“I’m a 30 year old photographer from Bucharest, Romania. I love to travel and I visited more than 60 countries until now, with my backpack and my camera.
I like modern boulevards from Tokyo, or crowded streets from New York, but also remote communities of Africa or Amazonia, where locals live like 200 years ago and I can sleep in their homes.
I love the variety of earth, the diversity of people and I try to go beyond their surface, to discover their sincere and authentic side, to photograph it.
In the last years I worked hard, saved some money and started an independent unique project about women from all around the world: The Atlas of Beauty. I spent all my savings traveling to 37 countries, and now I look forward to find funds and continue.”
– Mihaela Noroc
As with most things these days, I first heard of Noroc when a Facebook friend shared an article on Photographer Captures Beauty Around the World published last week on CNN. Captivated by her stunning photography, I linked to the story of how Noroc funded her journey with her savings to show that beauty cannot be defined by one country, race or ethnicity. Her tight budget brought her through diverse countries and environments including rough Colombian neighborhoods, the inside of an Iranian mosque, a Buddhist temple in Myanmar, and the streets of Harlem, New York.
Kichwa woman in Amazon Forest
Rio de Janeiro
Colombia
San Francisco
Her story and art – beautiful, romantic, and idealistic – compelled me to “like” her Facebook page and to go on her website, Atlas of Beauty. This type of engagement, when compounded, is the sort of viral effect that Noroc is undoubtedly aiming for. She is currently raising funds from her fans to kick off a new journey starting in June 2015. Her goal is to continue adding to the Atlas of Beauty “so that it may serve as a window into the diversity of human kind and inspire people to value and seek authenticity.” When completed, she hopes to compile her best images and publish this project as a photo book.
U Penn Social Book 
Great post, Helen. Touching and inspiring as well as informative. Diversity can make a difference and we are certainly seeing what happens when it’s in short supply.