Mirjam is a New York City based travel photographer specializing in international environmental portraiture, landscape photography and adventure images. Born and raised in the Netherlands, she has photographed in more than 95 countries, including many of the most exotic places in the world. Mirjam's photographs are indicative of her unique capacity to personally connect with diverse cultures and communities. Her eye for location lighting is highly stylized and works to illustrate and heighten the unique characteristics of each international locale. She is able to transcend cultural and language barriers with an intangible spirit that is conveyed in every image. Her work has appeared in AFAR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Departures, Golf Magazine, AARP, Outdoor Photographer, PDN, American Photo, Popular Photography, Digital Photo, MSN Travel and Town & Country Magazine.

Mirjam's website

Born in Brazil, Najat grew up in between the mountains of Lebanon and the skyscrapers of New York. Her diverse upbringing helped shape her desire to travel the world. Leading workshops, she has introduced many groups to photography while still exploring the cultures and diversity of the more than 40 countries she's visited. Her gift for languages (she speaks Arabic, Spanish and English fluently and a bit of Dutch and Portuguese) has enabled her to put people at ease through out her travels. She enjoys the opportunity that workshops give her to meet different types of people and introduce them to the beauty and marvel of the world. A huge believer in giving back, she is dedicated to supporting local charities throughout her travels. Her work has appeared in NY Times Magazine, American Photo, Financial Times, Interior Design, Popular Photography, The Editor at Large, HGTC.com, Trail of Inspiration.com, mocoloco.com and Oprah.com.

Najat's website

Gabriel has been exploring night topography for over 15 years. Using film and digital, he blends the surreal look of the night to enhance historic and urban landscapes. He is well-versed in the history of night photography and teaches hands-on workshops all over the world. Gabriel is the author of the book Night Photography - From Snapshots to Greatshots and his most recent body of night work, TIMEXPOSED, was exhibited for over a year in a traveling show. His pinhole work has also been published in Dark Chambers, Volume 2 and PInhole Photography: Rediscovering the Historic Technique by Eric Renner. Gabriel also works at a small mom-and-pop camera store, B&H, where he has been presenting his seminar on Night Photography to sold out classes for over 10 years.

Gabriel’s website

Before starting her freelance business, Mary worked as a photojournalist on the award winning staff of The Washington Times for 11 years. Mary is a regular at the White House and on Presidential campaigns, as well as on Capitol Hill and major political and news stories. However, her true photographic calling is documenting the humanitarian struggle of women around the world which has led to countless awards. Most recently, she was honored to be the 2015 recipient of Cliff Edom's New America Award for her project, "The Battle Within: Sexual Violence in America's Military." 

Mary's website

Jodi has worked in over 65 countries and produced 30 National Geographic Magazine stories, including "21st -Century Slaves," which was among the most popular stories in the magazine's history. Cobb was the only photographer to penetrate the geisha world, which resulted in her Pulitzer Prize-nominated book, "Geisha: The Life, the Voices, the Art." She was also the first photographer to document the hidden lives of the women of Saudi Arabia and among the first to travel across China when it reopened to the West. She has received repeated honors from the National Press Photographers Association, Pictures of the Year, and World Press Photo. Jodi was also the first woman to be named White House Photographer of the Year.

Jodi’s website

Tony has photographed three U.S. presidents, several world leaders and Olympic athletes, two astronauts, hundreds of brides and grooms, plus thousands of not so famous faces. He has won numerous awards including the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Photographer of the Year by the International Photographic Council. His instructional books and videos are popular worldwide, while his articles have been published in every major photographic magazine in the US, Japan and China. Tony serves as Senior Manager for Product Education and Planning for Nik Software Inc. Nik Software develops products and technology for photographers worldwide. 

