Parents of children with disabilities want respectful and memorable photos of their children to display at home, says Pasadena, California-based portrait and family photographer Scott Gutentag, but those portrait sessions can sometimes be stressful. Gutentag has spent over 30 years as a licensed educational psychologist working with patients with mild to severe intellectual disabilities, autism, sensory impairments, genetic syndromes, and other physical challenges. Today, he also specializes in photo sessions for a similar clientele. Here are some of his tips for photographing subjects with disabilities:

• Prior to the session, learn about the subject’s abilities. What might prevent them from understanding or talking? Are there any accessibility or mobility issues to be addressed? What about interests, aversions, and energy level? These factors can determine session location, structure, and ways to be creative during the photo session.
• Include people during the session who know the subject best. They will let you know if certain visual or auditory stimuli is overwhelming or if certain movements will not be comfortable for the subject.
• Follow the subject’s lead. That includes following their lead on verbal communication, eye gaze, gestures, expressions, and body movements. “There won’t always be direct eye contact or a smile,” Gutentag says. Instead of giving only verbal directions, he may show subjects where to sit or stand, “gently guiding them through poses.”
• Take plenty of breaks. Check in to see how the subject is feeling. Some might like a checklist to tick off as the session moves along. “Realize that the shoot may not go as long as expected, more breaks are needed, or only certain locations or places within a planned location will work best,” he notes.
• Use lighting that is mobile and can be arranged in different positions and angles quickly. “I had one assistant put the light on his head to direct it well,” Gutentag says.

Amanda Arnold is a senior editor.