BIOGRAPHY​

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Federico Borella is an internationally published freelance photojournalist with an extensive and well-established career in the field. His work has been featured in leading Italian and international publications, including The New York Times, National Geographic, Newsweek, Time Magazine, CNN, Stern, Dummy, Days Japan, XL Semanal, NZZ, Alpha magazine, and Aftenposten. In 2019, he was named Photographer of the Year at the Sony World Photography Awards. In 2024, his reportage on the human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka won the prestigious Picture of the Year International (POYi) in the Environmental category, and in 2026 he won his third Sony Award, taking third prize in the Portraiture category with a project on the descendants of Korean deportees in Uzbekistan. His work has been exhibited in major cities worldwide, including New York, Tokyo, London, Milan, Berlin, Johannesburg, Arles, and Perpignan.

After obtaining a degree in Classical Literature and Meso-American Archaeology from the University of Bologna, he completed a Master’s in Photojournalism at the John Kaverdash Academy in Milan. Between 2009 and 2015, he worked as a freelance photographer for La Repubblica newspaper and as a commissioned photographer for Johns Hopkins University in Bologna, and from 2015 to 2019 for QN Quotidiano Nazionale. Since 2017, he has been collaborating with Leica as a photography instructor. He is currently based in Bologna, Italy, where he teaches photography and storytelling and organizes travel workshops. His documentary work focuses on social and environmental issues, particularly the relationship between humans and nature.

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Federico Borella è un fotoreporter freelance pubblicato a livello internazionale, con una consolidata esperienza pluriennale nel settore del fotogiornalismo. I suoi lavori sono stati pubblicati da diversi magazine italiani ed internazionali, tra cui New York Times, National Geographic, Newsweek, Time Magazine, CNN, Stern, Dummy, Days Japan, XL Semanal, NZZ, Alpha magazine e Aftenposten. Nel 2019 è stato nominato Photographer of the Year ai Sony World Photography Awards; nel 2024 ha vinto il prestigioso Picture of the Year International (POYi) nella categoria Environmental Award e nel 2026 ha ottenuto il suo terzo Sony Award, vincendo il terzo premio nella categoria Portraiture con un lavoro sui discendenti dei deportati coreani in Uzbekistan. Ha esposto i suoi progetti nelle principali città del mondo, tra cui New York, Tokyo, Londra, Milano, Berlino, Johannesburg, Arles e Perpignan.

Dopo aver conseguito la Laurea in Letteratura Classica e Archeologia Meso-americana presso l'Università di Bologna, ha completato il Master in Fotogiornalismo presso l'Accademia John Kaverdash di Milano. Tra il 2009 e il 2015 ha lavorato come fotografo freelance per La Repubblica e per la Johns Hopkins University a Bologna, e dal 2015 al 2019 per QN Quotidiano Nazionale. Dal 2017 collabora stabilmente con Leica in qualità di docente di fotografia. Attualmente lavora a Bologna, dove insegna fotografia e storytelling e organizza workshop e viaggi fotografici. Il suo lavoro come fotografo documentarista si focalizza su tematiche sociali e ambientali, in particolare legate al rapporto uomo/natura.

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AWARDS
 

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Sony Award 2026 3rd place Potrait

81th POYi Picture of the Year international, Environmental Award 2024

Nikon for Tomorrow @ISPA Winner 2023

Sony Award 2022 2nd place Wildlife and Nature

Sony Award 2019 Photographer of the year
Sony Award 2019 Documentary Category winner
Harvard University Planetary Health Alliance 2019 
Life Framer Human body call 2019

Life Framer Open Call 2018 
Paris Photo Prize PX3 Feature Story 2018 
Finalist Lumix international Festival of Young Photojournalism 2018
Member of the Visa D’Or Jury 2017 
Lens Culture Emerging Talent Award 2017

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Exhibitions

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New York, London, Tokyo, Milan, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Medellin, Hannover, Perpignan, among others.

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