Mia McKelvey Vision without sight

‘The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.’ – Helen Keller

At age 11, although legally blind, Zara has vast amounts of vision and determination. Zara has albinism, a condition that is surrounded by misconceptions. I chose photography to capture her story due to its synergy with albinism. Like photographic material, people with albinism are light sensitive, and this influenced the way I photographed her. The use of material to diffuse light became a metaphor for Zara’s limited vision and the layers of misunderstanding that surround albinism.

Influencing artists:
Petrina Hicks
Eric Nehr
Gustavo Lacerda