Albinos, a photo from Rajasthan, West

Photographer's Note

I have seen albinos in Nepal and India before. They always have similiar faces. I never saw a group anywhere else before. This family sits every day in the bright sun at the Puskar Camel Festival begging, (but they seem not to burn, nor do they look Indian to me). (This obviously was the evening) Albinos have red eyes, they have no pigment in their eyes. I am adding this as a note to all: They have pink skin because of the blood in their skin, white hair. They squint, maybe some are blind, the one on the left never looks up, another has a hand and leg cut off. They get food, money and clothing all day, as beggers they really do good, as social human beings, they are complete outcasts. This group has more members not in this picture.

nbournas, GuillaumeR, Xalkida, erthmuffin, danbachmann, mismet, faz09, rodalvas, yesyuvraj, sengir, peter1892, meyavuz, justrob, fireflyz, Facsi, axiotea, rjb874, shirgold, weetrees, photographydoc has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

DaveO (123) 2003-11-07 7:31

A very haunting image. It reminds me that there are people in the world a lot less fortunate than me.
My first thought that the red eyes could be removed. But after looking at the image a bit longer I'm not sure; they may add to the effect.
This image will stay with me for a long time.

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Keitht (1342) 2003-11-07 7:44

A nice group but I think the red eye should definitely be removed. It makes them look demonic and they have enough problems being accepted in their society without that.

[5]

flip89 (3418) 2003-11-07 7:56

Affecting. The red eyes should NOT be removed because red is the normal color of albino's eyes because of the absence of pigment. It will look odd if you change the color to something else.

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mortijo (12828) 2003-11-07 8:50

No, the red eyes should not be removed. This picture hurts and makes me feel uneasy.

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dawekato (2269) 2003-11-07 9:02

Yes, it is haunting, probably because it's a night shot taken with a flash. I have seen albinos before, they are not so frequish. I think in this case the red eyes are more a function of the flash reflecting in the retina, rather than the natural colour of their eyes. To avoid "red-eye", take the shot in daytime or bring up the lighting so the pupil has a chance to contract before taking the picture.

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mnphoto (224) 2003-11-07 9:25

Very intense emotional image.

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hantulaut (3441) 2003-11-07 9:32

Its similiar what happened with people at Sulawesi Selatan, called as "TOBALO" people. Rare skin deseases, lack of pigment, red eyes and white hair, but not a Fitiligo desease. Some believe that their ancestor had a curse because of their sin.
This pics interesting, i hope i could see more pics of them at daily life.
Note: the red eye absolutly "red" because they doesnt have a pigment. They appearance are totally different with their ancestor as Indian people (brown eyes, burn skin, and black hair). I think no necessary to avoid the "red eye" because not coming from the flash, but they really doesnt have a pigment inside their pupil.

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padam (186) 2003-11-07 10:02

I agree with Keitht. Yes, albinos do have red eyes. And this reinforces the artificial effect of the reflexion of the flash. IMO, the effect of the flash (but not the colour) should definitively be removed.
I also wonder if the group itself would have appreciated this image. Personally, I seriously doubt it.

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maciekda (19895) 2003-11-08 21:24

as Dave said the picture is very haunting, it is a bit shocking too, those people look so miserable... you need a courage to take a picture to people like them using flash.. and a courage to post it to TE, i appreciate it.

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philip_coggan (11) 2003-11-10 19:09

This is one of your best photos, and one of the best I've seen. Never mind technical details like the red eye effect, just feel the impact, and your reaction to what you see. It's not pretty, but many things in India are not pretty. Personally, I find my reaction to this incredicably complex and conflicted - partly revulsion at their squalor, partly a kind of ghoulish fascination, partly disgust at my own reactions, partly, sonewhere deep down, compassion. It's this response that it brings out in the viewer that makes the photo a good one. Raw, un-artful, powerful - and typical of the best of your personal style of photography (which is the polar opposite of mine)

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zto (268) 2003-11-14 16:40

A verry good picture of an uggly world. Pepole should not have to live like this. It makes me so angry and so sad but it's good to get a wake up call like this. Once own problems are tiny in comperison.

iamxa (3103) 2003-11-26 10:55

Incredible. I can't understand why, in XXI century, can be people discriminated by color face. Your photo is "increible"

Curioso (9271) 2003-12-05 15:22

DaveO had the right word "haunting".

I saw many of them in Angola, Africa but they were quite well integrated in society. I mean not worse than any other african people.

But what you seem to suggest is that in India, it may be more difficult... So, reading your comment really strengthen the "haunting" feeling of uneasiness to look at them as beggers of a even lower class... Really, really sad.

I'd like so much to discover India not as a toursit but as a traveller. But it really seems to be a harsh country emotionnaly speaking.

