#mihaela noroc photography

[hiddenromania]

“This is the place where you can witness some of the most eccentric weddings in the world. I’m talking about Oaș Country, a fascinating region in Northern Romania.

Alexandra is proudly wearing her wedding dress during the Feast of the Assumption, just before her wedding. She moved to France with her parents, many years ago, and now studies law there. But she came to her birthplace, for her wedding. Her story is the story of the entire region.

Most people from this region work hard abroad and come back home, for holidays, in August. This month becomes the centre of their life, the period when most weddings take part, a time of abundance and parties. Some weddings have up to 2,000 guests. The bride’s outfit is extremely expensive and uses some traditional elements, but also modern reinterpretations.

You might wonder, why so much effort? It’s what keeps this community united, despite the fact that it is spread in many corners of Europe.”

- Mihaela Noroc, The atlas of beauty

[that-dinopunk-guy]

Book haul for 2023 so far.

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MIHAELA NOROC

ABOUT MIHAELA NOROC

Mihaela Noroc is a 36 years old photographer from Romania. After photographing women in almost 100 countries she believes that this is not the end of the road, but only the beginning. 

As a mother of a young girl, Mihaela feels more motivated than ever to share the diversity of the world with her daughter and with her audience. Since she became a mother, three years ago, Mihaela and her daughter visited over 30 countries together. 

Mihaela dreams to make The Atlas of Beauty a lifelong project that promotes the beautiful side of humanity and brings a contribution, no matter how small, to a better world.

What is The Atlas of Beauty ?

For the past 9 years photographer Mihaela Noroc has been traveling the world, photographing women and listening to their stories. Her goal is to show that beauty is much more than what we usually see in the media.

Real beauty has no bounds and you’ll find it anywhere, from villages in Afghanistan to big avenues in New York City, from isolated communities in the Amazon to crowded crossings in Tokyo.

Real beauty is not about how we look, but about all the qualities that make us good human beings. In a more and more divided world, The Atlas of Beauty aims to show a different perspective, promoting hope and love.  

On this website in the gallery section we can get information about the subject along side of the portrait of them.

Juncal was working hard, when I noticed her a few weeks ago in Barcelona. The life of this young street sweeper was never easy. She’s originally from the Basque Country, an autonomous community in northern Spain. When she was a child, her mother abandoned her and her father died of cancer. After these terrible events Juncal moved to Barcelona where she was raised by an aunt. She started this job two years ago when she was only 19. While many other youngsters continue to live with their parents at this age, Juncal told me she is proud that she’s financially independent and living on her own. In this photo, it seems to me that Juncal resembles a heroine from a Japanese manga story. And I think people like her -who despite all painful moments in their childhood manage to grow up so beautifully- are indeed heroes.

It was a day of September, when I visited Barton Spring, in Austin, USA. This is a place where people come to relax and swim. Looking around, at all those perfect bodies and the splendid landscape, you could feel like on the set of a photo shoot for a glamorous magazine. But for me beauty is much more than that. When I noticed Veronize and her serene expression I instantly knew that I want to photograph her. Veronize was mega surprised of my proposal. But she was equally thrilled. By chance that was the first time in her life when she was wearing a two pieces swimsuit. Sometimes things happens for a reason and maybe that’s why I was there, in that day of September. Veronize just started to work on accepting her body and that was one of the first steps. But on the way there were many years of struggles. Her parents emigrated to the States from the Dominican Republic, dreaming that their daughter will have a better life. They created a unique name for her, combining their owns, Veronica and Ezekiel. Veronize was bullied since she remembers. She was only 12 years old when somebody spread a rumour in her school that she was pregnant. And that was just one of the dozens of episodes when she was humiliated because of her body. But with all the suffering, she remained a kind hearted person. Love was her answer to all the hate. Today she works in a holistic shop and she seems the kind of nurturing person who takes care of her beloved ones whenever are in need. Dear Veronize, not only that you have a special and beautiful name, but you are also a special and beautiful woman.

