Photographing in a challenging family environment with siblings with special needs can profoundly affect an individual’s perception and outlook on life. Please welcome today’s featured teen photographer: Caroline Fahey, 17, from Wellesley, Massachusetts.

 

 

It may seem like living with a brother who has special needs simply sucks, but because I have grown up my whole entire life two rooms down from him it is almost like any other sibling relationship. Yes, there are differences and yes there are times where I wish my brother did not have special needs. When other families go on lots of vacations or trips, it is a much more difficult task for mine because we have to factor in handicapped accessibility. When my family does anything together we have to factor in logistics about William, which gets frustrating.

Growing up with him has made me strong and independent. When I was little I had to learn to do simple things for myself such as putting myself to bed, cleaning my dishes, and putting myself to bed, because my mom needed to help William, though this doesn’t mean that I had any sort of lack of attention. As I got older, independence became a part of me because I was used to it.

I’ve also learned to stand up for myself. When I was younger I used to be more embarrassed about having a brother with special needs. I would cringe walking in public with him while he was screaming.  I also hated when kids made fun of him, so I learned how to defend my him. As I became more mature and accepting I learned to not care what anyone else thought not just about him, but about myself.

 

Photo Subjects

The subjects in my photos range greatly. The ones I have selected are of me, my eight year old sister and my sixteen brother. My photographs are very personal, and discuss my family, and the topic of family in general.

 

Equipment Used

I have a D90 and a F100. I also sometimes use my strobes, umbrellas and soft boxes, but prefer to shoot with natural lighting. I also am a big fan of editing. I am a big color freak, and love the balance of colors and find editing on programs such as photoshop, lightroom and aperture can add depth and more information to a photograph. I do not like my work to be covered in manipulation, but I believe a little of it cannot hurt, but can only help.

 

Photographic Style

My style is my personality. I am an eclectic person, which is seen through my art because there is no one thing I ever focus on, which some could view as a negative, but I tend to look at a positive. Although I dont try, my style ends up having a dark and honest theme, but sometimes with a bright, colorful, and popping tone. I still hope to carve out my style as the years grow on, and hope to always be changing.

 

Where I’m Headed

I am planning on studying photography in the fall and I currently do not know where, but will soon be deciding. My future is up in the air and I do not want to plan it out because I am only 17 and I want to learn a lot more before I set myself to one and one only thing. I love art and I know I will be involved in art someway or another in my lifetime. Maybe I will be a photographer, but hey maybe when I go to art school I will take a video class and a music class and end up creating soundtracks for movies…you never know where you’ll end up at an age like mine even though you may have a passion. All I know is I want to be happy.

 

THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE FEATURED AS OUR NEXT TEEN PHOTOGRAPHER?

Email Us: justin@teenagephotographer.com. Send a short bio about yourself, 5 photos you think best displays your portfolio, and your name, age, and country/state/province of residence. If we’re impressed, you may be featured as our next Showcased Teen Photographer.

Justin Lai

Justin Lai

I'm a sixteen year old photographer from Austin, Texas. I launched Teen Photo in the summer of 2011, the first website dedicated to the growth and collaboration of young photographers. Since then, the site has grown enormously and garnered a lot of support in the photo industry. You can check out my other project, a new magazine for young adults and adolescents at www.neosmagazine.com.