About
“I’m not a specialist – I’m a generalist. I can shoot anything and everything… but my favorite subject is people, so Street, Travel, and Portrait photography hold a dear place in my heart… documenting ‘normalcy’ and making the normal look extraordinary that’s where the challenge lies within.”
Essdras M Suarez
Pulitzer Prize-winning Photographer • Educator • Author • Mentor • Speaker • Chief Photographer • TV Host • Content Creator
Essdras M Suarez is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist with a career spanning more than 30 years. Known for his powerful storytelling and technical expertise, he spent two decades as a staff photographer for major U.S. newspapers before transitioning to freelance work and creative entrepreneurship. He currently lives in Panama, where he runs Panama Photo Adventures, and also leads EMS Photo Adventures—delivering on-location photo instruction across the U.S. and abroad, as well as virtual courses. His first book, My Lens Lessons: A Photojournalist’s Journey from Chaos to Clarity, is set to be released in August 2025.
After leaving the newsroom, he served as Chief Photographer for Israeli photo start-up million eyez© and later founded EMS Photo Adventures, through which he mentors photographers around the world. “I am photography,” he often says—a reflection of his versatility across genres including photojournalism, travel, street, documentary, portrait, food, and product photography.
Since 2017, EMS Photo Adventures has supported aspiring photographers through group and private workshops, in-person and online. His programs are guided by a team of award-winning photographers and educators.
In 2024, he launched Panama Photo Adventures, a company based in his home country. The program combines cultural immersion, exploration of Panama’s rich biodiversity, and photography instruction—helping visitors become more thoughtful visual storytellers.
Essdras also hosted Enfoque Natural (2022–2023), a Panamanian TV series in which he explored culture and nature through photography. A new season is currently in production.
As a speaker and educator, Essdras has presented on five continents. His roles include U.S. State Department Expert Speaker, visiting lecturer at Boston University’s College of Communications, and guest speaker at institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, and the University of Florida.
Speaking Engagements & Conferences
Xposure International Photography Festival
Road Scholar’s Adventures Online Series
Smithsonian Associates (Panama Visions – Commerce, Culture & Biodiversity)
YPO/WPO (Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Peru)
Bombay Tech Fest (India)
TBEX: Travel Blog Exchange
Educational Travel Conference (ETC)
NECCC Annual Conference (Amherst, MA)
Maryland Photography Alliance’s Odyssey of Light
Workshops & Photo Programs Led In
U.S. (Washington, D.C.; New York; San Diego; Cape Cod; Boston; New Orleans), Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, Bermuda, Ireland, Israel, Croatia, UAE, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Kenya, and more.
Career Highlights & Honors
Judge: Xposure International Photography Festival (2025, 2023, 2019)
Instructor: International Center for Journalism, Sri Lanka (2023)
Recipient: Key to the City of Panama (2021)
Medal of Honor: Universidad Santa María la Antigua, Panama (2021)
Finalist: DearMoon Project (2020) — Selected among 20 from over 1 million applicants
Contributor: PSA Journal (2019–2020)
Judge: Travel Photographer of the Year (2019)
Exhibitor & Instructor: Xposure Photo Festival (2018–2019)
Nikon Z Series Latin America Influencer (2018–2020)
Pulitzer Prize: The Boston Globe – Boston Marathon Bombing Coverage (2014)
Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards (2007, 2005)
Gerald Loeb Award for Business Journalism (2004)
Robert F. Kennedy International Photojournalism Award (2000)
Pulitzer Prize: Rocky Mountain News – Columbine Shooting (2000)
Multiple honors from the Boston Press Photographers Association & Colorado Press Association (1995–2001)
Additional Background
Born and raised in Panama City, Panama, Essdras moved to the U.S. in 1985 and earned his journalism degree from the University of Florida with a specialization in photojournalism (1993). He is married to Sara Suarez, a seven-time Emmy-winning journalist and news director.
A lifelong martial artist, Essdras holds a black belt in Ninpo Tai Jutsu and currently trains in the Krav Maga self-defense system. In 2008, he created visYoga®, a hybrid physical discipline blending yoga, martial arts, and strength training. He is also the founder of the #365dfc (365 Daily Fitness Challenge) and has completed over seven consecutive years of daily workouts without a single rest day (as of July 2025).
