Welcome to my website.
My name is Domenico—Nico to my family and friends. I was born in Italy and am now based in Germany.
I chose the name Reflections of Life because every experience leaves a reflection. Sometimes those reflections take the form of a photograph; sometimes they become words. This website is a collection of both. Here you will find images and stories inspired by the things I am most passionate about: travel, photography above and below the water, sustainable technologies, history, cooking, languages, and the people and places that have shaped my life.
Travel has always been essential to me, as vital as air is to life on land and water is to life in the sea. Over the years I have travelled to around sixty countries across every continent. Before settling in Germany, I lived in several parts of the world for study and work, including Italy, the United States, Australia and, for almost a decade, China. My two sons were both born in Shanghai.
China has had a profound influence on my life ever since my first visit in 1999. I witnessed its extraordinary transformation and the remarkable speed of its development. It is a country where ancient traditions and cutting-edge modernity exist side by side, where breathtaking progress often contrasts sharply with deep social inequalities. During this rapid journey towards modernisation, the environment has frequently paid the highest price.
China is not always an easy place to live or to raise a family. For us, daily life was filled with both challenges and unforgettable experiences. Looking back, those years taught me resilience, broadened my perspective, and left me with memories that continue to shape who I am today.
The ocean has always represented a world apart for me—mysterious, fascinating and deserving of the utmost respect. While living in Australia in 1998, I earned my first scuba diving certification. I approached my first dives with equal parts excitement and apprehension, but only a few years later did I discover underwater photography. From that moment, it became a true passion.
Living in Asia allowed me to dive in some of the world’s most spectacular waters throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Since returning to Europe, I have continued exploring the underwater landscapes of this part of the world, discovering that beauty exists everywhere beneath the surface.
Over the years, I have also become increasingly aware of how fragile our oceans are. Climate change, pollution and human activity are placing tremendous pressure on marine ecosystems. I hope that my photographs can do more than just capture beauty—that they can inspire people to appreciate, respect and help protect this extraordinary environment.
Photography, in all its forms, allows me to slow down, observe and express my creativity. Underwater photography, however, has a unique place in my life. It allows me to enter a completely different world, where colours, light and marine life combine to create scenes that never cease to amaze me. Every dive presents a new opportunity to tell a story through my lens.
Creating images underwater is both rewarding and demanding. Light behaves very differently beneath the surface, buoyancy must be carefully controlled, and every dive requires meticulous preparation. Even the logistics can be challenging, with more than 20 kilograms of camera equipment to be carried via all kinds of transportation means to remote destinations. Yet every successful image makes the effort worthwhile.
I hope you enjoy exploring these reflections of my life as much as I have enjoyed creating them.
Nico