I noticed Katalin on the alleys of a small village inhabited by ethnic Hungarians in Transylvania, Romania. This lovely woman was holding some herbs from her garden. She was eager to offer them as a gift to another lady from the village. When I look at Katalin, I see a whole generation of Eastern Europeans who have been through difficult times, but learned to see the beauty of simple pleasures. As children, they witnessed the second world war at its epicentre. Then an abrupt and painful transition to communism and cruel dictators. Then another painful transition to capitalism. But there was also a lot of happiness in their life, because they valued even the little things. Maybe that’s why this small bundle of herbs looks like a treasure in Katalin’s hands.

I photographed Tuazikirapi and her little boy in Opuwo, a small town in north-western Namibia. She is an ethnic Zemba and, following the tradition, her boy will have a name only after a special ritual will be performed around a Holy Fire. In this part of the world, fire is an essential part of the cultures for both spiritual and practical needs. Tuazikirapi carries firewood on her head every single day, even now when she has just become a mother. Zemba people came here as refugees from the neighbouring Angola and selling firewood became their only way to make a living. Despite all challenges, Tuazikirapi has dignity, a splendid smile and a great sense of style. Women like her are usually unknown, but for me they are true heroines.

She is Marzieh, one of the strongest women I have ever met. She was driving in Isfahan, Iran, eight years ago, when two men on a motorcycle came close to her car. One of them threw acid on her face and then they ran away. Police never caught them, although the street was surveyed by video cameras. There were a few other similar cases in Isfahan, in the same year, and the perpetrators have never been caught. All these horrible acts were directed towards women who were not wearing conservative outfits. Many Iranians believe that these attacks were made in complicity with different authorities to discourage women from adopting a more liberal way of dressing. But both national and local authorities denied any involvement. Today Marzieh is trying to raise awareness about these terrible attacks and advocates for the ban of acid sales. Although she started to cry when she remembered that horrible day, she wanted to tell me the whole story. Then she smiled again. It was the smile of a powerful woman, who found the strength and courage to overcome the suffering and to fight for her cause every single day, so this would not happen again to other women. Dear Marzieh, incredible women like you are the reason I’m doing this project. Thank you so much for showing me the purest form of beauty.

I met this lovely, elegant lady on the old streets of Palermo, in Sicily. In this traditional part of Italy, most people are very dedicated to their families and to their faith in God. Giovanna lost her mother when she was only 10 years old, during the Second World War. So she had to take care of her four younger brothers from a very young age. Later, she had herself three children. When I met her she was very worried about one of her daughter’s health, who was suffering from a critical disease. Giovanna’s life was a carousel of ups and downs. She lost family members, she lost friends, but she never lost her faith and her elegance. I guess that faith helped her finding the strength and hope, while elegance gave her a sense of normality during difficult times. When we said goodbye, after our short encounter, she took my hands in hers, she looked at me with kindness and told me something in Italian. I think it was “May God bless you.”

We met in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. Ragga is a force of nature. She’s been part of a unique expedition at the South Pole, she drove huge trucks with tourists on glaciers, she worked in mountain rescue teams and as an EMT, and now works as a firefighter, all of these while being a dedicated mother too. She grew up with her three older brothers and although she was the only girl and the youngest in the family, her parents never treated her differently. Maybe this kind of education is one of the reasons why Iceland is considered the best country in the world in terms of gender equality. But Ragga told me that even here, in the most equal place on earth, there are still some prejudices regarding women working in fields dominated by men. But as you can imagine, nothing will ever stop this extraordinary woman from following her path.

