Mihaela Noroc's Blog, page 3

I photographed Juliana and her son, Alex, last November, high in...

I photographed Juliana and her son, Alex, last November, high in The Andes Mountains, in Peru.While pregnant, Juliana suffered a severe accident on the steep, narrow paths around her isolated village. By miracle the baby survived. Because of her medical condition, Juliana was forced to move in the nearest city where she continued to live after the birth. But Juliana comes here as often as possible and hopes that her medical condition will someday allow her to move back. She loves her village, she loves the mountains and she feels that this is the only place where she and her son can connect with Pachamama, the most important goddess revered by indigenous people of the Andes, also known as Mother Earth. It’s been almost 500 years since this part of Latin America was conquered by Europeans. But Pachamama is still there, in the souls of the people, giving them strength and hope. A mother taking care of her children.

Gabriela is from Maramures, a region in Northern Romania famous...

Gabriela is from Maramures, a region in Northern Romania famous for its traditions. She left her native village to study physiotherapy, but every once in a while she returns home where her parents and her traditional clothes are waiting for her.

That’s where I photographed her in July, next to the church’s gate. In this region all women dress traditionally when attending the church and that’s so rare in the modern world.

One of my missions with The Atlas of Beauty is to prove that traditions and progress can coexist, to encourage people to value their culture while also learning about other cultures of the world. Because
preserving what’s valuable from the past means a better future.

I took this photo in February. Payao has been selling food in...

I took this photo in February. Payao has been selling food in this floating market, close to Bangkok, Thailand, for over 50 years. She lives in a nearby floating village. In this area the water is everywhere, houses are built on pillars, locals are fishing every day and boats are the main mode of transport. Payao, for example, only takes the bus twice per year when she goes to see a doctor, in the city.  For their community water means life. But it can mean death too, when floods are coming, destroying everything. This archaic way of life, through which you really feel the power of nature, makes you more humble and more grateful for its gifts. I’ve seen this all over the world, meeting beautiful people like Payao.

She is Marzieh, one of the strongest women I have ever met. I...

She is Marzieh, one of the strongest women I have ever met. I took this photo a while ago, in Iran and today, after having her consent, I decided to post it. Marzieh was driving in Isfahan, Iran, six 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.

By now the second part of The Atlas of Beauty book should have...

By now the second part of The Atlas of Beauty book should have been ready. But because of the pandemic everything changed and we had to stop traveling the world, only a few months before completing the new book.  Sooner or later we’ll be back on the road to complete it. I believe it will be an extraordinary book, created with much passion and sacrifices and I can’t wait for you to see it. In the meantime, you can enjoy the first part of the book. I do that quite often with my daughter, Natalia. If you don’t have it yet, you can easily order it here.

Angsana is a smart, elegant and educated woman, with an English...

Angsana is a smart, elegant and educated woman, with an English Major, working as a Marketing Specialist in Bangkok, Thailand. Zaza Sor Aree is a tough fighter, with over 41 professional combats and a former Thai Boxing Champion.  No, I’m not talking about two different women, but about one single extraordinary woman. Zaza Sor Aree is the ring name of Angsana. She was always in love with sports and at 15 years she started Muay Tuay, also known as Thai boxing. She trained hard, she made sacrifices, and eventually became an world champion. But in all this time she never neglected school. So today she is a champ in the ring, but also in real life. Two beautiful sides coexisting in one beautiful woman that I photographed in March.

Northern Vietnam, with its spectacular landscapes, fascinating...

Northern Vietnam, with its spectacular landscapes, fascinating ethnic groups and beautiful stories, has a special place in my heart.Here people have to work hard to earn a living. The beautiful hands of this woman say everything. But when I met her she didn’t complain about anything, on the contrary, she was happy to talk about her past. Di is 86 years old and she is a Hmong. She told me that she had a very beautiful life, together with her loving husband and their five children. 15 years ago her husband passed away and since then she has never taken off these earrings, made by him. Beauty shines everywhere and so does love.

Her name means dove in Spanish and after many years of struggles...

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.

Stefania lives in a village famous for its traditions, in Gorj...

Stefania lives in a village famous for its traditions, in Gorj County, Romania. Almost 150 years ago, a few minutes away from Stefania’s house, one of the greatest sculptors of the 20th-century was born. Constantin Brâncuși was influenced by the local woodcarving tradition, and later became a pioneer of modernism, being also known as the patriarch of modern sculpture.Today Stefania is part of a traditional dance group in the village. She inherited this old georgeous outfit from her grandmother. Besides being passionate about the folk culture, she also loves technology, preparing to study robotics. As Brâncuși, she admires the past, while also focusing on the future.Yes, traditions and progress can go hand in hand. And I think this is the key for a better and healthier world.

Courtney was 17 years old when she had to start working to earn...

Courtney was 17 years old when she had to start working to earn a living. So she tried many, many different jobs. She was a waitress, a barber, a waxer, a bread packager, a day care manager, a horticulturist, a landscaper and now she is a welder. At her new job, in Austin, USA, where I met her last September, Courtney is surrounded by thousands of sparks. But there’s also a spark inside her which ignites once in a while and gives her the impulse to move on whenever she feel she doest’t belong to a place.  She had disappointments and depressions on the way, but for now she finally feels that she found the right job. Today she’s 26 and all her colleagues are men, but Courtney proves that a strong and bold woman can do any kind of job, defying all stereotypes.