Paolo Carnera, born in Mestre (Venice), studied Medicine at the University of Padua and later attended the Institute of Artistic Studies at the Faculty of Letters in Venice, hoping to graduate in Film History, but did not complete his degrees in either Medicine or Letters. He worked as a photographer with various exhibitions. In 1980, he met Ernst Haas, the renowned Magnum photographer, in Venice, and began a brief but crucial collaboration with him.
He decided to apply to the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome, where he studied and graduated in Cinematography under the inspiring and decisive guidance of Carlo Di Palma. He began his career as a Director of Photography with Angelus Novus by Pasquale Misuraca, followed by Verso sera and Il grande cocomero by Francesca Archibugi. His subsequent work includes La bella vita and Ferie d’agosto by Paolo Virzì, Tutto l’amore che c’è, L’anima gemella, and L’amore ritorna by Sergio Rubini, Delitto impossibile by Antonello Grimaldi, Le mani forti by Franco Bernini, Il giorno in più by Massimo Venier, Benvenuti al Sud by Luca Miniero, Certi bambini by Andrea and Antonio Frazzi, Dillo con parole mie by Daniele Luchetti, Pizzicata, Sangue vivo, Il miracolo, and Galantuomini by Edoardo Winspeare, La terra dell’abbastanza, Favolacce, America Latina by the D’Innocenzo brothers, Sabato domenica lunedì by Edoardo De Angelis, Romanzo criminale – la serie, ACAB – All Cops are Bastards, Suburra, Gomorra – la serie, Zero Zero Zero – la serie, Adagio, Il mostro – la serie by Stefano Sollima, Fleuve noir by Erik Zonca, The White Tiger, Treadstone (pilot) by Ramin Bahrani, Nostalgia by Mario Martone, KF by Gabriele Mainetti, and Io Capitano by Matteo Garrone.
In 2024, he won the David di Donatello for Io Capitano by Matteo Garrone. He had previously received 7 nominations. In 2020, he won the Nastro d’Argento for Best Cinematography for Favolacce by the D’Innocenzo brothers.
