[custom_adv] It was about two years ago when Romania-based photographer Mihaela Noroc quit her job and decided to start a new life. With no job to clock in at anymore, Noroc packed a backpack, grabbed her camera and set off on a journey around the globe to photograph as many women from different cultures as possible. She calls her hunt for diversity, “The Atlas Of Beauty.” [custom_adv] Mihaela Noroc traveled to 37 countries on a very limited budget, and as a result she ended up in a wide variety of environments, blessing her with the opportunity to meet women from all walks of life. Noroc writes, “Now I can say that beauty is everywhere, and it’s not a matter of cosmetics or sizes but more about being yourself.” [custom_adv] Beauty is found in the unique characteristics that make you who you truly are. Norac says, “In the end, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the beholder is always somebody else. My goal is to continue and take photos of women from each country of the globe, making ‘The Atlas Of Beauty’ a mirror of our diverse societies and an inspiration for people that try to remain authentic.” [custom_adv] People often ask Noroc why she only photographs young women when beauty can be found throughout every age. She replied via Facebook writing, “The answer is simple. Because until now 99% of the project was made with my own small savings and I didn’t have enough time and funds to study all ages properly. [custom_adv] So I chose one age: my own age. In the near future I hope I will raise decent funds to capture more diversity, in more countries because beauty is everywhere and has no age limit.” [custom_adv] The Atlas of Beauty is an ongoing project that Noroc plans to add to as she encounters new women by chance out on the streets of the world. The goal of the project is to capture women unexpectedly in their everyday life; this gives Noroc’s pictures a very natural and authentic vibe. [custom_adv] “A few months ago I entered in the Amazonian jungle of Ecuador to capture images for The Atlas of Beauty. In a Kichwa tribe, with hundreds of years old rules, I found a very expressive young woman. [custom_adv] She dressed in her wedding dress (yes, this is her marriage outfit) that she used when she was 15 years old (yes, people from this tribe may get married at that age) and let me take her some photos in her courtyard.”