I met Jacinta in a Mayan village called Chichicastenango, in Guatemala. Her story begins many, many years ago. It was 1916, when a 50 years old woman in Guatemala decided to cause herself an abortion. She thought she is too old to have another baby. The abortion failed and a few months later Jacinta was born. Now make the calculation. Yes, Jacinta is 103 years old. She was a surviver, even before she was born. She was the youngest daughter, so according to tradition she took care of her parents until they passed away. Then she got married, but the marriage wasn’t so great. Her husband used to be quite oppressive so they didn’t get along very well. She was 70 years old when he passed away. But Jacinta admitted frankly: after that she finally started to enjoy herself for the first time in her life. She was still feeling young and the best time of her life was just beginning. Jacinta lived by herself until she was 99 years old. Then, after broking a foot, she decided to live with one of her granddaughters. The granddaughter told me that Jacinta was always a humorous person. Once in a while she tells her laughing that her bed is really cold and she needs somebody there. When I met them, they were coming from a technician where they adjusted Jacinta’s hearing aid. Now she needs it more than ever, because she recently started to learn Spanish. Although Spanish is the official language of the country, Jacinta have spoken all of her life only Quiché, her indigenous native tongue. Now she watches TV programs in Spanish and asks her granddaughter about the new words that she hears. Incredible, right? So what are the secrets of Jacinta’s longevity? One is for sure the food. Jacinta always loved to cook and kept in her memory dozens of traditional Mayan recipes. Her granddaughter gathered them and opened a traditional restaurant. Most recipes are very sophisticated, meat is rarely used, and there’s a rich combination of herbs. I could go on with stories about this extraordinary woman, but 103 years of strength and beauty would never get enough text. I just hope this inspires you to always be as young in spirit and beautiful as Jacinta.

I met this fierce and courageous young woman in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. Jannat decided to take self-defence lessons after she was attacked on the street, by a thief. She chose Kyokushin, a full contact style of Karate. When she started she was surrounded by men in her class so her father didn’t want to let her participate. But Jannat persisted and soon became a great fighter. She started to post pictures of herself in social media, as a fighter, and soon received many messages from women who wanted to follow the same path. Today Jannat has her own Kyokushin class dedicated to women. She has over 30 pupils who come to practice this tough full contact style. I was fascinated to participate to one of the courses. I saw fierce women with very different backgrounds, both conservative and liberal, fighting with determination and united by an ambition to brake boundaries.

While visiting one of the slums of the city, I was fascinated by the gentleness of this lady in such a rough environment. For nearly 30 years, she has been selling meat every day, in exactly the same place.

When Amy-Mae started to show me a few Irish dancing moves it felt like she was flying. She made it look so simple, but behind it there are years of efforts and sacrifices. She started to practice Irish dancing when she was only two years old. She grew up in the countryside and attending a good dancing school required very long ways. Although she was in love with dancing, she never imagined that she will become a professional. In high school, actually, inspired by some meaningful experiences, she decided to become a doctor but life had different plans for her. When she was preparing to start the university and study medicine she got a call. That was the moment when she was invited to join the Riverdance. Riverdance is one of the most successful shows in the world, a legendary production of traditional Irish music and dance. Amy-Mae joined the show as a troupe dancer. She started to fly literally and figuratively on stages around the world. But that was only the beginning. After a while she was invited to perform the lead role of the show. Her life felt already amazing but it became phenomenal. Looking back she believes that she may not had as much natural ability as others, but she worked really hard and she was super passionate about it. She says that when she hears the music of the show her heart starts to beat really fast and she can feel the adrenalin in her body. Amy-Mae still plans to become a doctor in the future, but in the meantime her dancing is her therapy for us, the audience. A therapy for the soul.

Escolastica is 88 years old and lives in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, in Peru. When I met her she was walking on the way home. She was joyful and energetic, full of humour and wisdom. She told me she has walked and walked all of her life, on the steep slopes of this fascinating valley, between its isolated villages, sometimes carrying heavy burdens, exactly like her ancestors, the Incas. In our world we go to gym to stay in shape and buy tours to visit such breathtaking landscapes. But Escolastica has all these for free. Without doubt, life is very hard in this kind of places, but it comes with different kind of rewards. And maybe this is the secret of Escolastica’s bright and vivid spirit.

