Nadia Haq is a research chemist turned internationally acclaimed nature photographer whose career bridges the meticulous world of science and the evocative realm of art. A Caltech graduate with a PhD in natural synthesis from The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, Nadia’s analytical mind and deep curiosity about the natural world found a perfect outlet in her photographic endeavors.
Her camera has taken her to the very edges of our planet. Nadia’s work is defined by her passion for ice, snow, and the extraordinary life that thrives in these extreme environments. Whether documenting the playful elegance of Adélie penguins near Brown Bluff in Antarctica—an image so compelling it earned a Gold Medal in the Comedy Bird category of Bird Photographer of the Year contest in 2024—or the raw majesty of coastal brown bears in Katmai National Park, her lens reveals nature’s stories with clarity and heart. Notably, Nadia is one of only five non-indigenous women to have traversed the icy expanses of Ellesmere in the Canadian Arctic, a testament to her adventurous spirit and unyielding dedication.
Her impressive portfolio has garnered international acclaim. In 2021, two of her images—“Sanderlings,” captured at Refuge Beach in Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, and “Black-browed Albatross,” shot on West Point Island in the Falklands—earned spots in the Audubon Top 100 Photo Awards. In 2023, her moving portrayal of maternal affection in “Mom’s Support,” depicting a mother and infant macaque in Zambia, was honored as the Image of the Year by the Boston Camera Club. More recently, Nadia’s expedition to Mongolia resulted in captivating photographs of Pallas’s cats and elusive snow leopards amidst biting cold, further expanding her diverse body of work.
Through her lens, we are invited to witness a world where science and art converge, capturing the raw, unfiltered beauty of life in its most elemental form.