[Ohio-talk] BLIND photographer captures heartwarming images of his nonverbal autistic twin sons in order to truly 'connect' with the pair

[Cheryl Fields]

Great article!

On 11/15/15, Deborah Kendrick via Ohio-talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Greetings, all,
>
> This is an amazing story that I know you will enjoy reading.
>
> It also reminds me that you won't want to miss the presentation at
> convention by our very own Christopher Sabine on a condidtion that combines
> autism and visual impairment.
>
> Chris has his own business, consulting with families who experience this
> condition.  He also chairs Cincinnati's membership committee and, as of
> yesterday, is our new secretary.
>
> Read on and prepare to be amazed by one mor blind individual and his
> family.
>
> Deborah
>
>
>
> BLIND photographer captures heartwarming images of his nonverbal
> autistic twin sons in order to truly 'connect' with the pair
>
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3317809/BLIND-photographer-capture
> s-heartwarming-images-nonverbal-autistic-twin-sons-order-truly-connect-pair.
> html
>
> Bruce Hall, of Santa Ana, California, was declared legally blind
> after he was born with an underdeveloped optic nerve
> Over the past 14 years, he has taken 150,000 photos of his sons,
> Jack and James, as a way to bond with them
> The stunning shots are part of Bruce's book about autism, which he
> co-wrote with his wife, Valerie
>
> By Emily James For Dailymail.com
>
> Published: 18:09 EST, 13 November 2015 | Updated: 18:30 EST, 13 November
> 2015
>
> {Some texts are photo captions.}
>
> A legally blind photographer has debuted a striking series of photos of
> his twin sons, who both suffer from nonverbal autism, in an effort to
> raise awareness about the boys' condition.
>
> Bruce Hall, whose work has been featured in National Geographic and in
> numerous museum exhibitions across the world, was born with an
> underdeveloped optic nerve, which means he can only see objects when
> they are a few inches from his face.
>
> Although Bruce, of Santa Ana, California, specializes in underwater
> photographer, his latest project focuses on his twin sons, Jack and
> James, and their experience with autism over the past 14 years of their
> lives.
>
> Stunning: Bruce Hall, a legally blind photographer from California,
> debuted a striking series of photos of his twin sons, James and Jack,
> who both suffer from nonverbal autism. Above, Jack finds comfort in the
> water
>
> Laughter: Since Bruce can't communicate with his sons, who are now 14,
> he took their photos as a way to bond with them. He is releasing the
> pictures in a book to raise awareness about their condition
>
> In their book, Immersed: Our Experience With Autism, Bruce and his wife
> Valerie shares photos of the boys throughout their lives and detail
> their sons' struggles with communication and social interaction.
>
> Bruce, who holds a PhD in Educational Psychology from University of
> California, Los Angeles, said he began taking photos of the kids when
> they were toddlers in order to get closer to them, since they were
> unable to speak.
>
> 'I do this to look at them... I followed them into their space, and
> these chance encounters opened up an entirely new perspective on my
> photography and this project,' he told The Mighty.
>
> 'So much of what's gone on over the last 14 years has been so chaotic,
> so photography has been a way to look at them and gaze into their eyes,'
> the photographer added.
>
> Dad and the boys: Bruce says he has taken 150,000 photos of his sons,
> Jack and James. The pictures are featured in Bruce and his wife
> Valerie's book, Immersed: Our Experience With Autism
>
> Playing around: Bruce, who was born with an underdeveloped optic nerve,
> can only see objects close up. He uses his photography to see the boys
> more clearly by zooming in on the pictures
>
> Close-up: James uses his face and body to express himself since he
> cannot communicate
>
> Water lovers: Bruce says James, and especially Jack, find comfort and
> peace when they are in the water
>
> Many of the photos in the book are underwater shots of Jack, who finds
> comfort and solace in the water.
>
> 'It seems like the water is the place where Jack seems the most calm and
> content,' he said.
> 'In some of the those photos, that look on his face, you don't often see
> that. It's a way for us to connect, and I want to share it with other
> people.'
>
> Bruce went on to share of the project: 'As a whole, the narrative
> describes the journey our family took during the early years of the
> boys' lives, from the time before the diagnosis to their tenth birthday.
>
> 'It honestly describes the struggles and sorrows, as well as the courage
> and laughter, that accompanied those most difficult years.'
>
> He said that life was very difficult for the family before the boys were
> diagnosed with autism, and that she and his wife still constantly worry
> about their futures.
>
> Silly: Jack smiles and jumps around in his bathing suit in this sweet
> picture
>
> Striking: Bruce says the boys were not diagnosed with autism until age
> 10. Since then, things have gotten better for the family, but he and his
> wife still worry about their futures constantly
>
> Beautiful: Bruce shares of the photos, 'It's a way for us to connect,
> and I want to share it with other people'
>
> Amazing: The photographer, who has started a Kickstarter in order to
> fund the publishing of his book, said he hopes his photos will inspire
> people to be kinder and more accepting of one another
>
> 'It is estimated that 25 per cent of people with ASD, Autism Spectrum
> Disorder, are non-speaking and cannot speak for themselves,' shared Bruce.
>
> 'People like our sons are often underrepresented in the media, and we
> want to give them a voice in the discussion. I want the public to think
> about how these people are taken care of, and that they deserve
> everyone's consideration,' he said of his book.
>
> Bruce, who has started a Kickstarter in order to fund the publishing of
> his book, said he hopes his photos will inspire people to be kinder and
> more accepting of one another.
>
> 'Societies will be judged on how they treat their most vulnerable
> people,' he said, adding: 'It's in everyone's best interest to be good
> to one another, because if something happens to you, you hope that
> people will want to help you or that you will be treated humanely.'
>
> Read more:
> Blind Photographer Gives Intimate Look at Raising Twins With Autism |
> The Mighty
> Immersed: Our Experience With Autism by Bruce Hall and Valerie Hall -
> Kickstarter
> Bruce Hall: using photography to see.
>
>
> C Associated Newspapers Ltd
>
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