Ta Mai lives in a small village in Northern Vietnam and is part of an ethnic group called Red Dao. In her community women wear this red turban only after they get married. Ta Mai got married when she was only 16. Now she’s 20 and already has two children. That’s common in her community. What is uncommon in her case is that she had a love marriage. The life of these fascinating people is complicated. They mostly live from agriculture, eating only rice and a few vegetables every day. Meat is only for special occasions. And still, they wear beautiful handmade clothes that take months to weave. This might seem impractical in our world: struggling to survive, while dedicating so much time to craft and beauty. But I guess that any human being needs beauty and those who have a simple life are sometimes closer to it.

These lovely ladies met in high school and they remained good friends since then. About 70 years later, I met them on the streets of Oslo, Norway. It was a dark day of May, but they were shinning. They told me they are out “to celebrate old age”. Beautiful age and beautiful friendship!

Her name means dove in Spanish and after many years of struggles she learned how to fly away from all the suffering. Paloma is from Havana, Cuba, where I met her last October. Paloma was born without a left hand but she never saw that as a disability. She was only 20 when she gave birth to a baby girl. Although Paloma was very young, she was a very happy and dedicated mother. But a tragic event changed everything. Because of a severe infection her baby passed away. After a terrible suffering she recovered and became a mother for a second time. Her boy is two years old now and Paloma is raising him by herself. I was impressed to find out how she changes the diapers with one hand or how she makes her manicure with her feet. Paloma makes her living as a seller, in a souvenir shop. Although she studied informatics and was one of the best in her class, she didn’t find a job in this field because employers saw her unfit. But Paloma proves that they were wrong. I asked her, isn’t all this situation overwhelmingly difficult? And she told me that nothing in life is difficult compared with losing a child. Today all the daily challenges mean nothing to her, as long as she has a healthy and happy child. Dear Paloma, your boy has a an extraordinary mother.

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Mihaela Noroc Photography, Otavalo, Ecuador

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FIgure 1: A woman in the Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador, 2020

This photo presents a woman in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. According to the caption input by Romanian photographer Mihaela Noroc, she is in fact wearing her wedding gown. This picture is one of the many that Mihaela has taken of a woman belonging to a specific culture in their scenic habitat. The scenery, while looking beautifully vibrant, still naturally complements the woman sitting comfortably on the tree in the photo’s centre. This photograph is one of many that exemplifies Mihaela’s intention to show what true beauty in women is, which should certainly be generalised. In Mihaela’s own explanation, she realised that ‘the women of our planet deserve much more attention. (Khan, 2019) She also stated that ‘beauty has no bounds and can be found anywhere,’ which is exemplified in her project and book ‘The Atlas of Beauty’ which was published in 2017. The book displays portraits of 500 women from more than 50 countries captioned with their personal stories. It’s a stunning collection of various communities that provide a ‘fresh perspective on the global lives of women.’ (theatlasofbeauty.com) Her project is supported by the notion that photographs ‘alter and enlarge our notions of what is worth looking at and what we have a right to observe.’ (Sontag, 1973 p.1)

Figure 2: Kyrgyz woman preparing for her cultural dance, 2020

Another photo taken by Mihaela Noroc is of a Kyrgyz woman captioned to be ready for a traditional dance performance, This dance in Kyrgyzstan is known as Kara Jorgo, also known as ‘Black Stallion,’ which is a folk dance that was once ‘nearly lost to to time, but has seen a sudden revival.’ (Video Archive, 2014) Mihaela’s determination to capture women of various cultures doesn’t only convey the striking beauty in traditions, but also brings awareness to those who previously knew nothing about it. Mihaela’s direction with her project is heavily based on cultural photography, which is defined as the art of taking photos to ‘tell about people, daily life, or a culture.’ (Fine Art Photography Magazine, Culture, 2015) This photo is an example, as it’s a simple portrait of a Kyrgyz woman in cultural wear that holds an effortless charm to it. Mihaela states her belief that ‘beauty is diversity’ and that it's ‘much more than what is seen in mass media.’ (Khan, 2019) Through her photography, Mihaela provides enlightenment to viewers, not just limited to global beauty, but of communities with unique lifestyles. Mihaela’s work relates to the statement that ‘to photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed, and that it means to ‘put oneself into a certain relation to the world that feels like knowledge.’ (Sontag, 1973 p.2) The subjects of each photo allow themselves to be seen as windows into their own lives looked into by those who may wish to learn more about their country’s lifestyle. 

