Capturing THEM
My passion for being an inclusive photographer for individuals of all abilities.
Image features one of my former students, Caleb Prewitt
As far back as I can remember, I have enjoyed spending time with littles. I began working in the church nursery when I was about 9 years old, babysat many of my cousins, and had endless amounts of “pretend” kids! I knew I wanted to be a teacher one day, but it wasn’t until I volunteered with a camp for individuals with disabilities that my passion was fully revealed.
If I am being honest, I was nervous the first time I volunteered. Don’t get me wrong, I was VERY excited, but I had almost no experience with individuals that had disabilities. I was nervous I might make them feel bad if I didn’t quite understand them, or I may not know how to connect with them or they might not like me. But, boy, I am glad I did not let fear be the driver of that decision. The campers quite literally changed my life. They taught me the meaning of grace and unconditional love. My favorite moment happened on the last night of the first camp I worked. It ended with a night of dancing for the campers and camp counselors. We all got dressed up, turned the music up, had delicious food, and we DANCED. I mean, we really danced! I stepped back and realized these sweet people were just like me. They loved to have fun, be connected, socialize, and be vulnerable. They each had their own hurdle to overcome, but don't we all? It was in these moments I discovered those were my people. They had a voice and personality that was often misunderstood because it was never captured appropriately - it was always highlighting the ways in which we are different, rather than how we are actually so very similar.
This led me to pursue my bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. I later began teaching in a self-contained classroom at a high school in Texas and then in an elementary special education class in Jacksonville, Florida. It was such a joy for me to find ways to get my students out into the community, learning how to transfer the skills they have worked so hard on for all of their school-age years into real life. I specifically loved working with the students who had behaviors that were either destructive or harmful. My heart broke for them, because deep down I knew they had something to say - they had an opinion and it mattered. I worked as hard as I could to help my kiddos find ways to express themselves with effective communication skills. In turn, they taught me to love without rules and sometimes, all they need is for someone to just be with them - without judgment.
I don’t want this blog to be about me, because if you ask any of the parents or other teachers you will find out I made a lot of mistakes along the way. The heroes of this blog are the individuals who find ways to shine bright, despite all odds. I am grateful the world is becoming more inclusive, but we are far from where we should be. It's our inherent duty to ensure all people feel valued, important and beautiful. God created each of us, in His image. If you have an extra chromosome, you were made in His image. If you fall on the very broad spectrum of Autism, you were made in His image. If you were born with cerebral palsy, missing limbs, unable to hear, musculoskeletal differences, or any of the many other unique differences that we see in our world, YOU were made in His image. I promise to always see you, and your children, as image bearers - no matter what.
My goal is for my studio and company to be inclusive. I want families that have specific needs to know that I would LOVE to collaborate on a plan to show your child in a way which reflects his or her true self, capturing those things that make them unique, but more importantly highlighting that their image is, without a doubt, completely beautiful!