Great picture for TE !

mtolloczko (201) 2003-12-06 15:35

Some of their little faces look very burnt to me and the older woman in the background seems to have suffered sunburn for some time, not only is her face very red but she also has numerous liver spots. It is also clear that the arms of these children are burnt. It is a very sad image.

wtolyz (20) 2003-12-12 19:41

To zdjęcie jest odrażające!!! Każdym jego pikselem wydziera się z niego brud, bieda i nędza!!! Technicznie zdjęcie jest beznadziejne!!! Autor nie zrobił nic poza naciśnięciem spustu migawki. Widziałem już wiele zdjęć pokazujących: śmierć, ludzkie dramaty i cierpienie, a także brud, biedę i nędzę. Lecz było to zupełnie inaczej pokazane. To co Ty zrobiłaś nie nadaje się do publicznego pokazania. Dziwię sie tym co przyznawali Ci jakieś punkty...

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justrob (273) 2003-12-23 15:49

This is a staggeringly good photograph. It haunts me. The little girl on the right is about the same age as my daughter.

I look and look, and think about how difficult a life they must have. My little girl never gets that dirty, let along lives that dirty. It's a staggering commentary in a single image of the horrific way mankind can treat one another.

All this from a simple image. It's a great note too. If I could give 4 or 8 points, I would. It's a brilliant picture, a great note. It haunts my dreams!

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Vagabond (5848) 2004-01-12 15:59

Impressive photo worth an Atlas of Genetic Medicine. The description is excellent and let us think that probably they are the result of close-related marriage. A photo to think about ...

Impressionante fotografia digna de um Atlas de Medicina Gen彋ica. A descri誽o � excelente e permite-nos pensar que este grupo � prov嫛elmente o resultado de casamentos consangu璯eos e de uma grande ignor滱cia que, ao levar � exclus緌 destas pessoas, vai ampliar este grupo pois eles v緌 casar-se s爅ente com outros familiares com o mesmo mal e transmiti-lo indefinidamente. Nos pa疄es mais evolu獮os, esta doen蓷 � espor墂ica e rara pois a sua transmiss緌 gen彋ica � do tipo recessivo e s� se transmite de pais para filhos se houver consanguinidade.
A fotografia n緌 � bonita mas n緌 deve ser alterada pois est� ali tudo o que h� para aprender 趓erca do Albinismo - tanto do ponto de vista m嶮ico como social

Laurence (0) 2004-03-11 16:18

Etrange image. Difficile d'apporter une appr嶰iation...

eleparc (24063) 2004-03-11 16:36

all has been said. very haunting indeed! Dave put us the right word in the mouth (thanks for it dave!). it is making me feel very uncomfortable, almost voyeur. But reality also needs to be shown in TE, the world is not always one of peace, calm and serenity. The today Madrid slaughter reminds us all of this, doesn't it? very daring from you Gloria, you have my full support and esteem for it! no more points today but i will certainly rate it high tomorrow when my full credit gets back...
Strong colors for this impacting scene add to the drama. just a little note on the flash though, that seems to be very strong here? too much maybe, although it brings also its share to the drama. My criticism almost sounds trivial and out of place in front of such a strong capture...my apologies.

i have reached my limit for today's postings of w/s but tomorrow I will post you one I just did to give everybody a chance to see them w/o red eyes. people will then be capable of choosing their own. I must admit it makes them look less like evildead scary creatures. Did reality look like this or does the flash enhances the effect? sorry for asking

[workshop] [compare] +

cgrindahl (6113) 2004-06-03 17:47

The photo interests me on a couple of levels. I have a fairly rare skin disorder called vitaligo which results in portions of my skin loosing the melanin colored layer so that I become essentially albino in those areas. It began when I was in my late teens and has progressively extended over larger areas as time passed. It is perhaps most disfiguring on people with very dark skin but it has no other consequence apart from increased sensitivity to the sun. When I was younger and failed to understand what was happening, I would get so burned at small spots of vitaligo that my skin would blister. I imagine these folks suffer greatly in a climate like India with sunburn. I wear long sleeve white shirts in summer and always apply sun tan lotion when I'm in the sun for extended periods of time, a straw hat on my head.

The second thing I'd observe is that in India, any difference is magnified and can result in being outcast. Physical deformity is surely one such difference. As witnessed in the photo, these folks who become outcast survive by displaying their deformity and relying on charity of passersby. I have no judgment about that, since their plight surely pulls at one's heart strings. Perhaps Gloria dropped a few rupees on the plastic sheet and they counted the transaction a fine one to make...the flash of a camera and a photo for enough money to buy some chapati. Thanks Gloria for sharing your experience with us.

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danbachmann (1746) 2004-07-05 15:41

This image has come back to me in my sleep - not as a nightmare, but from curriosity. I wonder what is there story. I looked, but could not find anything else about this group on the Internet. The one on the right looks like she is snarling about you getting too close, which appears to be the case after reading your discussion thread. Do you think the hand was cut off from being caught (or accused of) stealing? I imagine in India, though they are outcasts, they are not beaten just for the heck of it, or are they? The content is too powerful to comment as an artistic image, but for photojournalism it's right on.

