“My older brother hated going trick or treating with me on Halloween because, no matter our costumes or masks, people always knew who we were because of my eyes.”

Self Portrait Roxi

“Having heterochromia, one brown eye and one blue eye,  was not a problem for me. When most people notice they think it is cool.  I have had stupid questions such as “did you know you have two different coloured eyes?” to which I usually answered “really? get me a mirror!”.  I do recall some adults being fearful of me and after reading about how witches were persecuted for such things, I always felt that I would have been burnt at the stake for having my eyes, a heart shaped birthmark and an extra nipple.

I had some fun with it in school by asking my teachers to get out of class to deal with my “contact lens” so I could sneak off to the washroom for a quick smoke and one time I had several people in the bar looking for my “lost contact lens”.

I did have one boyfriend, who after several months of going out with him didn’t know the colour of my eyes, that relationship didn’t last long after that.

I have met a few other people with eyes like mine, including a black woman in the Caribbean. I went up to her and commented that she has eyes like mine but hers were more distinct. On another note, my Mother picked out a puppy, from a litter we had, before the pups had opened their eyes.  When her chosen pup opened her eyes, they were like mine one brown and one blue, so my Mum had both a daughter and a dog with different coloured eyes.

My older brother hated going trick or treating with me on Halloween because, no matter our costumes or masks, people always knew who we were because of my eyes.

I have created many paintings with people and animals with two different coloured eyes, a “self-portrait” or homage to self at least.  If I had to have both eyes of the same colour, I would choose blue, as most of my family has blue eyes.  Apparently, there is a cousin in Scotland who also has eyes like mine and my cousin’s granddaughter has a sectoral bit of brown in on of her blue eyes.  She calls her eyes rainbow coloured.
Last summer, while hanging out at the pool in our complex, a young thirteen-year-old boy was chatting with me.  He asked my name then asked if I was the one who had two different coloured eyes, to which I said yes.  He asked to see them then promptly declared me a mutant, possibly the highest form of compliment one could get from a thirteen-year-old boy!

You can see my eyes quite clearly in this recent photo and some my new glasses seem to show them off even better.

Cheers Roxi”

Heterochromia Research Yuna from Final Fantasy X

Heterochromia Yuna

That’s so awesome to discover new things about heterochromia again and again 🙂

Today, I have found this character – Yuna, She was first introduced as the female protagonist and one of the main playable characters of the 2001role-playing video game Final Fantasy X, appearing as a summoner embarking on a journey to defeat the world-threatening monster Sin.

Yuna is introduced as a summoner who can use healing magic and is able to summon powerful magical entities called aeons with help from spirits known as Fayths.

Isn’t it awesome 🙂 ?

Love it!

Maria

Heterochromia from Denmark :)

Heterochromia project

Hi Maria 🙂

Don’t thank me, I’m honored to be part of your project. You take beautiful pictures and I look forward to you taking mine!

I never understood peoples fascination with my eyes, seeing your pictures I get it. They really show the amazing effect of heterochromia 🙂

How heterochromia affected my life? Not a whole lot apart from when I see medical proffesionals, doctors, nurses, fysiotherapists, vets, my dentist, going  to the pharmacy.

I didn’t realise how unusual my eye colour was until I was in my early twenties, when some people noticed and made a big fuss over it. I was also hospitalised a couple of times in this period and realised medical staff look into your eyes a lot, and they had a funny reaction when they saw mine.

Since then whenever I go to a doctor (or similar), after the ususal introduction is made, handshake and name, I wait for that smile that indicates the person has seen my heterochromia – and usual wait half a minute, a minute, for it to sink in.

They never say anything, they just stare and smile. Those who are nearsighted can get very close, almost overstepping the threshold of my personal sphere. It can get to a point where it is annoying, and I feel like a freak show. Sometimes I deliberately avert my eyes and avoid eye contact.

Still if I should lose one eye and get a fake eye with the same colour as the other one, I know I will miss it 🙂 It is nice to be a little bit special after all.

One story comes to mind: When I was very young,I had this crush on a musician and one time spend the night with him before he went off to the next town on his tour. We stood outside his hotel and I just wanted him to remember me. That if we accidentally met on the street in London or New York he’d know who I was.

At that moment the sun came into my eyes and he exclaimed: You have two different eye colours, that’s amazing!

I knew then he’d never forget me 🙂

I look forward to meeting you Maria. I gave a date on the form, but I am available most days for the next couple of months, except august first. So come when you have the time.

Rikke

Heterochromia from Berlin (Sweden) – Lars

I have found Lars via internet while researching Heterochromia 🙂 there was a really nice album on Band Camp called “Heterochromia” and, naturally, I just found him and asked if he has one 🙂

The answer was positive, and I was “hunting” while he will have any concerts closer to the Netherlands 🙂

So here we were, concert in Amsterdam Spring 2015! yay!

Lars stayed at our house whereby I photographed him,  it was great pleasure to meet him in person and spend some time with this amazingly creative and generous person.

I think he is one of the most talented musicians I ever came across.

I am sure he will be very famous very soon.

Heterochromia in UK :) !

I saw the picture of this girl and I though, JEZZ, I have to go and photograph her!

This portrait was taken in London, at one of my girlfriends garden close to Hackney. I always ask if people have some interesting stories to tell and I remembered that she mentioned something about designing stuff, so I asked her for help in designing Heterochromia photography book! The funny thing was that she is design engineer at fire detection related company, but my intuition was still right 🙂 I got connected with one of her good friends who is working on Heterochromia photography book now. I am very happy about it! it’s about the time to move on with this beautiful project 🙂

“It makes me no different from you”

To be honest, i never got bullied because of my eyes, since i was little, the only reactions i got on my eyes were: “Cool, it’s special, wooow you’ve got a red/orange spot in your eyes how come?”
Then I told them it was in-fact more Brown but sometimes with the light/sun it appeared more orangey-red .
Most of these times I was like “o right i have this other Color in my eye :p and People notice … And most of these times they think it’s awesome… But still it makes me no different from you :). I even felt sorry for some, cause they thought  I was more special or something, I could just feel it, they also wanted such special eye(s) but I am just as normal/special as them . The most negative reactions ever were “that’s odd”
But I don’t really calculate them as negative… Cause in a way, it ís odd to have multiple colored eyes I guess 🙂

Actually, doing the shoot with you motivated me to look for other kinda shooting stuff, so I have to thank you for the confidence boost.

 

(I wish all the best for her! might be next worlds big model 🙂 same as  Kaine Buffonge 🙂  )