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Writer's picture: Pier Nicola D'AmicoPier Nicola D'Amico

Preface

My career has taken me around the world and introduced me to a number of notable figures. I'm not typically one to openly share those experiences, but when prompted or the right scenario arises, I'll share an anecdote or two. Then there's David Dee, a former colleague and friend, who sees something I shot and asks about it. 

"How did you land that gig?" 

"What was the shoot like?" 


He's genuinely curious about the process. Recently, he asked me to sit down for a conversation. He wanted to do a profile piece on me for the Philly Ad News. The rest of this article is what he created... with some additional visuals for your viewing pleasure.



Cover of the Philly Ad News January/February 2025
Cover of the Philly Ad News January/February 2025

A profile of Philadelphia native & creative Nic D’Amico

We all know that one person, the kind of friend whose life is stitched together with stories that could fill libraries. You sit across from them, drink in hand, eyes wide with disbelief. For me, that’s Nic D’Amico: a photographer and relentless creator of experiences, an enigma wrapped in film. In this feature, I’ll peel back the layers of Pier’s world: his journey from immigrant dreamer to advertising maven who’s immortalized pop culture icons, and the seismic shifts he’s weathered in our fickle industry.


The Early Days

After graduating from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and racing motorcycles for a few years, Nic pivoted back to creativity, boldly choosing Philadelphia over NYC to launch his studio. “I got started at the tail end of the two-martini lunch era,” Nic recounts. Like any young photographer worth their salt, he paid his dues with headshots and corporate gigs, grinding his way into the agency circuit. Then fate intervened. A stroke of luck hit during a Nike lifestyle shoot, as a keystroke error in Photoshop created an over-sharpened image that ignited an unexpected trend in lifestyle photography. Awards followed. The phone rang off the hook, but one call stood out: Wieden + Kennedy, Nike’s top agency. The big leagues were here. All thanks to one beautiful, serendipitous mistake. 


Jim Neal, Olympic Rower. Shot for Nike.
Jim Neal, Olympic Rower. Shot for Nike.

The GOAT Whisperer

Nic’s first gig with Wieden + Kennedy? A fresh-faced kid out of Akron, barely out of high school. LeBron James. No pressure, other than he had to shoot it digitally. “Before that, we’d shoot 150 rolls of film. Then it’d take a week to process and deliver the files,” Nic recalls. W+K didn’t want next week; they needed it next day. So, he made it work. He used the change in format to his benefit, and invited his subjects into the process. It wasn’t just directing them anymore; it was creatively collaborating with the athletes and agencies.



My first shoot with LeBron.
My first shoot with LeBron.

This was the early 2000s, the dawn of athletes taking control of their brand narratives. After a successful LeBron shoot he was asked to capture Kobe Bryant. Nic showed Kobe LeBron's shots, and Kobe’s competitive fire lit up. He wasn’t just in, he was all-in. Nic was delivering, and the creative directors at W+K took note. They showed up on set, watched him work, picked his brain. Remember, this is all pre-burst mode on cameras. No machine-gun shutter clicks. "We had 18 packs on set, big stands, big lights. I could only do…pop, pop, pop… maybe three shots, because I was limited by the recycle rate of the flash? I had to nail the moment," Nic says.


Kobe upping the ante.
Kobe upping the ante.

His work with Nike’s team sports division gained momentum, leading to projects with Tom Brady, Shaun White, Albert Pujols, Randy Johnson, and many more. Then it expanded beyond the Nike ecosystem, working with The Undertaker, Triple H, Randy Orton and other WWE superstars. It's a momentum that has carried through to present day, resulting in projects where he's photographed Simone Biles for GK Elite and Ja Morant for SLAM. Each shoot is more than just another name in his portfolio. They are completely unique experiences, whether it's capturing Snoop in New York during the height of the East Coast/West Coast feud, or working with Thom Yorke the day his solo album leaked. Each moment demanded pivoting, reading the room, knowing when to push, when to pull, and how to relate creatively with other artists. GOAT whisperer? Yeah, that tracks. 


It's been incredible to watch the trajectory and evolution of the talent captured.
It's been incredible to watch the trajectory and evolution of the talent captured.

More Than Portraits

With so many A-listers and jaw-dropping projects in his portfolio, I had to ask Nic if there was one that stood out. He barely pauses. “Probably the Jordan Melo M8 shoe launch event in NYC,” he says. Nic intimates that this project holds a special place as it was a high point for Klip Collective, an experiential projection mapping shop he co-founded in the early 2000s. “We got one key art frame from W+K. It was Carmelo Anthony slam dunking over the East River.” They left it up to Nic and his crew to make that image jump from concept to reality. And they did, by projecting a video animation onto water spraying out of the river itself. At the time, Disney was the only other player experimenting with water projections. The experience kicked off with a stuntman leaping from a helicopter into the East River, triggering the projection, and then flowed into an exclusive event and launch party on Pier 54. “You have to understand, thirteen years ago, nobody was doing this kind of stuff,” Nic recalls. To this day Nic holds seven US patents for projection mapping.



