Photographer and member of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers, Iva Sidash, has won the top category in the prestigious Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant. Her project, which captures civilian life during the war, impressed the jury with its poetic depth and emotional resonance. Iva shared her journey to victory, insights into the competition, and advice for young photographers.
The Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant is one of the most prestigious competitions in the world of photojournalism. Established over 30 years ago in honor of Ian Parry, a British photojournalist who tragically died during the Romanian Revolution at the age of 24, the grant was created by his friend and colleague Aidan Sullivan to support young photographers tackling complex social and war-related topics.
“This is a competition for photographers under the age of 25, but it also offers an opportunity for those who have just graduated. I applied as a student because I had recently completed my studies at the International Center of Photography in New York,” Iva explained.
The project that brought Iva victory, "Seeing the Unseen," began in August 2024. It tells the story of a family living near the Russian border. The protagonist of the photo series is Aliona, a single mother raising two teenage children on her own.
“This is a story about Aliona, a woman raising her two children—15-year-old Matviy and 13-year-old Ulyana—on her own. They live near the Russian border, constantly facing danger. Their home was partially destroyed during a missile strike, but they decided to return after spending a year in Poland as displaced persons. Aliona is not only rebuilding their house but also striving to restore a sense of normalcy for her children,” the photographer shared.
The photo series also addresses the experiences of displaced persons who returned home after evacuation. “We often talk about those who left and stayed abroad. But what about those who come back? How do they adapt to the reality that their home is no longer what it once was? When life as a displaced person becomes so challenging that they decide to return, even though the war continues? Why do they make such a decision? These are important questions that deserve exploration,” Iva notes.
“I understand this is a challenging topic, but that’s precisely why it’s so important to me. When I ask Aliona what she would do if the Russians launched another offensive on her village, she unhesitatingly replies that she would have to leave again. She’s prepared for that. But as long as she has a choice, she chooses to rebuild their life at home. ‘Being here feels like being able to breathe,’ she says. I submitted the photo series titled ‘Seeing the Unseen.’ It’s a working title, but it perfectly conveys my intention to highlight what often goes unnoticed: the lives of civilians during war. I began this project in August 2024, and by September, I had already submitted it to the competition. Normally, it’s recommended to enter with long-term projects, but I felt this story was urgent and needed to be told,” Iva shared.
The choice of this topic was deliberate, and the idea for the project had been forming for a long time. “While studying in New York, I was struck by how little the Western audience understands our experience of war. People would ask me, ‘How do you live during a war? How do children go to school?’ These questions seemed obvious to me, but I realized that people genuinely wanted to know more. That’s when I decided I had to tell our story through photography,” Iva explained. “For me, photography is a means of communication. It’s not just about images; it’s a bridge between the subjects and the viewers. I want the Western audience to better understand the experience of civilians in Ukraine. People in Ukraine already know this reality because they live it, but the Western world needs this understanding,” she emphasized.
The Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant involved several stages: first, participants were shortlisted as finalists, followed by interviews with the jury.
During an online discussion, the jury told Iva that they highly valued her ability to portray the war through the lens of civilian experiences. “They said my project stood out for its depth. It’s not straightforward photography that only shows the obvious. I want viewers to see not just pain and loss, but also human resilience, love, and the desire to live a normal life at home,” she shared.
Her victory brought not only recognition but also a £10,000 grant, professional equipment from Canon on loan, a publication in The Guardian, and the opportunity to join the Ian Parry Family community.
Iva shared key lessons that helped her succeed:
Iva plans to continue her project, focusing on how Aliona’s teenage children grow and how the war shapes their lives. “This is a story not only about survival but also about the struggle for a normal life, about human resilience. I want to show how the war affects children, how they mature under these conditions. It’s crucial for understanding what Ukrainians are going through today,” she concludes.
Iva Sidash is a documentary photographer from Lviv. She specializes in personal projects, long-term stories, and documentary and reportage photography. Iva studied documentary practices and visual journalism at the International Center of Photography in New York from 2023 to 2024 and was a 2024 Women Photograph grantee. In October 2024, she participated in the Eddie Adams Workshop, where she received the Chris Hondros Memorial Award. Her work has been published in The Atlantic Magazine, INSIDER, The Financial Times, The Fisheye Magazine, Der Spiegel, Forbes, and other outlets. Iva’s photographs have been exhibited in the U.S. and Europe, including solo exhibitions “The Wall – Witness to the War in Ukraine” in Wisconsin (October 2023) and San Diego, California (April 2024). Follow Iva on Instagram
We worked on the material:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Editor-in-chief: Olga Kovaleva
Literary editor: Yulia Futey
Website manager: Vladyslav Kukhar
Photographer and member of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers, Iva Sidash, has won the top category in the prestigious Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant. Her project, which captures civilian life during the war, impressed the jury with its poetic depth and emotional resonance. Iva shared her journey to victory, insights into the competition, and advice for young photographers.
The Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant is one of the most prestigious competitions in the world of photojournalism. Established over 30 years ago in honor of Ian Parry, a British photojournalist who tragically died during the Romanian Revolution at the age of 24, the grant was created by his friend and colleague Aidan Sullivan to support young photographers tackling complex social and war-related topics.
“This is a competition for photographers under the age of 25, but it also offers an opportunity for those who have just graduated. I applied as a student because I had recently completed my studies at the International Center of Photography in New York,” Iva explained.
The project that brought Iva victory, "Seeing the Unseen," began in August 2024. It tells the story of a family living near the Russian border. The protagonist of the photo series is Aliona, a single mother raising two teenage children on her own.
“This is a story about Aliona, a woman raising her two children—15-year-old Matviy and 13-year-old Ulyana—on her own. They live near the Russian border, constantly facing danger. Their home was partially destroyed during a missile strike, but they decided to return after spending a year in Poland as displaced persons. Aliona is not only rebuilding their house but also striving to restore a sense of normalcy for her children,” the photographer shared.
The photo series also addresses the experiences of displaced persons who returned home after evacuation. “We often talk about those who left and stayed abroad. But what about those who come back? How do they adapt to the reality that their home is no longer what it once was? When life as a displaced person becomes so challenging that they decide to return, even though the war continues? Why do they make such a decision? These are important questions that deserve exploration,” Iva notes.
“I understand this is a challenging topic, but that’s precisely why it’s so important to me. When I ask Aliona what she would do if the Russians launched another offensive on her village, she unhesitatingly replies that she would have to leave again. She’s prepared for that. But as long as she has a choice, she chooses to rebuild their life at home. ‘Being here feels like being able to breathe,’ she says. I submitted the photo series titled ‘Seeing the Unseen.’ It’s a working title, but it perfectly conveys my intention to highlight what often goes unnoticed: the lives of civilians during war. I began this project in August 2024, and by September, I had already submitted it to the competition. Normally, it’s recommended to enter with long-term projects, but I felt this story was urgent and needed to be told,” Iva shared.
The choice of this topic was deliberate, and the idea for the project had been forming for a long time. “While studying in New York, I was struck by how little the Western audience understands our experience of war. People would ask me, ‘How do you live during a war? How do children go to school?’ These questions seemed obvious to me, but I realized that people genuinely wanted to know more. That’s when I decided I had to tell our story through photography,” Iva explained. “For me, photography is a means of communication. It’s not just about images; it’s a bridge between the subjects and the viewers. I want the Western audience to better understand the experience of civilians in Ukraine. People in Ukraine already know this reality because they live it, but the Western world needs this understanding,” she emphasized.
The Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant involved several stages: first, participants were shortlisted as finalists, followed by interviews with the jury.
During an online discussion, the jury told Iva that they highly valued her ability to portray the war through the lens of civilian experiences. “They said my project stood out for its depth. It’s not straightforward photography that only shows the obvious. I want viewers to see not just pain and loss, but also human resilience, love, and the desire to live a normal life at home,” she shared.
Her victory brought not only recognition but also a £10,000 grant, professional equipment from Canon on loan, a publication in The Guardian, and the opportunity to join the Ian Parry Family community.
Iva shared key lessons that helped her succeed:
Iva plans to continue her project, focusing on how Aliona’s teenage children grow and how the war shapes their lives. “This is a story not only about survival but also about the struggle for a normal life, about human resilience. I want to show how the war affects children, how they mature under these conditions. It’s crucial for understanding what Ukrainians are going through today,” she concludes.
Iva Sidash is a documentary photographer from Lviv. She specializes in personal projects, long-term stories, and documentary and reportage photography. Iva studied documentary practices and visual journalism at the International Center of Photography in New York from 2023 to 2024 and was a 2024 Women Photograph grantee. In October 2024, she participated in the Eddie Adams Workshop, where she received the Chris Hondros Memorial Award. Her work has been published in The Atlantic Magazine, INSIDER, The Financial Times, The Fisheye Magazine, Der Spiegel, Forbes, and other outlets. Iva’s photographs have been exhibited in the U.S. and Europe, including solo exhibitions “The Wall – Witness to the War in Ukraine” in Wisconsin (October 2023) and San Diego, California (April 2024). Follow Iva on Instagram
We worked on the material:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Editor-in-chief: Olga Kovaleva
Literary editor: Yulia Futey
Website manager: Vladyslav Kukhar
UAPP is an independent association of professional Ukrainian photographers, designed to protect their interests, support, develop and promote Ukrainian photography as an important element of national culture.
UAPP's activities span educational, social, research and cultural initiatives, as well as book publishing.
UAPP represents Ukrainian professional photography in the international photographic community and is an official member of the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) — an international organization representing more than 50,000 professional photographers in Europe and other countries around the world.
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