LSI Announces 2025 Women in Photography Grant Recipient
Leica Society International (LSI) is proud to announce its third Women in Photography Grant recipient for 2025- Irina Werning!
This grant of $10,000 is made possible through the LSI Philanthropy Fund and in partnership with Leica North America. In addition to the financial award, Ms Werning will receive a new Leica camera and lens, courtesy of Leica NA. LSI is committed to supporting the photography community, especially the voices of under-represented, deserving photographers.
Congratulations to Irina Werning! - LSI’s 2025 Women in Photography Grant Recipient!
Irina Werning
Irina Werning is a freelance photojournalist. She studied a BA in Economics and an MA in History in Buenos Aires and an MA in Photojournalism at Westminster University (2006). She won the Ian Parry Scholarship in 2006 (Sunday Times Magazine and Getty), BURN grant (Magnum foundation) in 2012 and 1st place portrait Sony award in 2012. She was selected for the Joop Swart Masterclass, World Press Photo 2007. She was chosen by Time Magazine as the nine Argentinian photographers you need to follow (2015) and her Back to the Future Book was chosen by Time Magazine as one of the best photo-books of 2014. In 2020 she was awarded the Emergency Covid Grant (National Geographic) and a Pulitzer Reporting Grant (2021). She is the winner of the World Press Photo award for Story category in 2022. She is the recipient of the Eugene Smith Grant 2023.
Irina’s personal project is called La Promesa. Please read the description in her own words.
“Since 2006, I have been photographing women with long hair across Argentina. A leader of the Kolla community once told me, "Your hair connects you to the land and carries teachings across generations." This insight shaped my approach, shifting the narrative from struggle to resilience and beauty. As a South American woman, I often face the pressure to adopt masculine traits for success—a notion rooted in machismo. I believe in fostering gender equality by celebrating femininity and the strength of women within their communities. In 2023, my World Press Photo-winning story followed a 12-year- old girl who vowed to cut her hair when her school reopened post-COVID, highlighting the world’s longest school closures in South America. Now, I want to expand this story. I possess Antonella’s hair and will document its transformation into a wig for a child undergoing cancer treatment. This project captures the entire journey—from donation to wig-making to the emotional handover—emphasizing resilience, generosity, and solidarity. This work also reflects my deep commitment to sustainability and the idea that everything can be repurposed, transformed, and given new life. For me, it is essential to show how small acts of kindness—like donating hair—can make the world a better place for everyone. Energy is never lost; it is simply transferred. This project will illustrate that through a deeply personal yet universal story. Partnering with Un Pelito Más Fácil, a wig bank for patients undergoing chemotherapy in Argentina, I will ensure an authentic portrayal of donors, artisans, and recipients. The wig will be crafted by a woman who is a survivor of violence and is learning wig-making as a path to financial independence. We also have a young cancer patient who has agreed to receive the long-hair wig. Antonella, now 16, is eager to spend time with the patient and be photographed as part of this emotional journey. Through intimate portraits and dynamic storytelling, I aim to highlight the interconnectedness of generosity, resilience, and transformation. By blending visual storytelling with social impact, I hope to offer a fresh perspective on how small gestures can ripple outward, shaping lives and communities in profound ways.”
Below are a few images from La Promesa.
