Nicola Bernardi

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What the Duck! is going on...

Some of you might have noticed a few hundred rubber ducks appearing in my latest shots... So asking oneself "What the duck is going on?!" is simply natural... 

Is this a new project? Is this an ongoing series? Will we get free ducks if we like it? 

Yes, or maybe not. I mean, I have absolutely, utterly no idea what is it. Yet. It's simply something I feel I need to do right now. 


In the last year and a half, I had the pleasure and honor of assisting Eolo Perfido on his works. It has been an amazing journey together that completely changed my approach to photography. From shooting to editing, I kept on leeching tiny bits of priceless information from such a great artist and professional (let's not even mention the fact that with him I found a true mentor, a friend, and someone to look up to). I grew, and I can't describe how lucky I feel for having spent this time with him and the other awesome people in his studio. 

Aside from photography alone, I learned a lot about how to run a business, how to deal with collaborators, clients, agencies. How to find new customers, how to deliver the best possible results, how to be on time with delivering the photos and much more...

I then realized that, recently, I was focusing all of my attention on that and I was getting "too serious" about it. My pictures, while growing in quality, had lost a bit of that FUN and HUMOR factor that, in my opinion, defines who I am as a photographer. So I questioned myself and found out this insane craving for rubber ducks.

I mean, c'mon, how can't you find rubber ducks simply hilarious?! They're like SUPER yellow, they float, they stare at you with that stupid face of theirs! I love rubber ducks! And they have this superpower of turning everything into a funnier version of it.

Even those boats look happier! 

Point in case, how freaking fun is the Hong Kong bay since this GIGANTIC inflatable rubber duck appeared in it!? 

So, it was just natural that I spent an entire night unraveling the mysteries behind the rubber duck business in that loophole of a jungle that we call "the internet" and found a way to get 251 of those funny little rubber birds delivered right to my door. 

After all this blabbing, you are probably bored to death, waiting for the photos to come up at last, and pretty much willing to kill me for wasting your time. So! Put aside the killer instincts, drop the gun and enjoy a bit of people bathing in rubber ducks. 

Nico