Last September my girlfriend and I visited Rome for the first time. By then I already knew the eternal city from history lessons, films, books and photos and I was certain that there would be much to see and photograph in the four days we had.
And Rome didn’t disappoint. It quickly became my new favorite city. The architecture is just phenomenal. It’s crazy to think that many of the buildings are more than 2000 years old. The city is like a huge film set. Behind every corner there seems to be yet another magnificent church. I was overwhelmed.
In this article I want to share the seven places I ended up photographing during our visit. There would have been much more, but with four days the time was limited and I had to focus on the places, which fascinated me the most.
- Forum Romanum
This place radiates history. I went there early on our first morning. The streets of Rome were still empty and as I arrived at the viewpoint I was the only person there. If you go there early enough, you can still see the Forum lit up by artificial lights, which gives a wonderful contrast to the historic architecture.
Then I waited for sunrise, which also didn’t disappoint. As the sun appeared behind the pillars of the Forum and bathed the scene in golden light it was just magical.
During daytime and in the evening you can explore the ruins of the Forum itself, which is what we did. But it was very crowded and I much preferred the solitude of the morning. Here’s a little vlog I filmed that day.
- Spanish Steps
Day two had me visiting the Spanish Steps. This place, as all famous places in Rome, is very crowded during daytime and it’s impossible to take a photo of the fountain and the steps. But before sunrise I had the whole plaza for myself. It all was so calm.
- Ponte Umberto
A great location for sunset is the Ponte Umberto. From there we had a wonderful view of the Vatican and the Ponte Sant’Angelo. The dark blue sky of the blue hour together with the city lights made for the perfect photo that evening. But don’t expect to be the only person watching the sunset from there. It’s a very popular spot.
- St. Peter’s Basilica
Another awe-inspiring building is St. Peter’s Basilica. It might be the most magnificent building I have ever set foot in. Capturing its grandeur in a photo again was a huge challenge and I had nearly given up.
In the end I just snapped a quick hand-held shot of the altar with the dome overhead. At least it gives a little impression on all the intricate details that make up every inch of the Basilica.
A little tip here: make sure to visit early in the morning. During day it’ll take you at least an hour to get in there because of the crowds. If you go before 9am there are no queues.
- View from St. Peter’s Basilica
When you visit St. Peter’s Basilica, make sure to also climb to the top of it. The views from up there are some of the best in Rome. Unfortunately it’s not possible to photograph sunrise itself from up there because of the opening hours. But the early morning light also casts beautiful shadows in the city below, which can make for an interesting photo.
