Born in 1951 in Hartford, Connecticut, DiCorcia studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and completed an M.A. in Photography from Yale University, where he currently teaches. DiCorcia is well known for both his snapshots and highly staged portraits, which attempt to subvert the banality of the image and inspire the viewer to consider the emotions captured in the image. His staged images reference documentary photography, but also include elements of theatricality and advertising. In his early staged images, he would photograph family and friends so as to make the viewer think the images were spontaneous. The subjects of his later works were often random people, but elements of the setting, such as hidden lights, would be carefully planned and would often lead to an emphasis on a particular expression or unintentional action taking place in the image. Dicorcia’s work has been recognized by several awards and fellowships.