Contact Information
• Email: essdrasmsuarez@gmail.com
• Secondary Email: emsphotoadventures@gmail.com
• Website: essdrasmsuarez.com
Other sites:
Mobile and Whatsapp +1 617-838-7662 / +1 857-222-5587
Essdras has been a guest speaker and has taught workshops nationally and internationally
In 2020 he was named an official social media influencer for Nikon Latin America for the mirrorless Z7 digital camera
In 2018 and 2019, Suarez had exhibits at the Xposure International Photo Festival in the UAE, with special permission, taught Street Photography workshops
As a USDOS Expert Speaker in Photojournalism specializing in Latin America, he routinely presents to Panamanian photographers
During his time in Boston, MA, he was an adjunct professor at the Boston University College of Communications and gave talks and presentations at other institutions of higher learning such as MIT, Harvard, Northeastern University, and the University of Florida
He is routinely asked to speak at meetings and conferences such as
Essdras received the keys to the City of Panama
YPO/WPO – premier leadership organization of chief executives in the world
TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) – the largest conference and networking event for travel bloggers, online travel journalists, new media content creators, travel brands, and industry professionals
ETC (Educational Travel Conference) – the world’s only conference dedicated to addressing the needs of those involved in educational and specialty travel
He has been a guest speaker a couple of times to the NECCC (New England Camera Council) Annual Photography Conferences, in Amherst MA
He has taught workshops and lead photo programs locally and internationally for the past decade: Cuba, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ireland, Israel, Peru, Croatia, Sharjah/ UAE, Tanzania and Kenya
Throughout his career, Suarez worked in over 60 countries while covering a myriad of assignments. He continues to be a full-time, freelance photographer focusing on documentary-style event coverage, editorial assignments as well as corporate story-telling photo essays.
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Among his many news coverage assignments throughout his career are the Columbine High School shooting, the war in Iraq, and the Columbia Shuttle disaster, the bloody ousting of Pres. Jean Bertrand Aristide in Haiti and the Indonesia Tsunami. The evacuation of the Israel Gaza Strip settlements, the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the Boston Marathon Bombing to name a few.
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Among his more unique assignments was a trip to Romania in 2009 to document first shipment of radioactive material being shipped from this former USSR satellite country back to Russia. The program was a joint venture between the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the Russian Federation, the Romanian Government and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
After moving to the Alexandria, VA he continued to be a freelance for the Washington Post and for ZUMA Press Agency. In 2021 he covered the US Capitol Attack on Jan 6. In 2017 he was the only photographer to get images of congressman (R) Steve Scalise after he was shot during a baseball practice in Alexandria. He more recently covered the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and that of Civil Rights leader John Lewis passing among other national news.
Suarez has also earned awards with his Travel, Portrait, Business, and even Product Photography. His images have been published in National Geographic, Time Magazine, New York Times and Washington Post, and many other national and international publications.
NikonZ 7 Latin America Influencer
He was featured in March as the cover story in Street Photography Magazine
he taught Street Photography workshops at Xposure International Photo Festival.
He has had articles published in the Photographic Society of America Journal, the biggest association of photographers in the US: “Where to crop and not to crop the human form” and “Street Photography, timeless classics.”
he had two exhibits featured at Xposure International Photography Festival: An Eye on Cuba, and A life in Images
Spot News Pulitzer (Boston Marathon Bombing), Boston Globe Editorial Staff
Spot News Pulitzer (Boston Marathon Bombing), Boston Globe Editorial Staff
1st Place features category from the Association of Newspaper & Editors
Headliner Awards for International Photojournalism and Feature
Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism award
Varied awards from the Boston Press Photographer’s Association
Spot News Pulitzer (Columbine Shooting), Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff
Robert F. Kennedy International Photojournalism Award
Varied awards from the Colorado Press Association
- I was born and raised in Panama, raised by my grandparents and Uncles. I would sit for hours in one of my uncle’s drugstore pouring over magazines. My favorite was National Geography. I learned from an early age there was a big world out there and that I wanted to see it. This planted the seeds for my wanderlust and my career
- I started studying Journalism at the University of Florida, specializing in magazine writing with minor in Zoology. But words were not my expression – I needed to find another way. A chance meeting with the then- Photo Director of the Nat Geo at my school ignited my passion for photography. I switched my major and ended up getting an internship with Nat Geo out of that meeting. During this internship, I spent time in the jungles of Panama, Costa Rica and Columbia – I was truly home. I was hooked.
- I interned for Fort Lauderdale and Rocky Mountain News. RMN hired me after 18 months and it was with it I won my first Pulitzer covering Columbine.
- I went on to win several other national awards including the Robert F. Kennedy Intl. Photojournalism Award for “Osveli’s Journey” – a 14-year-old Guatemalan boy who died after being smuggled into the US and his journey back home to be buried
- My next professional station was with the Boston Globe. I was there for 12 years.
- I covered the beginning of the Iraq war in 2003, the Indonesian Tsunami aftermath in 2007, a project called “Crossing Divides” – a look at life in 8 different countries – winning numerous awards for my work
- I got my second Pulitzer prize as part of the team that covered the Boston Marathon Bombing
- Street photography and travel photography – documenting “normalcy” making the normal look extraordinary.
- I have a life-long passion for fitness and have about 20 years of martial arts training and 20 years practicing yoga.
- I have a black belt in Ninpo Taijutsu.
- I created my own style of yoga – visYoga – in 2008 and taught it for 6 years in Boston. I now teach it in Alexandria, VA. as well as teaching online classes through Wellness Blueprint .
- I also own a couple of US Patents on a man’s and woman’s yoga pants with knee pad inserts.
- I’ve been married for 26 years to my first love, Sara. No kids.. for I am the kid