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rodalvas (641) 2004-10-08 18:06 [Comment]

Show Comment

yesyuvraj (151) 2004-11-07 17:10

I really appreciate your work to bring this photo on TE. It keeps up the spirit of TE to know more about our world.Though this website contains a lot beautiful photographs but there are a lot of Ugly things in life which we cannot ignore.

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emreozkurt (344) 2004-11-22 16:32

Very powerful shot, I think you did good with not removing the red effects from it. It gives me the creeps and will make me think for a long while.

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peter1892 (1681) 2005-02-27 6:40

Good picture, gritty & some people would find it disturbing, I think it's a very interesting shot.

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faubry (35447) 2005-07-02 6:04

une image difficile � supporter,.. il y a aussi en afrique des x$cas similaires, malheureusement ces gens ne vivent pas vieux!!! pitty for them
merci
francine

fireflyz (2097) 2005-09-27 15:23

Very very interesting photo! I've never seen a group or entire family of albinos sitting around. I feel really bad that they have to feel outcast from the society. Thank you for sharing..
Skye

shirgold (2485) 2007-03-01 13:29

Hi Gloria,
I do not enjoy looking at this image but I fully acknowledge what it brings us, the screen watchers. This is an image with a very strong visual impact and implications - your note is excellent and describes the scene and people in it and moreover it makes you think.
in my opinion the image fits well with TE objectives.
TFS - Shir

ebolanos (229) 2007-03-01 13:54

I think that the description from the photographer lacked respect and may I remind everyone that they area human beings.

terrajo2002 (0) 2007-05-01 1:50

Shame on you all!!! How dare you call this photograph "haunting". You need to understand a few things about albinism. They can not help the way they look, just the way other people cannot. It is awful the way they have to beg for food, but their looks should have nothing to do with it. Imagine if it was your family begging on the street. You would not like it if people commented on how you looked. I also hope that you have enough respect to realize that if you touch them you will not turn white and die! If you believe that how ignorant are you? I agree that you need to show these people respect. Read up a little on albinism and think about how many hardships they have to endure every day. Even if they have food and shelter.

WhitePegasus (0) 2009-01-12 20:16 [Comment]

Show Comment

Okay I came across your images and I had to make a reply.

Please do your research before you talk about a condition you know nothing about. I have albinism myself so I can honestly say how it really works. I am also into photography and am working on starting my own photography business and this was obviously taken with a flash. It is NOT normal for an albino to have red eyes like that or at all. A few facts you might like to know....

1) Human albinos rarely have pink eyes. This occurs in animals. While it does happen it is RARE!
2) Albinism is an genetically inherited trait cause by two recessive genes (which have to be the same type of albinism gene).
3) Most albinos have pale blue to grey eyes. Although they can be hazel to violet depending on the type and how much the particular person is affected.
4) In the US albinism affects 1 in every 17,000 people. In each culture and race it differs depending on the area and what not.
5) Those people would NOT appreciate that photo.
6) We do NOT have mystical powers.
The spots on her faces is caused from sun damage and not being able to receive the proper things to care for her skin. It could easily be skin cancer.
7) The redness is not from the blood.. their skin is NOT that transparent. Its due to sun exposure.

Its people like you that drive me crazy as growing up with it there are so many misconceptions and many if not all are teased and stared at me being no acceptation.

There is so much more to it than I can explain here.

I can appreciate what your trying to accomplish with the image as it is very haunting and evokes many emotions but please take into consideration how it makes others feel who is trying to fight this stigma brought on by Hollywood and people who have NO IDEA what they are talking about.

I have met many other people with albinism like myself... some from asia, india, blacks and so on and NONE have red eyes........ Not unless a flash is used to take their photo....

This is not a bit flattering.... =(

photographydoc (92) 2012-12-20 19:41

very interesting scene and very sad how this happens through the family genes having affected the whole family with this rare disease even the poor kids. It's a sad scene to view and must have been hard to have experience this and taking their photo. In a country like India where there is a huge extreme poverty rate this poor family would be classified as 'untouchables' especially because of this rare disease. It makes me angry and sad that there are classes like this. The little girl in the red sticks out with face.

I prefer without the 'red eyes' caused by the flash but this could easily be removed and fixed in Photoshopped. Like the workshop of this image someone removed the red eyes it looks more natural and gives more emotion to it, this version with the red eyes i don't like it looks demonic as everyone else has mentioned.

But I love this photo you have truly captured this poor family's struggle in society and extreme poverty in a country where there is so much unequal between rich and extreme poor.

I have been to India and I couldn't believe how much poverty was around me and living in horrible conditions a lot of people lived on the streets.

Well done.