Paolo Carnera, an Italian cinematographer born in Venice, graduated from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome, where he studied under Carlo Di Palma.

He has worked as a Director of Photography with many acclaimed filmmakers, including Paolo Taviani, Mario Martone, Fratelli d’Innocenzo, and Stefano Sollima, on films such as Leonora Addio, Nostalgia, Bad Tales, and Suburra，among others. These films have been featured at prestigious festivals, including Berlin, Cannes, and Venice. In 2023, he collaborated with Matteo Garrone on Me Captain, which was nominated for Best International Film at the 96th Academy Awards.

Carnera has received seven David di Donatello nominations. In 2020, he won the Silver Ribbon for Bad Tales. In 2023, he won the David di Donatello Best Cinematography for Me Captain.