Did you catch these photos at the fair? There are special photographers behind the cameras

Like many 5-year-olds, Garvan MacFarlane has a lot of energy.

“He lives with epilepsy,” said his mom, Tacoma resident Shannon McFarlane. “That means his energy is all over the place.”

But something happens when he picks up a camera.

“He’s very focused,” Shannon said. “It looks like it’s a meditative experience for him.”

Garvan is a member of the Special Portraits Exceptional Photography Club, run by Milton resident Crystal Kennedy in partnership with the Exceptional Families Network.

Kennedy, a professional newborn and family photographer, has been taking photos for six years. A year ago, she shifted her focus to children with disabilities, inspired by her own children, 6-year-old Graydon and 7-year-old Asher, who have autism.

So she started Special Portraits.

“I teach photography to kids with special needs and run a photography club for kids and adults with special needs,” Kennedy explained.

The club funds and teaches photo walks, day camps and other projects for kids with disabilities across the Puget Sound. It also covers fees for them to submit their art to the Washington State Fair photo contest.

This year, Garvan and 16-year-old Mike Williams were accepted into the fair’s photo contest.

Garvan submitted “Purple Flowers” and said he likes taking photos of flowers because they’re colorful. The piece was selected into the fair’s first-ever Youth Division category, which has 37 entries.

Williams, an Olympia resident who lives with autism, submitted “Golden Wheat,” which depicts a stalk of wheat in Idaho.

“I’m able to express a lot within a single frame,” he said.

Right now, Kennedy rents studio space and has about 25 participants through her online Facebook page. She’s seeking a grant to help more families get photos through Special Portraits.

“Many of these families are already struggling to pay for things their kids need. Therapy and medical bills and special diets — I didn’t want the financial aspect to keep any of them from having a chance to enter (the contest),” Kennedy said. “I’m really proud of them. They did fantastic. I hope this experience gives them the confidence to enter other competitions.”

The most important part about working with her families is to listen and learn what their needs are. Before every photography session, she has families fill out questionnaires. Family members also are welcome to visit and get familiar with equipment.

“I’m not taken aback by a child who’s had it and starts screaming,” Kennedy said.

Garvan and Williams’ pieces will be on display on the second floor of the Pavilion near the Gold Gate through the end of the fair on Sept. 23.

For more information, visit specialneedsportraits.com.

This story was originally published September 18, 2018 at 10:00 AM.