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Candor Collective

Encounter the World Through my Lens.

Collected from travels to over thirty nations, explore the collection of my photos, stories, and writing inspiration.

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Carol Eliya.

Ciao! I’m Carol, a creative connector with a camera. My aim is to capture a collection of cultures, creativity, and honest thoughts from my global travels, connecting the world one story at a time.

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Gallery

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2026 Calendar.

A 12 month spiral-bound wall calendar with original photographs and poetry, Created by Carol.

This year’s theme is seasons: each month has an image spanning the globe from Hawaii to Lebanon, and an original poem with a title that represents different seasons of life we walk through. It’s meant to inspire, encourage, and have you contemplate where you are today.

Photobook.

Stories of the Creator’s fingerprint redeeming lives around the globe.

Honest thoughts, images and stories from cultures around the world. A collection of connections.

Picture shows an example gallery of her prints.

Prints.

Some of my favorite images from various locations available for print in a range of sizes and styles.

Created by Carol.

Blog

  • Coastal Crossing

    The Greek island of Samos shares a maritime coast with the nation of Turkey, making it a hot landing spot for people from war-torn and politically unstable homelands who are seeking refuge and a hopeful future in a different land. Spending only a brief amount of time there inflicted a duality of emotions: awe and…

  • Country of Cedars

    My Habibi Lebanon – Don’t lose hope.  That is all I ask.  Don’t lose hope.  Don’t look around you, don’t look within you, but look to Me, my love.  I am your first love.  Don’t you remember when I called you to be my chosen witnesses, so that you would know me and believe me…

  • Choice

    One crisp November afternoon I was on a walk along a path that followed a river enjoying the East Coast’s autumn season.  Halfway through the walk, I was drawn to a lady who was wading in the river cleaning up garbage that was thrown into it. I asked her what she was doing, and after…

Neighbor Project

Loving your neighbor starts with seeing your neighbor.

Join me as I photograph friends, family and strangers in the day-to-day and the extraordinary.

When you need a reminder to slow your roll… imagining running into Jake rolling a turtle around in a cart in Industry City, Brooklyn. A reminder to industrious New Yorkers to s l o w d o w n and smell the cawfee….or pick up a turtle on your way to ramen dinner. I saw an ad in my hotel in upstate New York for a local farmers market and there was an hour left to spare so I figured I’d drop by and find a quick bite for lunch. Quick and bite are neither things I found there, but what I did encounter was a small, slow paced local town gathered together selling their home grown or home made goods, which at its close turned into a picnic feeding the whole tiny town. As I was engrossed in my notebook while sitting at a table in the Roma airport, Susanna asked to sit at the free chair in front of me. It took me some time to actually get my nose out of my pages before asking her what her name was. She had a peaceful and kind presence, and I noticed a big backpacking bag next to her. It turns out, she just finished a 26 day “Camino” - or pilgrimage from Lucca, Italy all the way down to St. Peter’s Basillica in Rome. (For context that would take 4 hours by train). Fun fact: Janine’s last time in New York was to interview with Starbucks in the running to become one of the top baristas globally. Although this German by blood but American in heart has the work ethic and skill to be a globally ranked barista, she laid it down in order to follow Jesus. This led her to Kona, Hawaii where she completed a discipleship training school that radically changed her life. Since then, she’s been serving the Lord all over the world, reaching the lost and the least in the pacific islands, Eastern Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. In many of these places she’s also gotten to serve as a barista in a cafe! Shes now not just a globally acclaimed barista but a woman of God who is a living example of how the warmth, depth and richness of Christ can transform someone’s life. Like the coffee making process: from bean, to roast, to brew, to pour to service, Janine cares deeply and has the skill to walk with people in order to be developed into their greatest potential in Christ. I was so thankful to get to see her on a layover in New York for a quick little reunion, until I see her somewhere else around the world. Love you girl! Erin is someone you can’t help but feel blessed when you are around her. Her creative, spunky spirit and hunger for the Lord has led her to Europe and beyond in faith that Jesus is the creator and sustainer of ALL things in her life and beyond. I admire her courage to pursue the gifts and dreams God has given to her, especially in the realm of photography and entrepreneurship!! She is truly going after it in faith over fear. From the streets of Milan to streets of NYC I can’t wait to see where she flys off to next and where we get to cross paths again, cameras in hand ;)) Are you Greek? Maya is a beautiful human who delights in adventure, beauty, and the mysteries and wonders of God. Her heart is for holistic care of the human being: soul, body, spirit, and one conversation with her can twist and turn in so many different directions. She is deep but also playful and fun, and never fails to laugh at her own mistakes, or yours either ;) “My husband designed this. Everything in this shop is all from his vision. All hand-made. His family has been running this business for 104 years !” As a young twenty-something from Thessaloniki, Greece, Elias was depressed and hopeless to the point of literally pulling the trigger on himself twice in the stomach, intending to end his life to escape the pain he was going through.

To encounter the world.

Everything I do I do so that you may encounter a broader worldview than you thought possible. I long to share the stories of those that often wouldn’t get told to people that didn’t even know they needed to hear them.

Carol shopping in a market smiling

Love,

Carol