Figure 3: ‘Afghan Girl’ (Sharbat Gula) on the cover of National Geographic 1985

‘Afghan Girl’ is a well-known example of a portrait photograph that represents a community. This photo also served as enlightenment to the girl’s story and what Afganistan went through during the time this photo was taken. Her name is Sharbat Gula, and she ‘became an international symbol of a war-torn Afghanistan’ (Gross, 2021) after this photo was taken by photographer Stepehn McCurry and published to the National Geographic magazine in 1985. The most striking feature of this photo is Sharbat’s piercing green-eyed stare which evidently carry a lot of weight in them, as well as a story. It is believed that she was around twelve when she was photographed. To have such an intense and haunted look on her face at such a young age is very telling of how difficult living conditions were in the past during the war. The photographer, to this day, is still very enthusiastic about this photo. “I knew she had an incredible look, a penetrating gaze” (Simmons, 2016) This intention can be linked back to Mihaela Noroc’s direction of work, to feel compelled to photograph a woman whose look could tell a story through a simple portrait. This method can tell a powerful narrative in itself.. ‘The Taliban don't want women to be visible and she’s an extremely visible Afghan woman.’ Sontag stated that ‘our very sense of the situation is now articulated by the camera’s interventions.’ (Sontag, 1973, p.8) Due to the circulation of this photo, people gained insight into the impact the Afghan war inflicted on the Afghan people. 

Figure 4: Apo Whang-Od for the cover of Vogue Philippines, 2023 

The beauty in culture can even be presented in mainstream sources such as Vogue Philippines. In Figure 4, which is their latest release, their cover features 106 year old indigenous Kalinga woman Apo Whang-Od. She is famed for being the oldest ‘mambabatok’ (traditional tattooist) in the country. The beauty of her traditional tattoos are proudly displayed in this photo. While this image may be for the cover of a magazine, Apo is posed casual and natural, no exaggerated poses or any particular photoshoot set needed to portray the beauty of herself and her cultural body art. It is said that Apo is ‘a symbol of strength and beauty in the Filipino Spirit.’ (Vogue Philippines, 2023) This is agreeable as for many years since she was 16, she had upheld her tribe’s tattooing tradition even to this day. She has made big achievements in her career, having  managed to put Kalinga on the map of ‘must-visit places for locals and foreigners’ (Dumaraos, 2017) in the Philippines. In her 80 years of tattooing, Apo had imprinted the symbols of the Kalinga tribe, which signify ‘strength, bravery and beauty’ on the skin and is a sign of ‘beauty and elegance.’ (Sanchez, 2023)  

Figure 5: Armi Kuusela Williams as the first Miss Universe, 1952

Pictured here in FIgure 5 is Arma Kuusela Williams, who at the age of 17 years old, became the very first titleholder of Miss Universe in June 1952.’ Miss Universe is one of the most recognised and prestigious international beauty pageants.’ (Das, n.d.)  Its purpose is to be inclusive to all communities, ‘celebrating all cultures, backgrounds and religions.’ The organisation created a safe space for women to express themselves individually and culturally to drive impact for many. (missuniverse.com) Miss Universe contributes greatly to the exposure and celebration of women’s beauty as well as their cultures. Similarly to Mihaela Noroc’s ‘The Atlas of Beauty’ Miss Universe also showcases the charms of women from around the world, all with various backgrounds and traditions. However, Miss Universe is more interactive, competitive and goes far beyond a photograph, yet there’s still an overwhelming sense of unity in the whole event. Compared to the scale of what Miss Universe is now, seeing this photograph of the very first winner is fascinating, giving insight to its own  history. This picture exemplifies how photography could ‘provide most of the knowledge people have about the look of the past and the reach of the present.’ (Sontag, 1973 p.2) The development of Miss Universe from its beginning is most definitely remarkable. 

