At 31 years-old Michaela Noroc has successfully produced a wildly popular photography book named “The Atlas of Beauty.”
The book tells the stories of the hardships and aspirations of women from all different corners of the globe.
Under each photograph are little excerpts, similar to short stories, that allow the reader to get a glimpse into the world of another.
Noroc’s book is made up of 500 portrait style photos of women and families, women alone, sisters, twins, and best friends, among others.
Noroc had been interested in art from a very young age.
“My father is a painter so since my childhood I was surrounded by colours,” she said.
She had wanted to become a photographer since the age of 16, but realized it was very hard to make a living off that dream.
So, she put it on hold and found a job in a different field that would support her better. But she never stopped taking photos on vacations around the world, and would backpack and get her shots.
During her backpacking adventures Noroc realized how vast our world is, and at the ripe old age of 27 she decided to quit her ordinary job and invest everything into her vision.
From start to finish this was a multi-year photography project. Four entire years were spent traveling and seeing, listening and learning.
Vibrant images of the rich, the poor, the old and the young capture a truly magnificent picture of diversity and power among the women of this world.
“I really try to focus on women’s stories, how they face challenges and overcome them,” Noroc said.
By telling their stories, even in short bursts, readers can get a glimpse to what life is like in 50 different countries and countless cities around the globe.
When asked why she didn’t incorporate men in her portraits Noroc simply replied that when she was gifted with her first camera at 16 by her father she “…was drawn to taking pictures of my sister and my mother. I just don’t know how to photograph men.”
Though her savings could only carry her so far at the start Noroc had established a strong online presence, and that had helped her raise money to continue her passion.
She was discovered on Facebook by a book agent because of one of her videos which accumulated over 22 million views. Noroc was now more capable than ever to continue making this project a reality.
During the making of the book, Noroc was surprised at some of the new things she learned, despite already having a wide variety of cultured experiences.
The willingness of women in war-torn countries to speak wither her, and the openness of women in Afghanistan shocked her.
However, even with the outrageous amount of success and praise she receives on a regular basis, Noroc remains humble and true to herself.
In an interview with CNN, she stated that she couldn’t imagine doing anything else but continuing to photograph and gather stories. “I’m extremely privileged. I feel like a big house of luck just fell upon me.”
Haley Edwards
Reporter