In our ongoing series on 'great photo locations' travel photographer Lisa Kurtz takes us to the awe-inspiring and always energetic Eternal City, Rome, Italy.
I first visited Rome 18 years ago on a tour of Europe and I instantly fell in love with the city and its people. I had a passion for art and history and I felt like I’d come home. In fact, its impact on me was so great that I stayed on for a year and I’ve continued to go back ever since. Rome, the Eternal City, is filled to the brim with ancient monuments and architecture, churches, vibrant street culture, culinary specialities, markets, piazzas, events, tourists and locals alike. It’s enough to keep any photographer happy for an eternity (pardon the pun).
When it comes to my favourite spot to shoot in Rome, it’s a tie between the Pantheon (its elegance and incredible architecture never ceases to amaze me), the Villa Borghese (Rome’s biggest green space full of life on weekends), and the Campidoglio (offering the most beautiful views over the Roman Forum). The Romans can appear arrogant, but scratch the surface and you find warm and generous people, with an amazing capacity to enjoy life.
It’s this capacity to enjoy life which also makes things move at a slower and less organised pace, which can be sometimes frustrating for rather efficient Australians, but as the saying goes “When in Rome”! The trick with Rome is to embrace its chaos, understand you’ll get lost, and don’t have too strict an agenda. Monuments are best captured early in the morning (for fewer crowds) or later in the afternoon or early evening (with better light for exteriors). Markets are best in the mornings, as the action tends to have died down by early afternoon. Many churches are often closed during the lunch period, so mornings or afternoons are safer bets if you wish to shoot interiors. Italians on the whole are a lot more relaxed about being photographed, which makes capturing Rome such a joy.
Take your time with your photography. It’s tempting to keep the camera to your eye the whole time - there is just so much to capture - but the monuments and buildings aren’t going anywhere and if you miss a moment you can be guaranteed another will always come along. Observe and enjoy, and then capture. What I love about Rome, more than anything else, is that you can suddenly turn a corner and right in front of you could be the Colosseum, or the Pantheon, or Emperor Augustus’ mausoleum or any number of incredibly beautiful and ancient sites. This takes my breath away every time. There is a never-ending sense of wonder and awe that offers something new every time I lift my camera to my eye.