Bibliography: 

Dumaraos, G (2017) Meet Apo Whang-Od, the Last Kalinga Tattoo artist in the Philippines, Culture Trip|: Available at:

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/meet-apo-whang-od-the-last-hand-poke-tattoo-artist-in-the-philippines/  (Accessed 2 April 2023) 

Das, P (n.d.) 10 Lesser Known Facts About Miss Universe, Wonderlist

Available at: https://www.wonderslist.com/10-lesser-known-facts-about-miss-universe/#:~:text=Miss%20Universe%20

is%20one%20of%20the%20most%20recognized,1952%20by%20the%20California%20clothing%20company%20Pacific%20Mills. (Accessed: 3 April 2023)

Fine Art Photography Magazine, Israel Lens, Culture (2015)

Available at: https://www.magzter.com/US/Art-Market/Lens-Magazine/Photography/105971?redirect=true 

Gross. J (2021) ‘Afghan Girl’ From 1985 National Geographic Cover Takes Refuge in Italy, The New York Times 

Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/26/world/europe/afghan-girl-national-geographic.html (Accessed: 30th March 2023) 

Khan. E (2019) ‘Story, The Atlas of Beauty’, The Independent Photographer 

Available at: https://independent-photo.com/news/the-atlas-of-beauty/ Accessed: 9 March 2023) 

missuniverse.com (n.d.) Available at: https://www.missuniverse.com/about (Accessed 3 April 2023) 

Simmons, J K (2016) ‘The Story behind the world's most famous photograph’ CNN Style 

Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/steve-mccurry-afghan-girl-photo/index.html 

(Accessed 30 March 2023) 

Sanchez, E (2023) 106-year-old Indigenous Filipino tattoo artist becomes Vogue cover model:

Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/106-year-old-indigenous-filipino-tattoo-artist-becomes-vogue-cover-mod-rcna77658

(Accessed 2 April 2023)

Sontag. S (1973)  ‘On Photography’  New York,  RosettaBooks

theatlasofbeauty.com 

Available at: https://www.theatlasofbeauty.com/  (Accessed: 23 March 2022)

Video Archive (2014) 

Available at:

(Accessed: 23 March 2022)

List of Figures:

FIgure 1: A woman in the Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador, 2020

Figure 2: Kyrgyz woman preparing for her cultural dance, 2020

Figure 3: ‘Afghan Girl’ (Sharbat Gula) on the cover of National Geographic 1985

Figure 4: Apo Whang-Od for the cover of Vogue Philippines, 2023 

Figure 5: Armi Kuusela Williams as the first Miss Universe, 1952

[sheltiechicago]

Gâu and her son Khoi (Northern Vietnam)

Photographer Celebrates the Unique Bond Between Mothers and Children Around the World

Romanian photographer Mihaela Noroc is known for traveling the globe as she photographs women for her Atlas of Beauty. And as she took time to capture the portraits of women around the world, she also explored another theme—motherhood. The result is a thoughtful collection of portraits that show the bond between mothers and their children. From Vietnam and Indonesia to Iceland and the Netherlands, Noroc's series highlights the universal nature of motherhood.

Tabassum moved here from Bangladesh in hope of a better life for her daughter. (Kolkata, India)

Mother teaching her daughter a traditional dance (Bali, Indonesia)

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Image Source: Facebook user Mihaela Noroc Photography

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Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Maramures, Romania

