Hot Tips For Photoshoots And Wheelchairs

19 Jul 2011: So Todd and I just had our pre-wedding photo shoot the other week. It was a good way for us to get into practice for the hundreds of wedding photos we’ll be smiling for in a few months. Todd’s not much of a camera hog (like me), so it took a lot of convincing for him to cooperate, but I think the results speak for themselves.

I had a hair trial done, to test out one of the options for my wedding day, my cousin, who’s very talented with hair styling, did it for me, and she’ll be doing my hair on my wedding day.

We got one our friends to take the photos. She’s still learning, but as I keep telling her, she’s already great and should do some more photography work ASAP, as you’ll see by the finished product, she’s definitely got a natural talent!

Firstly, I wanted to get some shots of our little furry children i.e. dogs, and cat. They weren’t too cooperative though, as they were too excited with all the new people in our house that day.

Todd and I had a few at home, then, we went to a new housing development in our area, that has a small lake, and some really cute wooden bridges and piers, for some different shots.

I made it clear to my friend, that I didn’t want my chair in too many photos, so to begin with, she got me to sit on Todd’s lap, then she took some of me laying on the grass, then, the both of us together on the grass, then, some with me standing on a ledge in front of Todd, so our eyes were at the same height, which was great, as there’s about 3 foot difference between us! We actually look the same height in some photos!

I also brought along a ‘prop’ from the wall above our bed; a ‘love’ sign for us to hold, which I think makes a beautiful addition to the photos.

If you want some beautiful memorable photos, that don’t accentuate your wheelchair, then I definitely suggest getting out of it for some shots if possible, or if that’s too difficult, try and have tighter shots taken, just of your head.

Just to be clear, I’m not ‘ashamed’ of being in a wheelchair or anything like that, but it’s not WHO I am, it’s just something that helps me get from a to b, and I don’t think it deserves to be the focus of special photographic memories of my life.

You should also know your angles. Because I have such a short torso, if I were to have photos of myself taken of me just sitting on my bottom with my legs straight out in front of me, it would really illustrate how short I am, so it’s all about creating illusions. Realistic illusions of course. I’m not suggesting going and buying a mask to wear, because you don’t like your nose or something!

I also recommend wearing clothes and hair that flatter, for example; my arms and one leg are bowed, and I don’t particularly like seeing them in photos. To combat my personal issues for this photo shoot, I wore boots that cover the bend in my leg, and arm warmers, that help to disguise my bowed arms. I also have a significant curvature in my spine, which forces one shoulder to stick up higher than the other, so I chose to have my hair styled down, so it helps to conceal this.

Some people may call it vanity, but I like to look at it as using what I do have, to my advantage. As I’ve always said, pictures will be around forever, and I will be glad to look back at these photos, along with our wedding photos, when Todd is old and grey, and I’m wrinkly and shrunken down to an even ‘littler’ old lady, and be proud of what we used to look like.

Todd and I


Todd and I with our furry children


Bailey and I


Todd and I


Todd and I


Narla and Phoenix