Mario Tama studied photojournalism at Rochester Institute of Technology where he graduated with a BFA in 1993. After graduation he began shooting for the Journal newspapers in suburban Washington, D.C. He then freelanced for Agence France-Presse (AFP) and the Washington Post in Washington.

Mario joined Getty Images as a staff photographer in 2001 and has since covered global events including September 11, the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, the funeral of Pope John Paul II and Hurricane Katrina - before, during and after the storm. He has received numerous awards from Pictures of the Year International, NPPA's Best of Photojournalism Competition and the White House News Photographers Association.

His work on Baghdad's orphans was exhibited at Visa Pour L'Image in Perpignan and his photographs from Hurricane Katrina were featured in National Geographic, Newsweek and newspapers worldwide. In 2008 he won Cliff Edom's New America Award for his work in New Orleans.