Tony's website

Deanne is a Pulitzer Prize winning documentary photographer and multimedia storyteller based in San Francisco, California. She is a regular contributor to Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine, and has been published in TIME, Newsweek, The Economist, Stern, and GEO. Deanne’s work has received awards from Pictures of the Year International, NPPA Best of Photojournalism, and the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. Her imagery is part of the permanent collection at the Newseum, and their traveling exhibition of Pulitzer winning photographs. Additionally, her work has been exhibited at Visa pour L’Image in Perpignan, France, and with UNICEF Photo of the Year. When not on assignment, Deanne often lectures and teaches workshops. 

Deanne’s website

John has enjoyed success as a professional photographer for almost a quarter century now. His passion for his craft and ability to capture that passion through a viewfinder has resulted in many of his images appearing in advertisements, such as for Olympus, as well as books, magazines, and other literature. John worked as a photographer for the United Nations for 20 years and visually documented what he saw during his travels to more than 100 countries to help raise awareness of the many struggles and triumphs that occur in our ever-changing world. Throughout his storied career he has received numerous national and international awards, has worked with the likes of Michael Jackson, Luciano Pavarotti and Audrey Hepburn, and has been heavily involved with UNICEF efforts.

John’s website

Adam explores the world through his nature, travel, and wildlife images. His award-winning photography is widely published in magazines, posters, calendars, books, and national advertising campaigns. Adam is recognized worldwide as an outstanding stock photographer. His work has sold for editorial and commercial usage in over 30 countries. Publication credits include National Geographic Books, Time, Life Magazine, National Wildlife Federation, Audubon, Sierra Club, Disney and hundreds of textbooks. Adam teaches photography workshops around the world helping students reach their full potential in the exciting world of digital photography. He is noted for his enthusiastic, down to earth approach and his ability to communicate effectively with all skill levels.

Adam’s website

Elizabeth is a senior photo editor for National Geographic. Before coming to the magazine in 1994, she worked at Asia and Fortune. With her colleagues, Elizabeth has won awards from POYi, Overseas Press Club, and Communication Arts, and has judged competitions for Kodak, Nikon, NPPA, College Photographer of the Year, and the RFK Journalism Awards. She has curated exhibitions in Washington, DC and Athens, Greece, and has reviewed portfolios for FotoVisura, PhotoPlus, Review Santa Fe, and Palm Springs Photo Festival. Elizabeth traveled to China on a fellowship from the International Reporting Project, and is on the board of the Eddie Adams Workshop.

PQA now has its own office in Africa! Operating out of Windhoek, Namibia, it is run by Piers, who organized and guided us on previous Namibia trips. Piers has been working in the safari industry in Africa since 1990. His main focus has been specialist photographic safaris and “fixing” for documentary film crews. He has worked with such luminaries as Matt Lauer, Charlie Waite and Eric Valli to name just a few. With Piers aboard, we can now offer a more customized option for those who want to experience Africa on a more personal level while maintaining the same signature PQA style we are famous for. Questers will be able to "Build a Quest" with your choice of travel companions and where you want to go so you'll be able to see and photograph with maximum flexibility. The experience and local knowledge Piers provides will assure all our quests to Africa will be exciting, educational and unforgettable.

Bobbi is an award-winning commercial photographer specializing in creative portraits on location and in studio. Her multi-faceted approach to photography incorporates over 35 years of technical experience with innovative artistic interpretation. She primarily shoots people on location for editorial, corporate, and advertising accounts, as well as photographing "real people" and travel for stock. As a dedicated photo educator, she brings insight and enthusiasm to her students in workshops held worldwide. She is known for teaching lighting techniques for portraits, both natural and flash, and also for leading photo travel workshops. At APA National’s 25th Anniversary, Bobbi was honored with a Special Recognition Award for Education. Photo District News also named her one of 13 of the Top Workshop Instructors.

