These pictures are so "silent", the tension really makes you feel that the birthmark has/had an impact on these people's life.

It's funny, but the first thing I see in almost all of these portraits is the people's eyes. Some of them do look very sad, very tired, but all of them are beautiful.

Anyone who says this is a curse and should be removed is wrong. Think of it like this, this is a mark of your individuallity and they can be useful. I have one (all of my left hand) and i dont choose to remove it.

I read that birthmarks are from a previous life. Say you was shot in the face in war and died, and in the next life you'll still have the mark as a reminder of a past life. My son was born with one on his chest, side and foot.

I think they should smile. I get a feeling the photographer wanted them all to look sad? But why?

Beautiful project. The individuals are already strong to do the photo shoot. good job to the photographer and praise to the participants. :)

As a person with a facial port wine stain it is very interesting reading through the feedback and comments on this article. It is neither a curse or a burden to be born with this difference. I do get annoyed at the insitivities of others at times, but I mostly feel sorry for their ignorance. I do think that the author missed the mark. These people should be smiling and laughing. I'd love to share the article, but I find myself not identifying with anything except the same birth condition. So much beauty here that it's a shame it wasn't highlighted better

Flower on skin. If it was me, I would be happy. You are all so beautiful

Articles like this one make me feel upset:/ Well, they have a birthmark... and what? Is that supposed to be a good thing? Or a bad thing? Or what??

My dad has a very dark birth mark on his face. When he was young they tried to remove it and it became darker and made his skin sensitive to cancer. I grew up looking at him, and loving him, and seeing him. It’s made me someone who considers a face for more than what I see at first. I notice more the glint of laughter in the eyes, smile lines, or kindness. He is also unique, and I’ve always thought his skin was beautiful. So much so that I have a red tattoo on my ribs, because the color seems right on my skin. So no, having a port wine “stain” is not a burden. It’s just different. And through the eyes of a child, it’s even a blessing.

The thing I really noticed in these photos is the pain/ sadness and trauma in some of these peoples eyes and you can feel its about their birthmarks because this is the entire purpose of the photo , I can just imagine the photographer taking the photo and them thinking about the thing that's been made so obvious to them their entire lives , I'd bet some of these people make an effort to hide their birthmarks and to be laid bare an vulnerable in these photos would be really hard , as someone who has 5 big noticeable birthmarks myself (luckily not on my face or this deep red) an am covered in freckles I can sympathise on what it's like to want to hide them so people don't notice or point them out ( I have one on my chest/shoulder which looks like a thumb printed smear of dirt , which people have commented on many times) I just want to say these people are so brave and beautiful in their complete naturalness and openness to share with the world about these world changing birthmarks. 👌

Idk, call me shallow but I thought this was rather depressing. I feel like something vibrant about accepting birthmarks would've impacted a wider audience rather than the done-to-death serious tone, dark blue background, blank faces.

It is understandable that people wonder if they are hurt sometimes but any other comment about it is probably something they've heard a lot

they look so sad

There is a story named 'Echo'. It actually has three stories all connected together in it, but in the first story there is a boy who has a big birthmark on his cheek that is purple and red and looks swollen. Everyone at his school calls him 'monster boy'. This boy lived while world war 2 was going on. He lived in Germany, but he and his father didn't like Hitler, and the German guards called him ugly. It depends if the person wants the birthmark. They can have it removed if they wanted to. But it makes you who you are. All your flaws, weaknesses, strengths, it's just a part of who you are. I'm not saying that the birthmark can't be a burden, I'm just saying that it can be a flaw, or whatever. It depends on the person who has the birthmark.

I went to school with a boy who's birthmark covered almost the entire right side of his body, but as we grew up it shrunk significantly in size. Beautiful pictures!

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Your flaws don't make you beautiful, they make you flawed.