Five days in Rome, what to shoot?

Big_Ham

Big_Ham

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Going to the Vatican, Catacombs, and the RBS Six Nations game next month.

What else is worth a look Pantheon, and Colosseum of course, but what else?

I'll be taking my 1D Mark II, 24-105 f/4 L, 8mm fish eye, and 50mm f/1.8
 
Trevi fountain (up a side street and smaller than you think).
Spanish steps

Depending how far you actually travel there are some nice river views over the bridges. Vatican isnt really camera friendly unless its in the gardens.


The large opera house building with 2 large horses outside (name ive forgotten!)

Be very VERY careful of pick pockets. Its the worst place ive seen anywhere in the world. If you have a rucksack, wear it on your front. Don't get distracted by kids with newspapers running around and dont squeeze past any as you exit the underground on the steps as stuff will go missing.
 
Pompeii and/or Herculaneum. They're both fantastic, and well worth the journey. You can do one or the other quite easily in a long day from Rome (Inter City train to Naples and local Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii Scavi or Ercolano Scavi). It takes about 2.5 hours each way, or a little more. Pompeii is larger and better known, Herculaneum is better preserved, arguably more interesting and less crowded. It's possible to visit both in one day, but I think you're better choosing one or the other. You can climb Vesuvius too, stunning views on a clear day.
 
Got married in sorrento two years ago in may!
We visited pompei but after the initial wow! Look at this ! It did get a bit samey
Vesuvius is one fair climb to the top and a good view when your there but honestly, not great photo material, you are so high up and so far from anything its hard to do the view justice. And if your up there and its windy, usually. Then be prepared for a grit blasting. Honestly its that bad sometimes!
But Italy! What place. Just amazing
 
Five days in Rome, what to shoot?
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Everything! Beautiful city. The Mcdonalds near the Spanish Steps is actually worth eating at.
 
Get a guidebook now, and plan your days. There's an enormous amount to see, and you need to work out what's most important to you, or you'll run out of time. The Vatican museums - which lead to the Sistine chapel (no photography in the chapel, but no restrictions in the museums) - take a most of a morning or an afternoon to see properly. St Peter's Basilica is overwhelming, and not to everyone's taste, but it is one of the most famous places in Rome. You can get fantastic photographs from the roof - there's a lift - or the top of the dome, but that's quite a climb.

Rome is hilly, and a lot of the smaller streets are cobbled. It's tiring, and I suggest you take good walking shoes.

Many of the most popular attractions have long queues. There are a couple of ways around this, but the easiest options are to book tickets online in advance, or take a tour. There are licensed guides outside most of them, and they're usually quite good. Try and get to the places you really want to see early, because they can get very crowded too. Taking photographs at the Trevi Fountain is a challenge - not much space - once the tour groups arrive!

Pickpockets are a risk - although I've never had any problems - and the Roma children who haunt areas like the Spanish Steps are a nuisance. IMO, the Spanish Steps are overrated, unless you go when they're covered in flowers (April - May), but they're close to the Trevi fountain so it's not a major detour. Babington's English Tea Room - late C19th - at the bottom of the steps is interesting, but very expensive, if you don't fancy Macdonalds. The Russian Tea Room in Via dei Falegnami is probably better value and another Rome icon.

Give yourself a bit of time to just walk around. You'll find lots of photographic opportunities, and there's no 'sensitivity' about people with cameras.
 
Trevi Fountain is very busy and hard to get shots without tourists walking past. I did loads of walking when I was there, so make sure you wear trainers or something comfy.
 
Just keep an eye open to the environment and shoot whatever you think looks good, and shoot lots of photos as well. I went to Venice once (pre digital) and my camera broke after 10 minutes. I'd only got 3 photos as well. There's loads of places to visit so plan your itinery well or you'll miss lots of it. Oh yeah, and enjoy the game!
 
Big_Ham said:
Going to the Vatican, Catacombs, and the RBS Six Nations game next month.

What else is worth a look Pantheon, and Colosseum of course, but what else?

I'll be taking my 1D Mark II, 24-105 f/4 L, 8mm fish eye, and 50mm f/1.8
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If you are watching any games at the Olympic stadium in Rome, then it is an interesting walk from there down to the centre, where all the squares, fountains, Forum and that are close by. We walked around the big central square in the evening and it wasn't very crowded, unfortunately it was pre digital, so I only took a couple of snaps. I would imagine that the Colloseum in the eveing is a good shot given the right lighting.
A word of warning, if a group of Centurions walk up and offer to take your picture for you with your camera, then decline the offer, or they will want at least E20 each for the pleasure, unless you get stroppy like me and tell them where to go - whilst looking nervously behind me every so often, because they could quite easily be the Italian forward pack!
 
A coupl of other places to consider are the Piazza Navona near the Pantheon which has three fountains in it , and worth crossing the river to Trastavere to see the church of San Fransesco a Ripa lit at night in Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore.

Some cracking bars around there filled with the more arty types so loads of street photography oppourtunities ... jealous really as I haven't had a chance to go visit a mate of mine who lives there for a few years now.
 
Thanks for the tips guys!

gnirtS said:
The game is in Stadio Flaminio which is the other side of the river and not really walkable. Get the underground there and then its a straight flat road with flats either side from the station to the ground.
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It was scheduled to be in the Stadio Flaminio, but I think they've moved it to the Olympico.
 
