Wednesday 18 February 2015

'The Atlas of Beauty' Photographer travels the globe to prove appearance is all in the eye of the beholder

Which woman says beauty to YOU? Photographer travels the globe to prove appearance is all in the eye of the beholder

Mihaela Noroc is the 29-year-old Romanian photographer behind 'The Atlas of Beauty'
Her project is an attempt to show that beauty can be found everywhere
Noroc visited 37 different countries where she photographed women for her work
Among those were Iran, Peru, Colombia, Myanmar, China, Latvia, Georgia and Indonesia

PUBLISHED: 02:26, 18 February 2015 | UPDATED: 12:50, 18 February 2015

In contrast to the constant barrage of women's fashion magazines declaring what is attractive, photographer Mihaela Noroc set off on a journey around the world -- and found that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

The Romanian traveled to 37 different countries, where she often met women simply walking the street and took stunning portraits of them, highlighting what is considered desirable in different cultures.

From the freezing, chaffing Tibetan Plateau near the Himalayas to the sultry tropics of South America, Noroc, 29, entitled her startling and revealing project, 'The Atlas of Beauty.'

At times spending only 30 seconds with each subject and traveling only with her camera and a backpack, Noroc tried to take pictures of young women all in their twenties.

She explained in a statement to Daily Mail Online 'I'm a [29-year-old] female photographer from Romania that quit her boring job and started a new life. Two years ago I took my backpack, my camera and begun to travel around the globe, with savings made in years of working.

'In this journey I photographed hundreds of natural women surrounded by their culture. My project is called 'The Atlas Of Beauty' and is about our planet's diversity shown through portraits of women.'

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Bundled up: A woman in Peru's Colca Valley posed in an multicolored outfit with different patterns

Hang on! One subject in Bogota, Colombia rides a unicycle in her free-spirited shot

Exposed to the elements: A woman snapped in the Baltic Sea is seen with her hair blowing in the wind

World traveler: Noroc visited 37 different countries as part of the project. One of her subjects is seen here in Australia

Facing the camera: Noroc captured women in Yangon, Myanmar (left) and the Tibetan Plateau in China (right)

Models: Noroc has said 'I prefer to photograph natural faces, without a lot of make-up, and to capture that moment of sincerity and serenity that is so specific for women.' A woman is seen on the left in Colombia, and the woman on the right is at the Tibetan Plateau

Noroc said she visited a variety of locations, including favelas in Brazil and 'rough neighborhoods of Colombia,' as well as an Iranian mosque and the Amazon rainforest.

She said in her statement 'Now I can say that beauty is everywhere, and it’s not a matter of cosmetics, money, race or social status, but more about being yourself.

'Global directions make us look and behave the same, but we are all beautiful because we are different. In the end, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the beholder is always somebody else.'

Noroc added 'When I photograph a woman I talk a lot, I try to to make her feel special, proud and unique. I can get along in 5 languages and this helps me a lot, but in some countries, talking becomes body language.

'I prefer to photograph natural faces, without a lot of make-up, and to capture that moment of sincerity and serenity that is so specific for women.

Journey around the world: A young woman in Tbilisi, Georgia poses for her portrait

Lounging around: A tattooed woman in Sumatra, Indonesia reclines on a staircase

Out of the water: A long-flame-haired woman stares directly into the camera in San Francisco, California

Do you see me? A woman in Rio de Janeiro leans in under a Brazilian flag

Different looks: Noroc photographed these women in Riga, Latvia (left) and Peru (right)

International beauty: Women with piercings are seen in Oxford, UK (left) and Omo Valley, Ethiopia (right)

Limited amount of time: Noroc has said she sometimes is only given 30 seconds to take the portrait. Here, a woman is seen in northern Romania

Wrapped up: Photographer Mihaela Noroc went to New York City as part of her travels, where she photographed this woman

Rainbow effect: A young woman is seen in Nasir al-Mulk, Iran

Photographer finds Romanian faces for The Atlas of Beauty

'Sometimes I have only 30 seconds to make a portrait, because I meet a interesting woman, by chance, on the street. Other times, I maybe spend one hour, photographing, after I found her on a social network, a day before.'

Noroc also addressed criticism that her subjects are solely young women.

'Through ["The Atlas of Beauty,"] I wish to compare the faces of the world and to show that all the women from my photos have something beautiful,' she said in the statement. 'But the comparison has to be made using similar conditions and so I choose only one age group, the one that I'm part of. I think beauty is not about age. [It's] more about being natural and sincere.'

Noroc also revealed that '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.

'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.'

Noroc said she hoped to raise money so she could visit more countries later this year to continue working on 'The Atlas of Beauty.'

For more information on 'The Atlas of Beauty', you can visit Noroc's Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr pages.

International outlook: These women were snapped in Medellin, Colombia (left) and Mawlamyine, Myanmar (right)

Into the woods: A young woman in a headscarf was photographed in Maramures, Romania

Way down under: As part of 'The Atlas of Beauty,' Noroc even went to New Zealand, where she took this photograph

In the jungle: Wearing face paint, this Kichwa woman in the Amazon rainforest is now part of 'The Atlas of Beauty'

Standing tall: A woman poses for the photography project in Havana, Cuba

Hanging out: One woman relaxes near a basketball court in New York City's Harlem neighborhood

Up close and personal: These women were photographed in Ethiopia (left) and El Paico, Chile (right)

Over-the-shoulder: Photographer Mihaela Noroc has said 'Global directions make us look and behave the same, but we are all beautiful because we are different.' A woman is seen here in Ecuador