A self-taught, Newsha Tavakolian began working professionally in the Iranian press at age of 16, and was the youngest photographer to cover the 1999 student uprising. In 2002 she started working internationally, covering the war in Iraq. Her photographs and projects have been published internationally by global media organizations, NGO's and fine art magazines. Newsha's work has been widely exhibited at international institutions, including Victoria & Albert Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), British Museum and Boston Museum of Fine Art. In 2014, she won the Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award, and 2015 she was the principle laureate of the Prince Claus Award. Tavakolian became a Magnum nominee in 2015.