‘Real Prettiness’ Depicts People with Down Syndrome in a New Light

For her series Real Prettiness, German photographer Linda Dajana Krüger seeks to call attention to those with Down Syndrome while looking past the realities of the genetic disorder that affects one in 800 births worldwide. When Krüger reached out to Diakonie Werkstatt Mannheim Neckarau, a German employment service agency for the disabled, with the proposition of showing those with Down Syndrome in a different light, they jumped at the opportunity.

Wanting to showcase her subjects exactly how they wish to be seen, Krüger had designer clothes and makeup on hand at the shoot, allowing everyone to pick and choose the fashion they wore. It was a collaborative process between photographer and subject. Clad in fur coats and hats, some of the subjects confided in Krüger that they had always wished to be models and this was their dream come true. “They were very proud, and told everybody at their workplace and residential home about the photo shoot,” she says of the experience.

After seeing the final results, many of the subjects didn’t even recognize themselves. The women liked their makeup so much, they didn’t want to remove it after the shoot.

All images © Linda Dajana Krüger

Via Huffington Post

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