Next to Paris, Rome is easily the most photogenic city in the world. You can almost point and shoot in any direction and have a photo worthy of Instagram. Okay, it might not be that simple but in our effort to make travel easy for you we have narrowed down the top five photographs you simply have to take in Rome. Follow our top tips and we can almost guarantee you’ll have some of the best photographs!
Colosseum
As the largest tourist attraction in Rome, this is the shot that you want to get. In fact, you’ll probably come home with several. We suggest taking the best photographs from outside of the Colosseum to capture the beautiful arches.
The best time of day to capture this iconic monument has to be early morning or late afternoon when the light is softest. If you’ve got a DSLR you can take a beautiful photo at dusk when the lights are on. Just remember to pack your tripod and set up a long exposure. The biggest challenge with photographing the Colosseum, as with so many other monuments, is to fit the entire building into one shot. A great spot for to get some distance is would be the Colle Oppio, on the Oppian Hill, which is just across the street from the monument.
Roman Forum
Image by Beboy
Another great reason to get up early is the Roman Forum, located just north of the Colosseum. The green weeds and high structure look best in the soft morning light so set your alarm bright and early and only grab your cappuccino after you’ve got the shot.
You can get some great shots up close, but if you’re looking to fit the entire scene we suggest heading to the Palantine Hill for sweeping views of the beautiful site.
Pizza Flat Lay
No trip to Rome would be complete without grabbing a slice or several of pizza and then obviously taking the picture to make your friends back home jealous. Pizzas were made for beautiful flat lays so pick your table carefully and look for a beautiful wooden or marble table. Remember to add some greens to your picture and make use of the natural light. Then simply upload and get ready for thousands of Instagram likes!
Spanish Steps Selfie
This is the perfect spot to grab that all important selfie, the proof that you were actually there! So take a seat on the iconic steps and grab that selfie. Take a seat near the top and remember to try and angle your camera slightly upwards (only slightly, you don’t want a double chin) to get some of the church in the background. If it is summer and there are azaleas, try to get them into the background of your shot. Chances of grabbing a shot where there aren’t thousands of people on the steps are zero to none as it is packed even during the colder months.
Trevi Fountain
As the Trevi Fountain is quite a popular tourist spot, it can be tricky to get a shot that isn’t blocked by all the people. For this reason going early or later in the afternoon might pay off. Do take time to consider the lighting, as the surrounding buildings might cast some unflattering shadows early mornings.
With a DSLR camera you can get amazing images of the fountain by simply setting up a long exposure to get that beautiful silky effect. If you’re not lucky enough to own a DSLR (yet) or simply want to grab a quick shot then zoom in on the center of the fountain and focus on the statues.
There are several ways to take great photographs whilst on vacation and I’m sure if you’re a professional these would all seem overly simple, but we hope you find it helpful none the less. A good idea when searching for must have shots in an unknown location is to look at the postcards they sell in the country and to do a Pinterest search of the location beforehand. You can also have a look at our Pinterest boards for some extra inspiration!
