23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Vitiligo girl

A young girl with vitiligo but There was no hesitation in the way she carried herself — only a calm certainty. Her skin, patterned by contrast, told a story of someone who has learned not just to live with her differences, but to honor them. She stood in the breeze, surrounded by sunlight and the rhythm of the waves, fully at peace with who she is. In her calm confidence was a quiet truth: true power begins the moment you accept your uniqueness and choose to shine anyway.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2023
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Kish island, Iran
Camera: ILCE-7RM4
Copyright: © Zeinab Mokhtari