting Firm, the images they wanted for a marketing campaign.

1


2


3

The red tint is coming from a translucent roof over the patio.

4


5



Have you shot the handicapped? How do you approach the subject?

Ray

Ridgetop

I honestly have no experience in such shoots, but from these pics what I see are three pics of a beautiful woman, and two pics that highlight her disability rather than her capability. Might it help to show her in a situation or event where she is showing how capable she is? What does she do? How does she do it? That's what I'd want to portray. The pics of her without her chair and walking supports do show a wonderful woman who is "normal", but they don't portray what I would think of as "capable" as far as overcoming her "handicap". I think some more environmental type photos might be right for this type of shoot.

Ray Dauphinais

Excellent points. I wanted to do an environmental session at her workplace - she is a greeter at a well known discount warehouse - they refused permission.

I'll revisit the session's photographs with your comments in mind.

Thanks again.

Qarik

I am digging 2 and 5. 3 is bothering if you want to portray a positive vibe..the image is torturous and not easy to look at. 1 looks very pensive, dark, and lacks context.

Hackbone

I mind 1 but I don't mind #3, go figure. I think you did an outstanding job of a beautiful young capable lady. Great color, composition and feel. These are very hard for us "able" people to do. I once had to do a young lady's senior port who was terriblely burned in a fire. No hands, or nose with many burns. I asked her for her views and we realized that she would like to be treated like any other senior. That is what we did and she was extremely happy with the results. I guess the moral is they are normal folks albiet in a different way but still normal. Big congrats to you.

kdog

Great project and excellent photography.

Ray Dauphinais

Qarik, First thanks for taking the time to view and comment on the images, I appreciate your time.

#3 was chosen, by me, to make the viewer uneasy at some level without disrespecting Lauren or understating her handicap and the determination she processes. Without putting her condition in perspective with image #3 then IMHO 2 & 5 loose meaning and they become just more pictures of a pretty girl.

My, unsuccessful, attempt in image #1 was to show Lauren's isolation. It was framed and cropped that way to allow the client to insert text behind her in one image.

Ray

Ray Dauphinais

Hackbone,

I normally spend a lot of time putting my subjects at ease during a shoot. However, this time it was Lauren putting me at ease with her condition; I was very impressed by her.

Thank you for you time,
Ray

Ray Dauphinais

Thanks kdog.

divamum

2+5 are just beautiful portraits. If you hadn't mentioned her condition, you wouldn't know it existed. Is it possible to reshoot those using the wheelchair instead of a regular chair?

1 seems to depict isolation; 3 I don't mind, but it does communicate "struggle" more than "capable".

My husband's cousin (now in his 40s) has spina bifida - went into the hospital at about 12 years old knowing he'd come out paralyzed from the waist down. Was predictably bumpy, and then he discovered the special olympics - was a fencing champion. Turned him around, got him past the (understandable) frustration and depression over his condition, and he's never looked back.

The reason I tell the story is simply because the VERY LAST thing you notice about him if you meet him now is that he's in a wheelchair - his personality is huge, and you register that way before the fact that he's either in a chair or on sticks. It's pretty amazing, actually. Seems this young lady's strength of character is similar.

Qarik

well if you are going for the "struggle and hardship" with #3 then you achieved it...just fyi though, it makes me feel pity more than anything else.

jonh68

I like them all, and for me #3 speaks the loudest. This is something she goes through everyday and it is part of her life. i don't have pity but admiration for her when I see the picture.

puzzledpaul

Mrs pp has been a special needs teacher for many many yrs and I've been asked along on school 'day trips / events' on quite a few occasions over said period ... mainly as a 'wheelchair pusher' ... but with a 'bring your camera, too' aspect

Almost every time the prints that got enlarged for school / classroom display purposes were those depicting the kids having fun /enjoying themselves ... doing stuff that anyone would.

eg
Looks of concentration /fun whilst steering (a local club's) radio controlled boats at a park.
Sitting inside cockpit of light aircraft at a local airfield, messing with controls, looking 'cool'
Collecting eggs from hens at a local 'farm'
Picking strawberries.
'gunging' (pouring slimey stuff) over teachers' heads on 'Children in Need' day ... a big annual charity event in uk.
etc

Doubt if this's of help in your situation - but it might be.
(all done on an amateur basis as am not a pro)

pp

Ray Dauphinais

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your comments.

coolpinsky

Like the No 1 and 2
in the 1st one glowing in minus

Gotham

. I'm not a fan of the glowing (nor with the effects on #4 -- though they might be JPG artifacts). Otherwise, I think it's a very strong shoot showing a range of emotion and stories.

FlyNavy

I too like the range of emotion. Well done.