This photographer is celebrating albinism with striking portraits

The condition affects one in 18,000 people living in the US

A photographer has put together a photo essay to celebrate people with albinism.

Angelina D’Auguste photographed people with albinism for her senior project at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

Citing Shaun Ross, a model with albinism, as her inspiration, she wanted to explore the condition which is not often discussed.

Ms D’Auguste said: “When I first knew I wanted to make albinism [the focus] for my thesis project, I knew that one of the hardest parts would actually be finding my subjects. Once I photographed one subject, that led to another, because they would recommend me to other friends or families [with] albinism, which is very common.”

She wanted her subjects to be from across society and so invited people of different ages and ethnicities to be photographed.

“All of the people I met definitely embraced having albinism. One says he forgets that he [has the condition]. He considers himself just a regular guy who just happens to be a little more fair-skinned.”

One of her subjects explained that they saw living with the condition as a positive, saying: "Having albinism broke me out of my shell, because I am very shy. It is a big part of who I am, and I wouldn't trade that for the world.”

The National Organisation for Albinism and Hyperpigmentation in the US estimates that one in 18,000- 20,000 have some form of the condition.