We're in love with Mihaela Niroc's recently-published photography collection.
Having followed Mihaela on Instagram for years, it was no surprise when she announced she'd publish a book, a compendium would be more accurate, of her extensive portfolio.
Her subjects: Women of the World
The Atlas of Beauty: Women of the World in 500 Portraits is a visual tour-de-force to shock you into a new perception of beauty. Sixty countries, hundreds of women, representing cultures as diverse as you can imagine.
Mihaela traveled the world for four years, capturing authentic portraits of women she met through her travels. A young woman en route to a Holi festival in India, a child in traditional garb in Mongolia, an elder-Iranian woman smiling brightly.
Alongside many of the portraits are stories from their women pictured.
Photo by Michaela Noroc.
There’s something magic about Kadıköy pier, late in the afternoon. Hundreds of people gather to watch how the sun sets over the minarets of Istanbul, Turkey. Beste was singing there with her band completing this splendid moment.quote
Other anecdotes are like this one, discussing the setting, the city, or the atmosphere around the subject.
What this book is devoid of is any aspirational or inspirational commentary about beauty. There are no comparisons, no biased narrative. This collection of portraits purely illustrates the diversity of women across our planet.
Our standards for beauty vary country by country, culture by culture. What The Atlas of Beauty does effortlessly is to smash those variables and showcase the soul of her subjects. Each portrait, even those taken in busy city squares, is an intimate moment where the woman on one side shares a piece of herself with Mihaela, her photographer.
You can order The Atlas of Beauty from her website and follow her on Instagram for daily photo shares.
What are your favorite female-focused reads?
Share them in the comments!
Header photo from Unsplash, graphic design by
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