From The Archive: Jordan Melo M8 Launch Event in NYC

There’s a lot to learn if you listen, and I’m always curious to get a read on how industry vets view the current state of affairs in our beloved advertising world. How have things changed in their eyes, and what if anything, gets them genuinely excited about what the opportunities that exist. Nic begins by highlighting the flood of content saturating every corner of modern life, “These visual platforms are storytelling playgrounds, perfect for building communities.” He would love to see brands continue to push boundaries with bold, unexpected activations. “Surprise people, make them feel something. Sponsor more art and creativity.” Not surprising, seeing as that’s what fueled Klip Collective. But it’s when he talks about today’s tools that his energy really spikes. “Blending AR/VR technologies with projection mapping can take experiential projects to another level. It makes them interactive, giving a crowd of guests their own unique experience.” One-to-one experiential marketing? Yes, please. I’ll give you my whole family’s personal information.


Words of Wisdom

“Don't do it,” that’s Nic’s lighthearted response when asked if he has any advice for the next generation of photographers. “It’s similar to when being a scribe was a career. No one could write, so you were in need. Then everybody could write and being a scribe wasn’t a viable career anymore,” says D’Amico. He goes into detail on how the democratization of the medium and ease of shooting has impacted industry, “Now, when I’m shooting Simone Biles or Jordan Chiles jumping in the air I don't shoot one shot. I burst 15 shots. The whole skill of capturing ‘it’ in one snap, has become so much easier with the upside being more resources going to creative direction.”


I press him for something less cynical, eventually he relents, offering a sliver of insight that feels raw and true. “Nowadays it takes a village to do these break through projects, like Klip,” he says. And he’s right. The bar for spectacle isn’t just high, it’s orbiting the goddamn moon. If you’re not sending a car hurtling through space, you risk being dismissed as pedestrian. But when you bring multiple disciplines together, all aiming at the same bullseye, the possibilities explode. The creative potential multiplies, creating something bigger, more compelling, and more thrilling than anyone could have imagined alone. He left me with this: "Creativity is the one currency that never devalues, it not only engages but also forms the bond that cements the connection between an audience and a brand." Nothing could be more true. 


Olympic gold medalist, Jordan Chiles for GK Elite
Olympic gold medalist, Jordan Chiles for GK Elite

Some Favorite BTS Moments


It's been fun, and I'm looking forward to everything that's yet to come.
It's been fun, and I'm looking forward to everything that's yet to come.

Keep an eye out for the physical print of the January / February edition of Philly Ad News, or view it here: https://mobile.phillyadnews.com/january-february-2025/page-c1





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At the heart of every groundbreaking project is a vision.

This vision came to life for me, the force behind D’Amico Studios, through my collaboration with Texas A&M for their legacy Rellis campus, sprawling over 23,000 acres. Partnering with the dynamic teams at Unlikely Story and The Inhabitants, I embarked on a mission not just to capture images, but to capture imagination.


My role? Working alongside Director JB Carlin and DP MacGregor crafting stills and photos for a composite-driven advertising campaign. Think big. DC Amtrak takeover, plus an intense brand film. See it for yourself here: Rellis Brand Film


In the thick of this vast project, my approach was to blend in with the environment. Slipping in and out of shots unnoticed yet effectively, I operated with an awareness that ensured a minimal footprint, thereby magnifying the impact of our work, sometimes picking off shots from the DP’s cams and sometimes inspiring the DP from a still frame on my Sony. This creative balance allowed me to capture moments of raw power and breathtaking innovation without disturbing the organic unfolding in the blink of an eye.


The task was immense but invigorating. I photographed tomorrow happening today. I saw towering bridge columns crumble through an accelerated osmosis process, designed to expedite corrosion and prevent future damage. I shot emergency response specialists training to extract wounded and stranded from natural disasters. I  embedded myself and camera with firefighters fight flames bigger than apartment complexes. I captured images in the split seconds before a truck combusted,  the milliseconds before, and after, a 70+ mph truck came to a stop, I saw freaking lasers. 


Working closely with an exceptional team, I brought Rellis’ ethos of discovery to life through visual narratives that bridged technology and tradition, shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

In 2023, I shot this campaign. The canvas? The real world. The colors? Real stories. The result? Images that don't just speak, but shout. Shout about innovation, about progress, about a better today. Check out our work in action: Unlikely Story's Rellis Project.


Why does this matter? Because in today’s world, authenticity reigns supreme.  At D’Amico Studios, we're not just photographers or designers; we're innovators. We don't just capture moments; we capture movements. We're the Swiss Army knife of creativity – versatile, adaptive, ready.

As we relaunch and reinvent our studio, my promise remains unwavering: to help you translate visions into visual legacies. D’Amico Studios is here to make the unseen seen, the unheard heard.