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Little India, Singapore

Yangon, Myanmar

Oxford, UK

El Paico, Chile

Havana, Cuba

Otavalo, Ecuador

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Amazon Rainforest

San Francisco, USA

Ethiopia

  New York, USA

Khanom, Thailand

Chang Mai, Thailand

Medellin, Colombia

Riga, Latvia

Mawlamyine, Myanmar

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Maori Marae, New Zealand

Sydney, Australia

Nasir al-Mulk, Iran

Colca Valley, Peru

Baltic Sea, Finland

  Stunning portraits show what beauty looks like around the world

Since 2013 photographer Mihaela Noroc has traveled the world with her backpack and camera taking photos of everyday women to showcase the diversity of beauty all around us. The Atlas of Beauty is a collection of her photographs celebrating women from all corners of the world, revealing that beauty is everywhere, and that it comes in many different sizes and colors. Noroc’s colorful and moving portraits feature women in their local communities, ranging from the Amazon rainforest to London city streets, and from markets in India to parks in Harlem, visually juxtaposing the varied physical and social worlds these women inhabit. Packaged as a gift-worthy, hardcover book, The Atlas of Beauty presents a fresh perspective on the global lives of women today.

Stunning portraits show what beauty looks like around the world Stunning portraits show what beauty looks like around the world Since 2013 photographer Mihaela Noroc has traveled the world with her backpack and camera taking photos of everyday women to showcase the diversity of beauty all around us.

[whateverbringsyouthroughthenight]

The Atlas of Beauty Photographer | Mihaela Noroc 

[officialromaniantranslatiuni]

Mihaela is going to donate all the money she gets for the ro version of The Atlas of Beauty to Magda, one of the beauties she photographed.

read more 

(you can buy the book for 95 lei or just donate 2 euros via sms)

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currently reading the atlas of beauty by mihaela noroc 🌱

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Romanian Crimson - Inspired By Mihaela Noroc’s photography

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Tibetan woman inspired by Mihaela Noroc’s photography.

-watercolor on paper

[bearodyne]

tagged by; @saevus-brutalis Thanks for tagging me🥰🥰

RULES: Tag nine people you want to know better.(I think most of my friends has already tagged by this game, probably I'll just tag few of you. But no pressure for joining the game. Totally ignore me if you like to keep your secret😉😉)

Favorite Color: Yellow!!!! The color let me feel full of energy and happy.

Current Reading: “The Atlas of Beauty”: Women of the World in 500 Portrait----Mihaela Noroc. This is an amazing photography book, not only because those stunning pictures, but also touched by the stories behind all those images. I always amazed by talking to different people about their life experiences, like everyone has an interesting book, I never know what I will have until I open it, but I never disappointed after I read it. This book makes this kind of experience to a higher level, I learned a lot through thinking how the photographer design the composition and light settings. Also get really strong and positive emotion from the stories about those ladies. Life is not easy, sometimes can be a nightmare, but all these people never give up, they fight, they win, they show the beauty of themselves.

Last Song: “Broken Hero”---- It's a song from a mobile game called 'Onmyoji', I need this heavy, legendary feeling for my current project. Did think about making video for Kerry&V with this song. But seems more suitable for Johnny&V, plan to work on this one day but now Kerry and Vein is full of my head.

Last Movie: “Tenet”---- Christopher Nolan. The ways he tells stories are always blow me away, one of my favorite directors. I just realized I haven’t watched movie for a really long time. Because the COVID-19, all the theaters were closed.😫😫

Last Series: Should be “Endeavour” or “Better Call Saul”, I can’t remember, since Cyberpunk 2077 released, all my attention is on this game. Damn it.

Sweet, Savory, or Spicy?: Good question, depend what kind of food I have. I will say all of them??? I’m not picky on food.

Craving: Most part is Kerry Eurodyne for sure!!! Aha, and wanna visit a friend from another country, put this on my to do list, but not sure how soon I can achieve it╰(*°▽°*)╯

Tea or Coffee: Hahahah, like I said, I’m not picky on food. Sooooo, I will take both~!!!

Currently Working on: Mainly is Kerry Eurodyne, I wanna show more of his beauty through my lens. And like to challenge my typography design with Kerry, since that is my weakness when I was student ( but I’m stuck again with this dame stuff, so recently is all photography not much graphic design)  Another project is Vein’s (OC from @folyxfanart) photo, personally I feel he is pretty special. I can see his huge potentials for photography but won’t be easy to express his beauty, that is a totally different emotion I give to my V and Kerry. This project is a challenge for me, Vein has kind energy that is hiding very deep under his appearance, I need to dig the shinning point out and polish it. (Ok, my V, put down your Archangel, I know I put too heavy emotion on Vein, but that is how I work. Build emotion and connection to my subject and make photos for them. Sometimes, I’m not sure it’s good or bad to have such strong emotion for certain stuff)

Tagging my friends I think you haven't been tagged before.

