Stunning photos of redheads from around the world
Talia Lakritz  Â
- Photographer Brian Dowling published a portrait book of redheads around the world called "Readhead Beauty."
- He's photographed 130 models in 20 different countries.
- He hopes to help combat bullying and stigmas surrounding people with red hair.
Less than two percent of the world's population has naturally red hair. Because they stand out, they're often bullied by their peers, ridiculed in pop culture, and perceived through negative stereotypes dating all the way back to medieval times.
Brian Dowling is hoping to bring some positive attention to those with fiery red locks for a change. He's traveled to 20 countries and counting to photograph redheads around the world and celebrate their natural beauty through whimsical portraits.
Photographer Brian Dowling has always appreciated the uniqueness of red hair.
Pictured: Ellis from Trillick, Northern Ireland.
His Irish heritage might have something to do with it.
Pictured: Grace from Malahide, Ireland.
He decided to photograph redheads around the world.
Pictured: Natasha from London, England.
He's compiled the images into a portrait book called "Redhead Beauty."
Pictured: Nena from Bratislava, Slovakia.
Dowling photographed 130 models from 20 different countries.
Pictured: Daria from St. Petersburg, Russia.
He self-published the book through a Kickstarter campaign.
Pictured: Laura from Virginia, US.
He found all of his models through social media.
Pictured: Kristie from Glencoe, Scotland.
"Before I even started the project, I posted a tweet if anyone wanted to take photos in Dublin," he said.
Pictured: Sarah Kennedy from Donegal, Ireland.
"It happened to be a redhead named Aoife [who responded], and that probably was the catalyst for this project."
!["It happened to be a redhead named Aoife [who responded], and that probably was the catalyst for this project."](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-76266180,width-700,height-525,imgsize-115605/quotit-happened-to-be-a-redhead-named-aoife-who-responded-and-that-probably-was-the-catalyst-for-this-project-quot.jpg)
Pictured: Aoife from Longford, Ireland.
Surprisingly, he had a difficult time finding models in Dublin.
Pictured: Alice from Dublin, Ireland.
Many of the natural redheads there had dyed their hair brown or black due to bullying.
Pictured: Marina from Moscow, Russia.
He had an easier time in Russia and Ukraine, where not as many people had been bullied.
Pictured: Alisha from Odessa, Ukraine.
Because this kind of harassment is so common worldwide, Dowling observed the bond redheads share with each other.
Pictured: Krissy from Stuttgart, Germany.
"There is a sense of camaraderie which I jokingly compare to seeing a fellow Marine," he said.
Pictured: Megan in Studio City, California, US.
"Marines respect each other because they all went through the same rigorous training, and I feel like redheads give each other a little acknowledgment nod because they often went through bullying during their school years."
Bridget from San Francisco, California.
Dowling hopes to combat this negativity by celebrating redheads through his photos.
Pictured: Nastya in Odessa, Ukraine.
He's already heard from people with red hair who say his work has helped them embrace their natural beauty.
Pictured: Beatta from Warsaw, Poland.
"It's still hard for me to believe how a few photographs can brighten someone's day that has been bullied, but it has," he said.
Pictured: Chelbie from South Carolina.
Next, he hopes to spread his message to Brazil, Israel, Lebanon, and Turkey.
Pictured: Judith from Breda, Netherlands.
"I think people with red hair just want to be treated as normal people," he said.
Pictured: Benedetta from Verona, Italy, photographed in Sydney, Australia.
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