Rena Effendi

Baku-born photographer Rena Effendi grew up under the Iron Curtain but since then, has traveled far and wide to shine a unique light on human interest stories across the globe. From war zones in eastern Ukraine to the oil pipelines destroying communities across Europe and Asia, Rena manages to strike the impossible balance between curiosity and sensitivity. A skill that has made her the renowned and award-winning documentary photographer she is today. Now settled in Istanbul, when Rena is not out reporting for The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal, she’s working on her first feature film project: the pursuit of a rare butterfly to narrate the story both of the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict, and that of her father’s life.