When you hear the words “genetic mutation,” the first thing that comes in our mind isn’t breathtaking beauty. However, it’s clear that sometimes being different creates immense beauty, as is the case with 11-year-old Amina Ependieva. This little girl from Grozny, the capital city of Chechnya, in Russia, has inherited both albinism and heterochromia and her unique appearance is fascinating. The former is a condition that reduces the amount of melanin pigment in the skin, eyes, and hair, while the latter is a difference in coloration of the iris.
When Chechen photographer Amina Arsakova spotted a picture of 11-year-old Amina Ependieva in a shopping center, she was immediately intrigued by the young girl’s unique beauty. In Ependieva’s case, she has white-blonde hair and pale skin with one blue eye and one brown eye.
Arsakova wanted to do a photoshoot with Ependieva—but doing so proved challenging. She couldn’t directly contact Ependieva, but through some searching, she eventually got her mother’s phone number. They scheduled a portrait session after that. “Amina turned out to be a very nice and calm girl,” Arsakova tells.
Photographer Amina Arsakova captured stunning portraits of 11-year-old Amina Ependieva, a girl with both albinism and heterochromia.
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