Bio

Raffaele Petralla is a documentary photographer, photography teacher and filmaker.

He graduated from the Scuola Romana di Fotografia in 2007.

After working for several years on film sets as lighting assistant, focus puller and camera operator, he decides to devote himself entirely to reportage photography and documentary video, with particular attention to social and anthropological issues.

His works have been published in major international media including: New York Times, National Geographic USA, Geo Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, Internazionale, L’Espresso, Days Japan, CNN photos, Der Spiegel, Terra Mater, La Repubblica, Corriere della Sera, De Morgen, VICE and many others.

In recent years Petralla has received many international awards and nominees including: PDN Storytellers, Burn Emerging Fund, Ethical Photography Award, Voglino Award, Lugano Photo Days, Fotoleggendo, Siena International Photography Awards, Verzasca Foto Festival, New Visions Cortona On The Move, Kolga Tbilisi, Portfolio Italia – Best Author 2019.


Since 2015 he has been a member of the Prospekt Photographers agency.

He is teacher in reportage photography at the Spazio Tempo School in Bari.

In 2021 he published the book “Mari El, a pagan beauty” published by Voglino Editrice.

Selected Exhibitions:

Royal Albert Hall – Londra 

Palazzo Lanfranchi – Matera 

Festival della Fotografia Etica – Lodi (Milano)

Organ Vida – Zagreb, Croatia

Verzasca Foto Festival – Verzasca (Locarno) 

International Month of Photojournalism – Padova

Radar Foto Festival – Trani (Bari) 

Fotoleggendo – Roma 

Palazzo Vitelli – Città Di Castello (Perugia) 

BìFoto festival – Mogoro (Oristano) 

Colorno Foto – Colorno (Parma)

Portfolio Italia – Bibbiena (Arezzo) 

Corigliano Calabro – Castello Ducale (Cosenza)

American Center for Photographers – Wilson (NC), U.S.A.  

La Gacilly – Brittany, France    

International Month of Photojournalism – Padova

MuPa Puglia – Ginosa (Taranto)

Festival della Fotografia Italiana – Salone del Lanificio, Stia (Arezzo)

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