far more a philosophy than simply a business name
sonder, is the realization that every person you encounter is living a life as intricate, meaningful, and memorable as your own.
seen speaks to recognition, acceptance, and truly noticing someone as they are. cherishing and capturing the things that society wants hidden.
the two words together, meant to embody documenting magical lives without expecting them to change anything about who they are.
For many families, especially those with autistic, neurodivergent, or children with support needs, traditional family photos can feel overwhelming. Sonder Seen offers a thoughtful alternative.
Annika’s expertise as a speech-language pathologist, sessions prioritize patience, flexibility, and appreciation for how every child navigates their environment.
With the belief that true beauty lives in authentic interaction, joyful spontaneity, and the quiet details defining your world, Sonder Seen sessions are free from rigid posing or performance pressure. No forced smiles, no expectations, just your family being themselves.
Whether that means taking breaks, enjoying a favorite activity, or simply allowing extra time to get comfortable, there’s room for it all. I believe the most beautiful photographs aren’t always perfectly posed. They’re the ones that capture genuine connections, playful moments, and the personalities that make each family special.
annika weisz
a full time speech therapist working in duluth minnesota supporting autistic children and their families in finding how to best communicate with the world around them.
sonder seen, combines a lifetime love of photography, with professional experience supporting children and families. with the wholehearted belief that everyone deserves to feel seen, understood, and celebrated exactly as they are.
I have always had such a love for photography. But pursued speech therapy, and I never want to quit it. I love it so much. But I also am such a sentimental and capture memory person. And knowing my families have so many expenses, booking $400+ sessions, is not feasible. And not even just the financial component, but that it’s hard to commit to something like that not knowing if their child will be regulated with an unfamiliar, not as patient, or not a support need kids person. Or regulated on that specific day and time. But every minute I spend with my families, I am just in awe of their joy, beauty, light, strength and literally everything. Of the children and their families. And they are so worthy of having their seasons captured too. And because I am fortunate enough to have a full time job, photography gets to be a hobby I’m passionate about. whether they are up for 2 minutes or 40, I will go at their pace. If I need to hide my camera and we just play for a while, we’ll do that! If I need to hop and skip and sing like a silly lady, I’ll do it! So I just hope that you can know in your heart too, that this is just something that I dream about, and all I want is to hold space for my families however that may be.
