Emilio Maria Costa was born and raised in a small town in central Italy to artist parents—his father an architect and his mother a dancer. He studied photography at the Istituto Statale d’Arte in Florence before moving to Bologna, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree at the Accademia di Belle Arti. There, he completed a research thesis on the use of natural light in cinema, under the supervision of cinematographer and advisor Fabrizio La Palombara. In 2019, he graduated from the cinematography course at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome.
During his school years, he had the opportunity to experiment with various lighting techniques, and through discussions with his professor, Giuseppe Lanci, he developed a keen interest in lighting atmospheres that are rich in color and subdued. While in Rome, he worked as a camera operator on high-profile productions and then as a director of photography on various projects by both emerging and established directors, including the documentary Bice Lazzari – Ritmo e ossessione by Manfredi Lucibello, the feature film Non riattaccare by the same director, Il mio posto è qui by Cristiano Bortone and Daniela Porto, and Miss Italia – Non deve morire by D. Gallerano and P. Daviddi. He has also shot several commercial spots, such as Vecchio Amaro del Capo directed by D. Mastrangelo, Editoriale Vogue Italia, and El padre Propaganda Clothing directed by R.W. Harris.
