Following your dreams can be a wonderful and metamorphic journey, fraught with majestic highs and frightening lows. But it is a journey that many people don’t pursue. Whether it’s fear of failure, or lack of confidence, some people would rather play it safe and stick to the “norm.”
30-year old Romanian photographer Mihaela Noroc is not one of those people. After saving up some money, Mihaela quit her job to pursue her dream. And that dream was to capture breathtaking photographs of natural women surrounded by their culture. With her backpack, her savings, and her camera, she set out to travel the world and explore the beautiful diversity contained within.
Mihaela has titled her collection of photographs, “The Atlas of Beauty.” The first 15 months of her project led her to over 30 countries in Europe, Asia, Oceania, South, Central and North America. This year, she hopes to continue her work in another 30 countries, with the support of her followers.
In her own words, Mihaela has this to say about her work, “Beauty means diversity and I travel the world to discover it. From Western Europe to African Tribes, and from Rio de Janeiro to China, I try to capture, in my photos, natural and diverse faces.
In my opinion, beauty means to keep alive your origins and your culture. To be natural, sincere, authentic, particular, not necessary fashion.
Maybe in 50 years all women from all around the world will dress and act the same. I hope my project will remain a witness of my era’s cultures and traditions.
My goal is to continue for many years and to study beauty in all countries of the globe, if possible, making this Atlas a project known around the world and an inspiration for all women that try to be themselves.”
The following photos are just a few of her stunningly remarkable pieces.
More can be found on her site, The Atlas of Beauty. There are also links to help support the continuation of this project. I look forward to seeing more of the beauty on this planet through her lens.
Havana, Cuba
Amman, Jordan
Medellin, Colombia
Grozny, Chechnya
Mumbai, India
Örebro, Sweden
Omo Valley, Ethiopia
Sichuan Province, China.
Maori, New Zealand
Indeed, there is beauty all around us, and in every culture.