@folyxfanart take your time sweetie, I know you’re busy recently😘.

@elowmojo I believe you haven’t tagged by this game, since you joined Tumblr late😆

@neonsamurai I guess you have already tagged by this game already, but I’m not sure😊

[photo-art-lady]

Woman Photographer travelled around the world to see how is defined beauty in 37 countries

Mihaela Noroc, a 23 year old Romanian, left her job to travel around the world. She explored all continents except Antártida.

Since 2013, Mihaela Noroc has photographed over 2,000 women in more than 50 countries, listening to their stories and learning about their lives.

For Noroc, beauty is diversity. She believes each one of the “shining stars” in her book radiates dignity, strength and beauty.

We live in a world where female beauty standards vary but are all socially and culturally constructed. The Romanian photographer Mihaela Noroc traveled the world with her camera and backpack, photographing women in their everyday surroundings and listening to their stories. The result is the “Atlas of Beauty.”

Since 2013, Noroc has photographed over 2,000 women in more than 50 countries, listening to their stories and learning about their lives.

“I noticed that there is a lot of pressure on women to look and behave a certain way,” she told Arab News.

“In some environments, it’s the pressure to look attractive. In others, on the contrary, it’s the pressure to look modest. But every woman should be free to explore her own beauty without feeling any pressure from marketing campaigns, trends or social norms.”

For Noroc, beauty is diversity. She believes each one of the “shining stars” in her book radiates dignity, strength and beauty.

During her five-year odyssey, there have been tremendous ups and downs. Yet, with each country, Noroc never failed to tell the story of the woman in her photographs. Some countries were deemed dangerous — but she traveled there anyway.

“In Afghanistan, I traveled in a remote area called Wakhan Corridor. The fighting was very close, condemning this place to total isolation,” she said. “People were living like their ancestors lived hundreds of years ago, so photography was a miracle for them. They were incredibly happy to see themselves in photos and I was invited to every home to photograph each member of the family.”

Visiting North Korea, Noroc was accompanied by local guides as she walked the streets to get a glimpse of women in their daily routines as if nothing was out of the norm.

“There is a lot of pressure on women to look a certain way, so sometimes it’s a struggle to be yourself, to make yourself accepted as you are. But I hope this project will encourage more women and men to follow their own path, to explore their own beauty without feeling constrained.”

Traveling as a backpacker introduced Noroc to all kinds of environments. She has captured beauty in Brazilian favelas, in an Iranian mosque, on the Tibetan plateau, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the Amazon rainforest, upscale neighborhoods of Paris, downtown New York and more.

She focuses on photographing the environment around the women, and prefers to photograph their natural faces, without a lot of makeup.

“Many of the women I photograph are in front of a professional camera for the first time. This isn’t bad at all because they are more authentic. For even more authenticity, I always use natural light. Through my camera, I try to dive into their eyes and explore what’s inside.”

Each image is raw, colorful, delicate, intimate, striking and empowering. A Jordanian Bedouin grandmother sits with her children and grandchildren in the background, the woman’s deep wrinkles revealing her desert life living off the land.

Another image shows the resilience in the striking green eyes of a Syrian refugee with her two daughters in a camp in Greece. In Jodhpur, India, a young woman heads to the market in a vibrant fuchsia outfit and silver jewelry.

“There is much love, beauty and compassion in the world and I see it with my own eyes. Yet a few sources of hate and intolerance can ruin all this. Many times, the victims of intolerance are women, and while on the road, I hear many heartbreaking stories.” I say that the courage of women has no end, and that's part of their beauty...

MICHAELA NOROC

[global-musings]

Street portrait in Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Photographer:  Mihaela Noroc