I'm glad this post has popped up. I'm off to Rome on Friday for the first time since I got my DSLR. I'll be attempting the (well tried) "Colliseum at night shot".
Plus the Trevi Fountain also.
But can anybody tell me why photography is forbidden inside the Sistine Chapel, when everywhere else in The Vatican is fine?
 
If you're crafty you can take photos in the Sistine Chapel.

First find a seat under 'the' ceiling painting (could take a while) then put a compact camera on your lap pointing upwards and set the self timer for 10 seconds.

Talk to someone at your side while pointing out something or look the other way and you won't get shouted at or, possibly, thrown out.

Here's one I made earlier:

2626008290_fc84c6ec9c.jpg
 
Ragwort said:
I'm glad this post has popped up. I'm off to Rome on Friday for the first time since I got my DSLR. I'll be attempting the (well tried) "Colliseum at night shot".
Plus the Trevi Fountain also.
But can anybody tell me why photography is forbidden inside the Sistine Chapel, when everywhere else in The Vatican is fine?
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I heard/read that the constant use of flash was damaging the frescoes. Don't know if that's true - there could be other reasons - but I don't have a problem with the restriction if there's the slightest risk of damage. The frescoes are stunning, and priceless.

There are usually a couple of security guards shouting "No photographs" every few minutes, because some people do chance it.
 
it's a stunning city, everyone's already mentioned all the places you should take pics of....

But, if you're going to the Trevi fountain, make sure you go to 'San Crispino' which is on a tiny side street nearby....

it has the best, and I really mean THE BEST icecream I have ever tasted. They are served in little cups, as the owner does not believe in allowing the taste of a cornet or cone to contaminate the flavours.

I would recommend trying 'plum' - it's out of this world! ;)
 
i'm going second week in feb and had asked for advice and it was brilliant this has added more....thanks guys..
 
I went to Rome in 2004 but was not really into photography then, but it's an ideal place for photo opportunities.
I was staying in a small hotel next to the Pantheon and I really liked that general "old town" area with the quaint narrow streets.
It's amazing what you see just exploring the streets, although it makes sense to schedule in some of the "big" attractions like St Peters, Colosseum etc
I think almost any big city will have pickpocket problems in the tourist "hot spots" so just be wary of anyone who approaches you or "crowds" your personal space - I don't remember this being any worse than say Barcelona or Paris, for example.
 
Definitely try to get to the Pantheon, my favourite building in the World. :) Try putting your camera on the plinth of the statues (no tripods) for really long exposures. If the people keep moving, a lot of them will disappear from the exposure. ;) Try and get there around mid day'ish' to get the light falling close to the centre of the floor through the Oculus (opening) in the ceiling. If you have a wide enough lens (I didn't) then you can get the opening and the people on the same image to emphasize the height of the ceiling.

You can get some nice night pics of the Colosseum from across the road above the Metro, and from a raised section beside the Forum.

There are some nice views of the Vatican from the Ponte Umberto I (bridge) over the river.

Also good views of the Castel Sant'Angelo from the bridge in front of it, and from the bank opposite. Also good views of the Vatican from that bridge too.

There are great views from the top of the Cupola (dome) of St Peter's Basilica and the square below. It is a trek getting up there, and if I go again, I will video my accent as I didn't think it was as going to be long as it was. :eek: I videoed coming down, but it's not the same. ;) The angle of the walls got quite 'crazy house' at times. :lol:

Here's some pics I took on my holiday there last July


PS If you find yourself near the Mausoleum of Augustus, there are some little arty/quirky/jokey things which have been set up along a wall next to it which are quite interesting. But there is one very interesting thing which made me dip into my pocket and leave some money for the artist. I don't want to say too much as to not spoil 'it'. ;) I can't guarantee the stuff will be there though. ;)
 
I went to the Vatican a few months ago and I used a GE POWER Pro series X500 16 MP . Beautiful pics!!!

-KK
 
It's easy to take a photo in the chapel just stand in the middle and take a shot it's that busy. Couple of tips though turn off the sounds on your camera like the beep to says its in focus. You will also find the volume level will slowly rise then a guard will say quite please and will go quiet again only for its to start rising again, try take your photo at the peak of the noise or do the classic cough cough manoeuvre! (0;
 
Oh if you have the time and patients take along a decent ND filter and tripod as well. Stick that on the front a nice long long shutter speed and make all those tourists in the way disappear as there a lot of them but not as bad a Florence!!
 
Big_Ham said:
Pantheon wide angle is on the list for sure. Keep the tips coming though guys!
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OK then. ;)

The park surrounding the Villa Borghese can give nice views across the city. There is also a nice little folly with statue on a little pond there. Below the park is Piazza del Popolo where the first picture in my thread I linked to earlier was taken.

There is also the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (Mussolini's Square Colosseum ;)) at EUR (Esposizione Universale Roma) to the south of the city. That's the square building, again in the link I posted earlier. ;)

I wanted to try to get to the Gardens at Tivoli but didn't get round to it, but it looks very nice, but whether it is at this time of year I don't know. :shrug: ;)

I wouldn't plan too much though. Give yourself time to wander around the old streets. ;) I found a nice chap selling some of his excellent images near the Trevi Fountain, and we had a nice chat about pics and gear. :)
 
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