Lena Mucha (b. 1983, Germany), is a freelance photographer based in Berlin.

After graduating with a Master of Social Anthropology and Political Science from the University of Cologne in 2011, she started photography whilst working in Colombia with different NGOs. Her work focuses on stories related to human rights, gender aspects and social changes within societies and ethnic groups that are mainly under-reported.
She participated in the HEFAT - Hostile Environment and Emergency First Aid Training in Nairobi and the RISC Training in Medellin, Colombia in 2017. Since 2018 she is a frequent collaborator with The New York Times. In 2019 she was assigned by the UNDP - United Nations Development Programme to work on a project highlighting on African migration in Europe.

She also works for clients as National Geographic, GEO, Washington Post, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Der Spiegel,  ZEIT, Doctors without Borders, ICRC - International Committee of the Red Cross, and Peace Brigades International. Her work is published in various international media as Le Monde, Al Jazeera, Open Society Foundation, Stern, Nido Stern, El Pais, British Journal of Photography, BURN Magazine, LFI Leica Magazine, 6 mois, Huffington Post, UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund, and CNRR - Colombian National Commission for Reconciliation and Reparation amongst others. 

AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

2019
Shortlisted for Felix Schöller Award
Nominated for Prix Pictet

2018

Grenzgänger - Grant to work on a story about the born-free generation in South Africa, Germany
Honorable Mention at Marylin Stafford Fotoreportage Award

2017 

Fellowship for Reporting trip to Congo, IWMF - International Women Media Foundation
Selected for NOOR Masterclass, Berlin
Nominated for the UNICEF Photo of the Year Award 2017
Nominated for the PDNs 30
VG Bild Kunst Grant, Germany
Shortlisted for Felix Schöller Award
Shortlisted for Award N-Ost Reportagepreis
Scholarship "PIC Förderpreis", Germany                                                                                                                       

2016

Nominated for the UNICEF Photo of the Year Award 2016
Scholarship for Magnum photographer David Alan Harvey's workshop, New York
Scholarship for Magnum photographer Patrick Zachmann's workshop, Krakow, Poland
Honorable Mention at International Photography Award Moscow MIFA 2016  

2015

Reporters in the Field Scholarship, Robert Bosch Foundation              
Honorable Mention at International Photography Award Moscow MIFA 2015
Honorable Mention at Photo Annual Awards 2015, Czech Republic
Nominated for Unicef Photo of the year 2015, Germany    
Finalist at Athens Photo Festival, Greece
Finalist at Los trabajos y los días, International Documentary Photography Contest, Colombia