SHAWN ROCCO
4600 Lancashire Dr.
Raleigh, NC. 27613
919-812-8291
shawnrocco@gmail.com
www.shawnrocco.com
Biography
Shawn Rocco (b. 1972) is a staff photojournalist at the News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina. Raised in Yonkers and then Goshen, New York, he majored in environmental science and minored in photography at Plattsburgh State University, New York. He moved to North Carolina in 1995. Since 2007 he has pursued a style and produced a body of award winning personal documentary work, coined cellular obscura, which is done with a Motorola E815 cellphone camera. http://www.cellularobscura.com
Group Shows
Haverford College, The Relentless Eye: Global Cellphone Photography, Haverford, Pa. 2011
Spruill Gallery, On the Flip Side, Atlanta, Ga. 2009
Helen Day Art Center, Relentless Eye, Stowe, Vt. 2009
Selected Juried Exhibitions (and awards)
SPARKcon, photoSPARK, Raleigh, NC. Sept. 2010 (Honorable Mention)
Raleigh City Museum, Portraits of Raleigh II, Raleigh, NC. 2010
Visual Art Exchange, Annual N.E.W. Show, Raleigh, NC 2010
Visual Art Exchange, The Road Show, Raleigh, NC. 2010
Visual Art Exchange, Seeing Red, Raleigh, NC. 2009
Raleigh City Museum, Portraits of Raleigh, Raleigh, NC. 2009
LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph, Shots & Works, Charlottesville, Va. 2009
Visual Art Exchange, Birds Eye View, Raleigh, NC. 2008
Carolina Color Gallery, Town and Country , Raleigh, NC. 2008 (Second Place award)
Visual Art Exchange, Annual N.E.W. Show, Raleigh, NC. 2008 (Merit Award)
Frankie G. Weems Gallery, North Carolina Photographers Exhibition, Raleigh, NC. 2000
Frankie G. Weems Gallery, North Carolina Photographers Exhibition, Raleigh, NC. 1999
Frankie G. Weems Gallery, North Carolina Photographers Exhibition, Raleigh, NC. 1998
Solo Exhibitions
Exchange Gallery, Cellular Obscura, Raleigh, NC. August 2010
Cafe Helios, Cellular Obscura, Raleigh, NC. 2008
Humble Pie, Portraits, Raleigh, NC. 2001
Awards & Grants
2011
North Carolina Photojournalist of the Year, NC Press Photographer Association annual Pictures of the Year
1st Place, General News, NCPPA POY
1st Place, 2nd Place, HM, Portrait, NCPPA POY
1st Place, 2nd Place, Pictorial, NCPPA POY
3rd Place, News Picture Story, NCPPA POY
2nd Place, Feature, NCPPA POY
HM, Multimedia Long Term, NCPPA POY
2010 Regional Artist Project Grant, United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County
2010
2nd Place, Spot News, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
2008
1st Place, Multimedia interactive, Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar
Best in Show, National Press Photographers Association annual Best of Photojournalism
1st Place, Features Video, National Press Photographers Association annual Best of Photojournalism
3rd Place, Election Coverage, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
2nd place, Photo Page, North Carolina Press Association
3rd place, Interactive Feature, North Carolina Press Association
2007
Best in Show, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
1st Place, News Picture Story, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
1st Place, Portrait, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
3rd Place, Pictorial, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
2nd Place, Sports Feature, Southern Short Course
2006
1st Place, Portrait, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
2005
1st Place, Feature, North Carolina Press Association
3rd Place, General News, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
2003
1st Place, Sports Feature, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
Professional Experience
Adjunct Professor, Beginning Photojournalism, School of Journalism, UNC-Chapel Hill, Spring 2011
Adjunct Professor, Intermediate Photojournalism, School of Journalism, UNC-Chapel Hill, Spring 2010
Staff Photojournalist, News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 2002-Present
Chief Photographer, Chapel Hill News, Chapel Hill, NC, 2002-2005
Commercial Photographer, ASW, Raleigh, NC, 1998-2001
Education
Plattsburgh State University, New York, 1990-1994
B.A. Environmental Science
Minor: Photography
Presentations
Southern Short Course 2010
Charlotte, NC. April 9, 2010
“The Best Camera is the One You Have With You.”