Beyond a passion for technology and boundary-pushing image capturing lies a deeper purpose: the chance to document what truly matters, transforming today for the better. It’s in the confluence of creativity and positive societal impact where I find my greatest fulfillment.


For those seeking to immortalize their vision, to narrate their story through the lens of innovation and unmatched creativity, I extend an invitation to explore what we can achieve together.

Questions? Ideas? Visions? Let’s talk. Your next breakthrough could be a click away.



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Updated: Sep 17, 2023

Designing an experiential, augmented reality exhibit taught me how relative “truth” is.


I started my commercial advertising career as a photojournalist with fine arts training. That training taught me that every photograph deceives us, just a bit.

We think a photograph is recorded truth, but ultimately, it’s a selective interpretation. Sometimes, the photographer's fiction conveys more truth than reality itself. For some photographers, this wonderful moment is the nexus of our art’s power. A springboard for our search for meaning.

It also makes for great ads

The best visual advertising creatively manipulates photography’s subversive quality. But as consumers have become more sophisticated, and deep fakes have become a cultural phenomenon, the line between what’s true and what’s not is wavering.


And yet, expressing the truth has always been at the forefront of my strategic approach to brand building. So where does that leave me? Where does it leave everyone else who seeks to create art that is commercial, but also transformative?


It can get complicated


Much of my non-commercial work explores shifting definitions, slippery slopes and complex ideas. My work in photojournalism touched the same territory. So I’ve come to realize that truth is an even more fluid concept than I ever thought. It shifts with context.

Let’s start with changing reality.

Not long ago, we pointed a camera phone at a cereal box, followed a QR code and experienced a 3-dimensional object in register with the box. AR was a parlor trick that mixed reality.


Then the mixing got more sophisticated. My work in experiential art began with startup that pioneered projection mapping. It helped fashion both a new art form and new way to engage brand loyalty. Along the way, I collected six patents.


Welcome to the Vortex of Truth

After seeing my work at Klip Collective, New York City's digital art collective CADAF (https://www.cadaf.art) invited me to join their exposition. My AR collaborator Howard McCabe of Dream Syndicate and his team of developers and artists joined me.


The Vortex Of Truth began with both old-fashion pencil sketches and an AR Instagram filter that I invented. They showed six busts on pedestals of historical figures who spanned the entire history of human knowledge. Gandhi, Buddha, Maya Angelou, Aristotle, Confucius, and MLK Jr. each offered up their vision of what truth is. Recognizing that young people learn digitally and differently, we used great music and vibrant color to keep the experience short–two to four minutes–but technologically fascinating.

Viewers got the message quickly

Exploring the mixed reality, confronted by the different quotes, visitors soon understood that truth is relative, and never black and white. Vortex of Truth created buzz in Manhattan, and we launched a similar experience in Paris in 2020. We hoped to inspire our hundreds of visitors to question their media outlets, political figures and teachers. To dive deep and question every proclaimed truth.

What’s truth now?


Today, our mature media landscape grapples with defining truth. The erosion of verifiable truth has also polarized our politics. It has bred mistrust and disillusionment toward government and society on an unprecedented scale. Is this at least partially, a byproduct of modern 20th-century advertising. One that has often treated the distortion of opinion and truth as a handy strategic pillar?


Easy answers aren’t coming soon.


We all know that communication advancements often have unintended consequences. When the printing press disseminated the first books, more women were burned as witches. In the contemporary landscape, entities like Russian troll farms exploit social media to propagate falsehoods, and fracture societies in the process.

No magic bullet will stop this. Instead, we all need to embrace the responsibility of deciphering truth and challenging presented narratives.

A call to all artists

It’s an artist's duty to infuse authenticity into everything we create. But those of us who synthesize art and technology to create brand stories have an even heftier responsibility to weave truth into everything we do.


First let’s remember the obvious: People know when they’re being sold. In this digital age, they decode messages with a healthy dose of cynicism. They scrutinize every morsel of brand information. So, we need to be transparent about every brand detail. When consumers ask us what’s true, we should respond authentically. When the brand’s truth evolves, we need to evolve with it.


Unbranded truth is also powerful


Brands can also harness the power of truth by dropping their branding from some content. My team and I have often convinced big brands to fund technologically masterful but expensive projection installations without brand messages. Not a word. Our clients realized that in the end, their sponsor status added unique value and stimulated real engagement.

Consider the kaleidoscope


I’d also like to offer a different way to describe the search for truth.

Following the North Star is a well-worn model. But perhaps truth is not a fixed entity like a star but more like a kaleidoscope, ever changing. Truth is not a flickering thing, far away. Truth is in your hands, its perspective perpetually shifting. When you jostle the kaleidoscope to show it to someone else, the view can change again, so no two people ever see the same truth.


Nevertheless, we should still be looking for it together.


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