Photographer Spent 12 Years Capturing Women Who Refused To Follow Society’s Rules, Here Are 18 Of Them

From a motorcyclist in Pakistan to a stand-up comedian in the UK, a priest in Denmark to a bodybuilder in Nepal—these women are showing that there’s no such thing as “men’s work.”

Mihaela shares their stories and portraits on social media, reaching a global audience with her mission: to challenge outdated ideas of beauty. To her, beauty is about authenticity and using your qualities for a meaningful purpose. Real beauty, she believes, shines through when a woman chooses her own path—regardless of what others expect.

These inspiring stories are now part of her new book, The Power of Women.

When asked how she selects the women she photographs, Mihaela explains to us, “I try to find women who are very different from one another: different features, different backgrounds, different dreams. My goal is to show that the power and the beauty of women come in many forms, and that every woman is amazing in her own unique way.” Through this diverse lens, her work becomes not just a collection of images, but a celebration of individuality and strength.

Her portraits often reflect deeper stories—stories of challenge, courage, and quiet resistance. “There is a pressure on women to look and behave a certain way, and this pressure has only intensified with the rise of social media,” she says, reflecting on the societal norms many women continue to face. “In some environments, women are expected to look like fashion models. In others, they are pressured to be modest. Elsewhere, they are encouraged to be as strong as men. It seems like every culture has a predefined image of what a woman should be. But from my perspective, women should be free to be whoever they want to be. They may wish to be fashion models on a catwalk, or, on the contrary, to be very modest, or as strong as men. But it must be their own choice, not something dictated by trends or societal expectations.”

This emphasis on choice and authenticity is at the heart of the photographer's work. When Bored Panda asked what she’s learned from the women she’s met, she speaks candidly: “I’ve learned a lot about the importance of being true to yourself. We live in a world that constantly tries to push us into predefined roles. And in such a world, I believe that the greatest act of power is to simply be yourself. When society is so heavily influenced by trends and external pressures, finding your own authentic path becomes one of the hardest and most valuable things you can do.”

It’s this message she hopes her latest book, "The Power of Women," will leave behind. “If you search for ‘beautiful woman’ on Google, you'll mostly see just one type of beauty. Of course, those women are beautiful. But beauty is so much more than that. Through my work, I try to capture real beauty, the kind that exists all around us in everyday life. I want to inspire more women to recognise their own beauty and embrace it. Sure, I’m just a tiny drop in the ocean. But after all, the ocean is made up of tiny drops. And if each of us contributes a little bit, I truly believe we’ll live in a better and more beautiful world.”