B&H Photo/Video Event Space
NY, NY. August 17, 2009
“Cellular Obscura: Exploring the World with the Kodak Brownie of the Digital Age – a Cellphone Camera.”
Ignite Raleigh
Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC. August 5, 2009
“The Best Camera is the One You Have With You.”
Press
-Double Exposure, “Cell Phone Images by the Pros,” Lynne Eodice, October 2010. web link: http://bit.ly/9vRbUK
-TechNewsDaily, “How to Take Better Cell Phone Photographs,” Adam Hadhazy, January 2010. web link http://bit.ly/9XtzCr
-Mobile Magazine, “Point, Shoot, Ring. Shawn Rocco masters the ‘Kodak Brownie of the Digital Age.’” Neal McLennan Winter/Spring 2010
-Washington Post, “How to Take and Make Good Camera-Phone Photos,” Roy Furchgott, August 16, 2009. web link: http://bit.ly/4gxzSD
-New York Times, Lens Blog “Shoptalk: Dial “P” for Photo,” David Dunlap, June 24, 2009. web link: http://bit.ly/1haktE
-Florida Times Union, “Under Exposure: Inspiration in my pocket,” Bruce Lipsky, June 24, 2009. web link: http://bit.ly/nxof8
-Digifoto Pro, Netherlands, “Professionele fotograaf met voorliefde voor de cameratelefoon,” Julian Huijbregts, April 2009.
-30Threads, “Raleigh photojournalist runs photo blog using cellphone camera,” Ginny Skalski, March 6, 2009. web link: http://bit.ly/yVeYe
-Photo District News, PDNonline, “Personal Work: Shawn Rocco’s ‘Cellular Obscura’,” David Walker, Jan. 29, 2009. web link: http://bit.ly/DyQSg
-Photo District News, Picture Story: Free at Last, David Walker, February 2009
4600 Lancashire Dr.
Raleigh, NC. 27613
919-812-8291
shawnrocco@gmail.com
www.shawnrocco.com
Biography
Shawn Rocco (b. 1972) is a staff photojournalist at the News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina. Raised in Yonkers and then Goshen, New York, he majored in environmental science and minored in photography at Plattsburgh State University, New York. He moved to North Carolina in 1995. Since 2007 he has pursued a style and produced a body of award winning personal documentary work, coined cellular obscura, which is done with a Motorola E815 cellphone camera. http://www.cellularobscura.com
Group Shows
Haverford College, The Relentless Eye: Global Cellphone Photography, Haverford, Pa. 2011
Spruill Gallery, On the Flip Side, Atlanta, Ga. 2009
Helen Day Art Center, Relentless Eye, Stowe, Vt. 2009
Selected Juried Exhibitions (and awards)
SPARKcon, photoSPARK, Raleigh, NC. Sept. 2010 (Honorable Mention)
Raleigh City Museum, Portraits of Raleigh II, Raleigh, NC. 2010
Visual Art Exchange, Annual N.E.W. Show, Raleigh, NC 2010
Visual Art Exchange, The Road Show, Raleigh, NC. 2010
Visual Art Exchange, Seeing Red, Raleigh, NC. 2009
Raleigh City Museum, Portraits of Raleigh, Raleigh, NC. 2009
LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph, Shots & Works, Charlottesville, Va. 2009
Visual Art Exchange, Birds Eye View, Raleigh, NC. 2008
Carolina Color Gallery, Town and Country , Raleigh, NC. 2008 (Second Place award)
Visual Art Exchange, Annual N.E.W. Show, Raleigh, NC. 2008 (Merit Award)
Frankie G. Weems Gallery, North Carolina Photographers Exhibition, Raleigh, NC. 2000
Frankie G. Weems Gallery, North Carolina Photographers Exhibition, Raleigh, NC. 1999
Frankie G. Weems Gallery, North Carolina Photographers Exhibition, Raleigh, NC. 1998
Solo Exhibitions
Exchange Gallery, Cellular Obscura, Raleigh, NC. August 2010
Cafe Helios, Cellular Obscura, Raleigh, NC. 2008
Humble Pie, Portraits, Raleigh, NC. 2001
Awards & Grants
2011
North Carolina Photojournalist of the Year, NC Press Photographer Association annual Pictures of the Year
1st Place, General News, NCPPA POY
1st Place, 2nd Place, HM, Portrait, NCPPA POY
