Prior to becoming a freelancer and frequent contributor to The New York Times in 2012, Ponomarev worked for the Associated Press starting in 2003. He has covered Russian daily life and culture as well as conflicts in Syria, Gaza, Lebanon, Egypt and Libya. Ponomarev was part of the New York Times team that won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for pictures that captured the resolve of refugees, the perils of their journeys and the struggle of host countries to take them in. His work has also earned him top awards from World Press Photo, Pictures of the Year International, International Photography Awards and the Society of Publishers in Asia.