My name is Mihaela Noroc, I’m a Romanian photographer who’s been travelling the world for the past 4 years with my backpack and my camera, photographing everyday women and collecting their stories. My project is called The Atlas of Beauty.

My goal is to show that every woman shines like a star because beauty is diversity, and not just what we see in mass-media.

For me, the real beauty has no age, colours or trends. You can find it in Africa or in Europe, in a village or in a skyscraper, in a smile, in a gesture, in an intense gaze, in some wrinkles, or in a story. You can find it in every kind-hearted human being.

Now The Atlas of Beauty becomes a stunning book with more that 500 portraits and many interesting stories. In a time of hate and intolerance, I want to send a message about love and acceptance. I hope this book will get into many homes around the world, convincing more people that diversity is a treasure and not a trigger for conflicts and hate. We are very different but at the same time we are all part of the same family.

#1 Kathmandu, Nepal

Sona was celebrating Holi when I met her.

#2 Ethiopia

She is a Muslim and her best friend, another young woman who owns this small terrace, is a Christian. While traveling in Ethiopia, in February, I admired the way Christians and Muslims get along. I saw many beautiful friendships that go beyond religion.

#3 Baku, Azerbaijan

In a society dominated by men, where many women are still afraid to be photographed without asking permission from their husbands, things are changing. There are more and more Azerbaijani women who fight for gender equality and although they are now a minority, I’m sure they will soon be a majority. Fidan is one of these amazing women who would never start a relationship, if she wouldn’t be treated equally and respected.

#4 Tehran, Iran

Mahsa is a graphic designer and is proud of the fact that from the time she turned eighteen, she has been financially independent.

#5 Amazon Rainforest

She was wearing her wedding outfit.

#6 Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan

She was working in the field in one of the most remote places of the world.

#7 Chichicastenango, Guatemala

Maria was selling vegetables in the market of a small village.

#8 Kathmandu, Nepal

She was walking with her son. She didn’t speak English, but he did. So I told him I wanted to photograph his mother. And he asked me why. ‘Because she’s beautiful.’ He proudly smiled and looked at his mother. ‘Yes, she is.’

#9 Pokhara, Nepal

It was a Sunday in 2015 and just like every weekend, many people from Pokhara, Nepal were spending their time around the splendid Phewa lake.

#10 Idomeni Refugee Camp, Greece

This mother and her daughters fled the war in Syria.

#11 Nampan, Myanmar

I met this lovely lady at a local market.

#12 Bucharest, Romania

In 2005 Magda experienced a terrible car accident, as a passenger. In most parts of the world, people in wheelchairs are condemned to isolation by authorities. While traveling around the planet I visited tens of countries where you don’t see them at all, in public areas. Why? Because in all those places, leaving your home in a wheelchair is almost an impossible mission due to that lack of infrastructure. But… Read More

#13 Reykjavik, Iceland

Thorunn brings Icelandic women together via a popular online community.

#14 Korolyov, Russia

Nastya takes passport photos in this little shop, but her dream is to take landscape photos around the world.

#15 Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Her tribe is called the Daasanach. With the high temperatures here, nudity is not unusual.

#16 Lisbon, Portugal

Daniela is from Lisbon, Portugal and has Angolan origins. It’s lovely to walk on the streets of this gorgeous city and see so many diverse people living in harmony.

#17 Berlin, Germany

Anais has a Malian mother and a French father and feels both African and European.

#18 Pushkar, India

While traveling from country to country, I was happy to see that women have joined public forces all over the world.

#19 Havana, Cuba

An actress? A model? No, she wishes only to finish her studies and become a nurse.

#20 Zürich, Switzerland

Patricia and Rebecca, from Switzerland, are sisters. There’s only one-year difference between them. “When we were small, most of the kids laughed at our red hair. But that brought us closer to each other.” Years have passed and I noticed them in Zürich Central Station, two days ago. There was something magical about them.

#21 Belgian With Polish Origins

Ania dreams to compete in the Paralympic Games.

#22 Tibetan Plateau

Among the most graceful women I encountered, this Tibetan mother of two in a rural village looked like this the moment she opened her door to me; she had been cleaning her house, and yet she was wearing her jewelry.

#23 Timisoara, Romania

Alice was celebrating her high school graduation.

#24 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

She’s wearing a deel, which is a traditional outfit commonly seen in Mongolia.

#25 Syria

I met this young Yazidi girl from Syria in a refugee camp from the Kurdistan Region in Iraq. Hasa was feeling fortunate that she’s alive and has the chance to study. Unfortunately she lost six of her small cousins when Isis attacked her village in Syria.

#26 Kathmandu, Nepal

We live in a beautiful world and diversity is one of our greatest gifts. In the same time, this world became much more intolerant towards diversity, in the last years. But don’t lose hope! I’ve seen with my own eyes during my travels that there’s much more kindness in this world, than hate. We just have to notice it, share it with others and make this world a better place for our children.

#27 Chichicastenango, Guatemala

Many women of the world carry great burdens every day, either literally or figuratively. And they do it, like this lovely woman, with so much tenderness and positivity. I met her in January, in Chichicastenango, a small town from Guatemala.

#28 Paris, France

Imane has African and European origins and dreams to open an art gallery for artists from all over the world.

#29 Milan, Italy

The daughter, Caterina, is a ballerina and her biggest supporter is her mother, Barbara.

#30 Guatemala

A beautiful family dressed in stunning outfits made by the mother.

#31 Tbilisi, Georgia

Natia, from Tbilisi, Georgia, studies Law and wishes to become a criminalist. She told me that her dream is to work for the FBI someday. In the meantime she already gained a scholarship and works in this coffee shop for a living.

#32 Istanbul, Turkey

Pinar is a theater actress. While she loves playing different roles on stage, in real life, she adores being herself, natural and free.

#33 Cuenca, Ecuador

A moment of tenderness at the food market.

#34 Berlin, Germany

This German young woman travels as much as she can. Her loved ones are spread all over the world and she is still searching for a place where she would love to live.

#35 Idomeni, Greece

I met this brave mother of three children last year in Idomeni Refugee Camp from Greece. She escaped from her hometown in Iraq, which was under ISIS’s control. She traveled a long road to Europe with her children, spending all her savings, in hope of a safer life.

#36 Jodhpur, India

While traveling in India, almost two years ago, I noticed that trains are the country’s vital circulatory system. They transport more than twenty million people every day. Just imagine twenty million fascinating stories! I wanted to hear hers but the train left after a few seconds from Jodhpur Station.