Bobbi’s website

A Nebraska native and member of the International League of Conservation Photographers, Thomas is recognized as one of the world’s premier nature photographers. His love of life in the outdoors and business success were heavily influenced by his father. From their hunting trips together, Thomas learned important lessons for photographing in the field including patience, waiting for the right moment, and understanding animal behavior. Thomas has earned numerous awards including being named one of the 100 most important people in photography by American Photo Magazine. He also received the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award, sponsored by BBC and British Gas. His work has been published in National Geographic, Audubon, National Wildlife, Smithsonian, Natural History, Newsweek, Wildlife Art, American Photo, Nikon World and many other publications. 

Thomas' website

Since 1989, James has written and photographed professionally with articles and photographs appearing in Sports Illustrated, Summit, Smithsonian, Outside, Backpacker, Climbing, Outdoor and Travel Photography, Boys’ Life, Ranger Rick, Outdoor Photographer, Destination, Blue, Audubon, and Rock & Ice. He's also authored numerous books - most recently, Digital Photography Outdoors, 2nd edition (Mountaineer Books) and Planet Ice. In the course of shooting, he hiked to Everest Base Camp, soloed across the Andes, climbed Kilimanjaro and the Mountains of the Moon, visited Greenland twice, and led trips to Antarctica. James has also written various books for children on natural history, including Hiding Out: Camouflage in the Wild and Dragons in the Trees, each declared an Outstanding Science Trade Book by the National Science Teacher’s Association and distinguished with many other accolades.  

James’ website

David regularly shoots feature length assignments around the world for National Geographic Magazine. He works with every kind of person, under any kind of condition, and create timeless images for clients with the highest visual standards on earth. More recently, David has become passionate about the shifting media landscape and new possibilities for visual communication. To embrace these changes, he co-founded Merge, a boutique company dedicated to telling brand stories through still photographs and moving images that unfold seamlessly across an array of media - from print to web to television and back.

David's website

Stacy got her start as an Air Force photographer at the age of 17. During her time in the service, she traveled to over 41 countries and after three tours in Iraq, earned the Bronze Star Medal and Commendation with Valor for heroic actions under fire. Now retired from the military, Stacy works worldwide as a freelance photographer and is the owner/director of the Charleston Center for Photography. She has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Popular Photography magazine and the Los Angeles Times. Her work has appeared in print and television media, including Time magazine, New York Times, CNN, BBC, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Soldier of Fortune, Sports Illustrated, and Bahrain Times. Stacy was one of only two women to win NPPA’s Military Photographer of the Year competition, and the only woman to have earned it twice. 

Stacy’s website

Deborah is a professional photographer specializing in world travel and creative imagery. As an author and instructor, she expands the horizons of those who enjoy her photographic artistry, illustrating her inspirational ideas and unique perspective through national and international workshops and seminars. Deborah is a charismatic and frequently requested guest speaker, and is respected for her ability to blend the creative and technical aspects of photography. Through her imagery, she encourages others to connect with the extraordinary people, fascinating places, and interesting elements of the world that surrounds us.

Deborah’s website

Rob shoots fashion and lifestyle for advertising. His pictures are a dynamic play of models in motion against a strong colorful background. Metal texture, modern architecture, cosmic lighting and computer manipulation all contribute to the effects in these images. The use of light energizes the images beyond just illuminating the scene. Over the past 30 years, Rob has won numerous awards from Communications Arts, Art Directors Club and Andy Awards. His work has been featured in Photo District News, American Photo, Petersen’s Photographic, Studio Photography & Design, and Digital Photo Pro. 

Rob’s website

Ami, best known for her cultural documentation, has been praised as a humane and empathetic storyteller. She has received recognition for her work from World Press Photo, the NPPA, International Photos of the Year, and Photo District News. The South Asian Journalists Association presented her with the Daniel Pearl Award for outstanding print reporting on South Asia. Her stories have been awarded grants including the first-ever Inge Morath Award by Magnum Photos, The Canon Female Photojournalist award for her work in Kashmir, and the Alexia Foundation for World Peace. Her photographs have been published in major international magazines such as National Geographic, Adventure, GEO, Newsweek, Time, Smithsonian and Le Figaro among others. 

Ami’s website