Why I Created Jude&Jojos: A Special Needs Photography Brand for Belonging

Elizabeth Carroll, Founder of Jude&Jojos Photography

As my business grows, I find that the biggest thing I am asked is why. And to be honest, it all started with my husband gifting me a camera because I never felt like we were fully captured the way I saw us. I wanted to freeze the moments that felt invisible, the quiet, the messy, the real, and through that, I discovered something much deeper than photography.

I began Jude&Jojos at just five months postpartum with my third child, in a season where I was exhausted, emotional, and searching for purpose beyond survival. What started as a small creative outlet quickly became a calling. Over time, it has grown into something far beyond photography. We are now a brand for belonging, advocacy, and connection, built to serve families who deserve to feel seen.

When people ask me what JJP is, I always pause before answering, because it is not just a photography business. It is a mission, a community, and a space where families impacted by disability, special needs, rare diagnoses, foster care, and adoption can finally feel seen.

Jude&Jojos exists to tell stories the world too often overlooks. Stories of resilience, connection, joy, and everyday bravery. And for me, this work is deeply personal.

I did not start this business because I loved cameras. I started because I became a mom.

My oldest son, Jude, changed the way I see the world. Through him, I learned how often families navigating disability and medical complexity feel invisible, how exhausting it is to explain your child’s or loved one’s story to people who do not truly understand, and how rare it is to be in a space where they are celebrated exactly as they are.

Jude lives with autism, epilepsy, and incomplete hippocampal inversion. His journey is the heart behind everything I create. Jude&Jojos is named for him and for every child who deserves to belong.

JJP is a disability focused photography and storytelling collective that partners with families, therapy centers, nonprofits, and foundations to create inclusive, sensory-aware experiences and long-lasting stories.

We specialize in disability photography, special needs family photography, rare diagnosis storytelling, autism awareness photography, national foundation storytelling, Down syndrome photography, and adoption and foster care storytelling.

Every session is designed with care, flexibility, and dignity. There is no pressure to perform. No expectation to be perfect. Just space to be real.

So many families tell me, “We have never had photos before,” not for a lack of trying, but because they have never felt truly safe in front of a camera.

Representation matters. When individuals and families see themselves reflected with dignity and joy, it changes how they view their story. And it changes how the world sees them, too. This is why JJP exists.

What began as a one-woman mission has grown into a national collective. I now lead a trained ambassador team of photographers across the United States who share the same heart for inclusive storytelling. Each JJP ambassador is trained to work with sensory needs, medical devices, and diverse abilities.

Together, we bring this mission to families in their own communities. At JJP, photography is just the beginning. We help all to share their stories so others feel less alone. We collaborate with nonprofits and therapy centers to amplify voices that deserve to be heard.

This is advocacy through art. This is belonging through storytelling.

If you are a parent navigating disability, a rare diagnosis, or medical uncertainty, we see you. If you have wondered whether your loved one belongs in the world, they do. And so do you.

Jude&Jojos Photography is here to remind you: you are not alone, you are worthy, you belong.