arah Blesener is a documentary photographer based in New York City. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she studied Linguistics and Youth Development at North Central University. While in University, she worked as a photographer for the organization Healing Haiti based in Port au Prince, Haiti, covering events surrounding the 2010 earthquake. Upon graduation in 2012, she studied at Bookvar Russian Academy in Minneapolis, concentrating on the Russian language. She is a recent graduate of the Visual Journalism and Documentary Practice program at the International Center of Photography in New York. Her current work has been funded by the Alexia Foundation, and she is a 2017 CatchLight Fellowship recipient to continue her work in the United States. Her latest work revolves around issues of youth culture and movements, focusing on Russia, Eastern Europe, and the United States.