Portrait Photography Advice - Wheelchair User

I will be photographing a disabled new actor next week (in his early 20s). He wants a headshot photo for his portfolio and a few half and full body shots. He has no control over his legs so is wheelchair bound, also mobility in his neck is limited. We decided to meetup near a city river and I will try and keep things simple, using natural light whenever possible. Please can I have some tips? What sort of poses could I do with someone who isn't very posable?

Best of luck with this - not sure what to tell you other than to possibly do some internet searches for portraits of the disabled.

Sounds like a really great challenge and I think if you get it "right" it could lead to more work in a vey specific field.
Best of luck and do let us know who you get on.

ON occasions I have to be in a wheelchair and anytime my wife and I are out and about on vacation and we visit places that have a lot of walking I use my mobility scooter. My wife and I take photos of each other when the scene looks great but she know that I do not like for my photos to include my scooter. She can normally find ways to shoot me without it showing. Which means more closeups.

You say this guy is an actor so that means the shots going out will be for jobs so the chair will be part of his acting career. Talk to him and decide if he wants the chair in the shots. I would think he would want it in the shot or at least part of the chair.

Talk to him very openly about his feelings of showing the chair. Be mater of fact and don't treat him like a invalid. I was in a grocery store one day and a lady came over to me and put her hand on my shoulder and leaned over to me and said "I am so sorry for you, looks like you have had a very rough life" You really don't want to know what I said back to her.

Here is a photo of me in my chair taken last year by my wife

^^^ exactly what I was going to suggest. Ask him if he wants the wheelchair part of the scene. I've been at occasions where a person in a wheelchair was helped out of the chair and placed somewhere else so the wheelchair wasn't part of the scene. Although i'm not sure how to ask someone this without offending them.