Photo Mission: Photography Tip for Rome
While researching for the trip, one of my favourite photographers posted his top tips for Rome and came away with spectacular photos (and this one)! Therefore, I knew I had to try my hand at the same locations to test out my skills!
Thankfully, I already have one skill that most tourists don’t have - the ability to wake up early! Here is where and how I managed my photography in Rome!
Research
Because I am a pure amateur who likes photography as a method of capturing memories and to give me something to do, my research is minimal. Similar to other famous travel bloggers, I have a few different ways to find locations or even angles!
My first stop will always be Instagram. While I don’t spend hours looking up pictures of famous landmarks, I do know of a few that post really great shots. I usually follow the hashtag and then dive into a few well known bloggers or photographers.
For my second site, I visit Location scout. This site is full of both professional and amateur photographers who give advice on locations. Here I found a few Coliseum locations!
Lastly, I visit the most popular website called Google. This one can often end in a deep dive where I end on a site talking about another great country or city. Usually, it is full of blog posts and hopefully it works out!
Friday Photo Mission
On Friday, my mission would be the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. During the day, both locations are extremely crowded and any photos will be with hundreds of your closest friends!
Trevi Fountain
Initially, I wanted to wake up at 5am and hit the ground running. Unfortunately, with our late arrival, I struggled for 6am! Thankfully our AirBnB was within 10 minutes of the famous Trevi Fountain!
Despite the delay, there was no one there!! Well, compared to the insane crowds I knew we would face later... there were still some folks with me but I was the only one with a fancy camera. Rather than pre-determined angles, I decided to go for whichever was more free. The best angles are of the entire fountain, but the sculptures are beautiful and deserve attention as well!
Spanish Steps
Similar to Trevi, the Spanish Steps has some people but since it is a bigger space, it was an on and off crowd. I was definitely able to grab some fantastic photos! With spring in the air, the flowers were blooming and provided a great contrast to the white marble steps. If one is willing to get in some funky angles, the white steps and church, combined with flowers and the blue sky, create a very beautiful picture! I wish MF had joined me as we could have gotten some great couple shots!
Towards the end of my photo mission, I did have some company as Beth Anne joined me. Although she thought I was mainly after coffee and breakfast, it was nice to have company!
Saturday Photo Mission
On the peak weekend day, I wanted to focus on the biggest tourist site in Rome - the Coliseum!
Coliseum
For my Sunday photo mission, I wanted to conquer the famous coliseum! I had seen amazing pictures of the Coliseum without any people or crowds, combined with the morning light, then pure dedication. In order to have this combination, I had to wake up at 5am and get there before the sun rose. Because the Coliseum is over 30 minutes walking, I had to hustle there! I debated taking a taxi, but figured I could run if needed.
Travel Tip: If you’re committed to taking sunrise photos, take the taxi or public transportation (if available) as it will save on time and energy!
As I arrived around 6am, I missed my preferred window at 5:30, which is just after the sun rises and the city night lights turn off. Whilst a few minutes late, I still had AMAZING views! I was one of the only photographers in the area! Although I had a basic starter DLSR compared to their very fancy cameras, they offered advice and other great Rome locations.
For the first stop, I went above the subway station (red X) on elevated heights as the views of the Coliseum were unparalleled! This angle is good for a view of the top of the Coliseum with parts of Palatine Hill.
Next, I went to probably my favorite photo spot (blue dot) - directly in front of the Coliseum. With this angle, I could scope out the boring sidewalks and capture the entire Coliseum. It is truly a great shot that all I had to do was show up at 6am!
Photo Mission: Vatican
Last but certainly not the least, the holy Vatican! For this Sunday's mission, I had to make things very efficient and effective as I had about 1 hour left in my camera battery. Of course, I didn’t think to bring the charger as I was a little uncertain how I would find waking up at 5:30 everyday whilst on holiday!
On the way to the Vatican from our AirBnB, I made a quick pit stop at one of highly rated locations on Location scout called St Angelo Bridge. It offers spectacular views of St Peters Cathedral and St Angelo Castle! Plus, it was in the middle of the journey so it is a perfect pit stop.
Finally, I arrived at the Vatican just before the golden hour ended! Unlike the other locations, I was the only person there (taking photos). It was fantastic and gave me the opportunity for great photos! I walked down the Main Street and grabbed different perspectives of the cathedral. Sadly, my camera died just after I took my only solo picture of the trip and I knew it was time to go home. Of course, this was after wandering and snapping a few photos on my phone!
The Unchartered Summary
- If one enjoys peaceful, beautiful morning walks through an ancient city, wake up at 5-5:30 and wander! I took a nap later or just went to bed early! The empty effect without hassling tourists is incredibly worth the drowsiness!
- If running late or the location is over a 30 minute walk, just take a taxi! Use Free Now (mytaxi) and use the code andrew.bry1 for €5 off! It is much cheaper and better than Uber!
- Out of all of my shots, I think I liked the Coliseum the best! Especially knowing the history of the impressive structure!
Now, for my personal favorites of this mission!
