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The stigma of difference is society's dirty little secret. We don't like to talk about it in public but we all know it exists. Thankfully, some companies, such as Dove, are trying to drill a season of change that promotes acceptance and the beauty of the individual. But fashion magazines as well as stringy and chiseled-looking models continue to dominate, seeping into the subconscious of the young. Perhaps a metamorphous of beauty can occur if the people who record the societal idea of "beauty"-- photographers-- begin to capture something different.

Rick Guidotti is one high fashion photographer who is working to redefine our understanding of "beauty." With his project Positive Exposure he captures beautiful individuals who have genetic conditions like albinism and cleft palates. He transforms kids with low-self esteem into supermodels and teaches them that stigma is just a word. In fact, Guidotti, has been working with The Genetic Alliance, a coalition of over 600 disease-specific advocacy groups.

The photographer became frustrated with the idea of beauty he was forced to capture week after week. One day, on a New York City street, he saw an ethereal albino beauty and was spellbound.

When he rushed home to learn more about albinism, a genetic condition that results in the reduction or absence of pigmentation in the eyes, hair and skin, he was terrified by what he saw.

"...negative images in medical text books of genetic conditions. It was immediately obvious what was needed... Positive Exposure," says Guidotti, reached at his New York City studio.

This is no part-time cause for Guidotti. It is a full-time, whole-hearted endeavor. He no longer fills his camera's LCD with Naomi, Tyra and Giselle. Instead, he focuses on Isabelle, a gorgeous teacher and activist from Cameroon, West Africa, who has albinism. He captures children like James, a curious three-year-old from the U.S., who has Lowe Syndrome, a condition that causes kidney, eye and cognitive problems.  He records the giggles of the happy students at the Siloe School for the Blind in South Africa.

"After meeting and photographing one young woman in the UK living with albinism, she told me 'I can now be proud of who I am, I do realize that the hatred and the abuse that I experience everyday will never disappear, but what has disappeared is the hatred I felt for myself.' After that, I never looked back and committed my vision and heart to Positive Exposure," explains Guidotti.

Guidotti does not use photo editing software or tricks in his photographs. In fact, he does not shoot his Positive Exposure subjects any differently than he would a fashion model in Milan.

"Beauty is Beauty," says Guidotti. "The only difference is that I am focused on beauty that is often outside of the industry standard parameters of what is considered beautiful."

The Life magazine article he photographed that propelled his passion in this arena was called "Redefining Beauty."

"That says it all.  The shoots are always high energy and fun, but then each portrait is unique and the subject's special needs or unique characteristics often define the approach," he says.

His equipment is simple: a Hasselblad, a Canon 5 D and 150 and 120 mm lenses. He uses no props or special backdrops. And because he travels all over the world for the project, the backdrops are usually environmental.

The technique used to make his models comfortable at the shoots is simply to create a safe and nurturing atmosphere. For many of the models suffer from low self-esteem and have never had such a photo taken of them.

By the end, as seen in his images, his models are laughing, smiling and teeming with joy.

"I perceive each shoot as [a] collaboration," says Guidotti.  "The model is given the opportunity to understand what our goals are with the image."

The goal he communicates to the models is to challenge stigma associated with difference by celebrating the beauty of human diversity.

"The model is empowered to become an advocate or new ambassador for social change," Guidotti adds.

Models for the projects are found everywhere: through national and international genetic support groups, ministries of health, hospitals, community nurses and the media.

When Guidotti received an Art of Reporting Award for the Life magazine photo essay, the Genetic Alliance introduced him to more individuals to photograph. In 2001, they created the exhibition Celebrating the Human Genome at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Today, the exhibit continues to travel.

Always working, he treks the world educating people about the stigma associated with these conditions, attending lectures and conferences. Positive Exposure has been featured on MTV, NBC News, CBS News and ABC Inside Edition. Guidotti's book on albinism, a collaboration with the Albinism Fellowship UK, is called Real Lives: Personal and Photographic Perspectives on Albinism.

Guidotti advises those who'd like to get involved with a photographic cause close to his or her heart to "know and understand your community and audience, learn to listen and see with your heart."

He has taught his models their authentic value on this Earth. "Everyone has a superstar hiding inside somewhere," is the lesson he has learned from them.

For more information or to make a donation visit www.positiveexposure.org.

The next exhibition opens at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library in Baltimore, beginning Sept. 1, 2008. Visit http://www.hshsl.umaryland.edu/gallery.