Michael Grecco is an award-winning photographer and best-selling author recognized internationally for his high-concept imagery, mastery of lighting and powerful connections with subjects. His extensive body of work encompasses celebrity, fine art, advertising, fashion, portraiture and editorial photography.

Grecco was born in the Bronx and grew up near New York City. He received his first camera at age 12—and went on to study filmmaking and photojournalism at Boston University.

While in college, Grecco began working as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press and later became a staff photographer at the Boston Herald. He also shot the burgeoning music scene for Boston Rock Magazine and radio station WBCN, documenting the city’s “pivotal role in launching the punk rock explosion.” During that same period, he began working for the Picture Group Agency—with his photography appearing in such magazines as Time, Newsweek, Esquire, Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone.

Grecco moved to Los Angeles in the late 1980s. His coverage of the Golden Globes, Emmy Awards and Academy Awards for People magazine led to his career as a celebrity portrait photographer.

Grecco has three grown children and lives in Santa Monica with his wife and two Russian blue cats. In his spare time, he explores neighbourhoods and subcultures on his Triumph Bonneville or vintage Ducati, with a favourite camera at the ready.

Solo Exhibitions

2023
Days of Punk, Centro Cultural de Cascais, Cascais, Portugal
Days of Punk, Leica Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Days of Punk, Anderson Yezerski Gallery, Boston, MA, USA
Days of Punk, CEDAR MOAH, Lancaster, CA, USA

2022
Days of Punk, Blindwell, Barnstaple, UKDays of Punk, PHOTIQ, Leamington Spa, UK
Days of Punk, La Termica Museum, Malaga, Spain

2021
Days of Punk, Public Pavilion Exhibition at Photo London Somerset House, Strand, London, UK
Days of Punk, The Photo Gallery, Queen, Gothenburg, Sweden

2017
Michael Grecco: Urban Landscape/ After The Audition, The Leica Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA

2015
Michael Grecco: Urban Landscapes, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA

2011
Michael Grecco: Naked Ambition, PhotoNOLA, New Orleans, LA, USA
Michael Grecco: Naked Ambition, Edgar Varela Fine Arts, Los Angeles, CA, USA

2010
Michael Grecco: Naked Ambition, Hotel TIMP, Galerie Lichtblick, Cologne, Germany

2009
Michael Grecco: Naked Ambition, Museum of Sex, New York, NY, USA

2007
Michael Grecco: Naked Ambition, Stephen Cohen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA

2000
Celebrity Portraits, Two Fifteen Gallery, Santa Ana, CA, USA
Celebrity Portraits, Pagano, Schenck & Kay Advertising, Boston, MA, USA
Celebrity Portraits, Arnold Communications, Boston, MA, USA
Celebrity Portraits, Hamilton Gray, Los Angeles, CA, USA

1999
Celebrity Portraits, Saba Gallery, New York, NY, USA

Group Exhibitions

2023
Punk Rock Legends Group Show Opening, The Punk Rock Museum, Las Vegas, NV, USA

2015
Pop Summer, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA

2012
Lust, Jennifer Schwartz Gallery, Atlanta, GA, USA

2011 The Los Angeles Collection, International Pink Art Fair, Seoul, South Korea
RECORDING OUR HISTORY: Faces Behind the Camera, US Senate Rotunda, Washington, DC, USA
The Los Angeles Collection, Duncan Miller Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Prix de la Photographie (Px3), Espace DUPON, Paris, France

2010
HumanKind, New York Photo Festival NYPH, PowerHouse Arena, Brooklyn, NYC, USA
Michael Grecco: Music Icon, Art Basel, Daniel Azulay Gallery, Miami, FL, USA

2009
Michael Grecco: Naked Ambition, Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
The Art of Time: Portrait of Identity, Celebrity Portraits, Tim Yarger Fine Art, Bangkok, Thailand

2008
Michael Grecco: Naked Ambition, Art Basel Miami, Daniel Azoulay Gallery, Miami, FL, USA

2004
Visions of Venice, Julia Dean Gallery, Venice, CA, USA

2000
Celebrity Portraits, Photo Impact, Los Angeles, CA, USA

1997
Picture and Sound: Music Photography, Photographic Resource Center, Boston, MA, USA
Movieline Magazine Photography, Fahey Klein, Los Angeles, CA, USA

1996
Masks, G. Ray Hawkins Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA

1991
Blues Musicians: Portraits from South Central Los Angeles, Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA, USA

Awards
Communication Arts Award of Excellence (2011)
Prix de la Photographie Paris Gold Awards (Px3) (2011)
Communication Arts Web Commendation (2010)
New York Photo Festival Finalist (2009)
Photo District News Awards (2009, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003)
Society of Publication Designers (2008)
Prix de la Photographie Paris (2008)
Communication Arts Photography Annual (2004, 1999, 1997, 1996, 1995)
American Photography Annual (2004, 2003, 1999, 1997, 1996, 1995)
International Photography Awards (2006, 2005, 2004, 2003)
NYC Art Directors Club
LA Art Directors Club
AR 100Creativity Annual
Photo Design Award
The Maggie Awards