1st Place, 2nd Place, Pictorial, NCPPA POY
3rd Place, News Picture Story, NCPPA POY
2nd Place, Feature, NCPPA POY
HM, Multimedia Long Term, NCPPA POY
2010 Regional Artist Project Grant, United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County
2010
2nd Place, Spot News, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
2008
1st Place, Multimedia interactive, Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar
Best in Show, National Press Photographers Association annual Best of Photojournalism
1st Place, Features Video, National Press Photographers Association annual Best of Photojournalism
3rd Place, Election Coverage, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
2nd place, Photo Page, North Carolina Press Association
3rd place, Interactive Feature, North Carolina Press Association
2007
Best in Show, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
1st Place, News Picture Story, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
1st Place, Portrait, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
3rd Place, Pictorial, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
2nd Place, Sports Feature, Southern Short Course
2006
1st Place, Portrait, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
2005
1st Place, Feature, North Carolina Press Association
3rd Place, General News, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
2003
1st Place, Sports Feature, North Carolina Press Photographers Association’s annual Pictures of the Year
Professional Experience
Adjunct Professor, Beginning Photojournalism, School of Journalism, UNC-Chapel Hill, Spring 2011
Adjunct Professor, Intermediate Photojournalism, School of Journalism, UNC-Chapel Hill, Spring 2010
Staff Photojournalist, News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 2002-Present
Chief Photographer, Chapel Hill News, Chapel Hill, NC, 2002-2005
Commercial Photographer, ASW, Raleigh, NC, 1998-2001
Education
Plattsburgh State University, New York, 1990-1994
B.A. Environmental Science
Minor: Photography
Presentations
Southern Short Course 2010
Charlotte, NC. April 9, 2010
“The Best Camera is the One You Have With You.”
B&H Photo/Video Event Space
NY, NY. August 17, 2009
“Cellular Obscura: Exploring the World with the Kodak Brownie of the Digital Age – a Cellphone Camera.”
Ignite Raleigh
Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC. August 5, 2009
“The Best Camera is the One You Have With You.”
Press
-Double Exposure, “Cell Phone Images by the Pros,” Lynne Eodice, October 2010. web link: http://bit.ly/9vRbUK
-TechNewsDaily, “How to Take Better Cell Phone Photographs,” Adam Hadhazy, January 2010. web link http://bit.ly/9XtzCr
-Mobile Magazine, “Point, Shoot, Ring. Shawn Rocco masters the ‘Kodak Brownie of the Digital Age.’” Neal McLennan Winter/Spring 2010
-Washington Post, “How to Take and Make Good Camera-Phone Photos,” Roy Furchgott, August 16, 2009. web link: http://bit.ly/4gxzSD
-New York Times, Lens Blog “Shoptalk: Dial “P” for Photo,” David Dunlap, June 24, 2009. web link: http://bit.ly/1haktE
-Florida Times Union, “Under Exposure: Inspiration in my pocket,” Bruce Lipsky, June 24, 2009. web link: http://bit.ly/nxof8
-Digifoto Pro, Netherlands, “Professionele fotograaf met voorliefde voor de cameratelefoon,” Julian Huijbregts, April 2009.
-30Threads, “Raleigh photojournalist runs photo blog using cellphone camera,” Ginny Skalski, March 6, 2009. web link: http://bit.ly/yVeYe
-Photo District News, PDNonline, “Personal Work: Shawn Rocco’s ‘Cellular Obscura’,” David Walker, Jan. 29, 2009. web link: http://bit.ly/DyQSg
-Photo District News, Picture Story: Free at Last, David Walker, February 2009