MY CLIENTS' REVIEWS... NEVER LESS THAN FIVE STARS

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Lynn Roberts

I thought I knew what to expect, having previously taken a daylong photo tour of Umbria with Giulio D'Ercole. But even that fabulous experience didn't prepare me for his "Rome at Night" photo tour a few days later! I was relatively new to nighttime photography, and Giulio was extremely patient with me - giving me great tips on how best to achieve autofocus in dim light, in addition to compositional tips. (And scrupulously checking to verify my images were tack sharp!). And of course he knew EXACTLY the best places to capture Rome's beauty at night! But his tour was far more than just this. Giulio (I feel as if we're on a first-name basis) is an amazing fount of knowledge of All Things Rome, from its rich history to its culture. For this reason alone, my husband (a non-photographer) enjoyed the tour every bit as much as I did. And - although Giulio promises he'll cut your tour short if you get tired, I can assure you that can never happen, so full is he of infectious enthusiasm. I couldn't believe the hour when we finally called it a night! Giulio also took extraordinary pains to make sure we saw everything possible on our tour. We unfortunately missed our train from Florence to Rome; it was to have arrived shortly before our tour was to begin, so we were forced to start things late. No problem - Giulio bent himself over backwards to make sure we still got EVERYTHING in! When I apologized for the chaos we'd caused him, he replied "I spent 30 years in production: there's no such thing as chaos!". I'd been to St. Peter's Square (during the daytime) on our last trip to Rome two years previously. But somehow I'd missed the 2019 sculpture "Angels Unawares" - the first piece of art (commissioned by the late Pope Francis) installed in St. Peter's Square in over 400 years. It depicts the plight of migrants, a topic about which Pope Francis cared deeply. I found it so moving that I dragged my sister (with whom we were staying) to see it the next night; it brought her to tears. Don't, whatever you do, miss it, especially at night. Besides St. Peter's Square, we also explored some of the side streets in the area, Castel Sant' Angelo, Piazza Navona (you MUST see the fountains there at night, when the crowds have dissipated!), the Roman Forum, and the Colosseum. Every moment of our tour was filled with his explanation of the history of Rome and the symbolism of all of the structures. I now see them all with a fresh set of eyes. (Why don't the tour books include these details?). Rome at night is not at all the same as Rome during the daytime. Its beauty and peace are best appreciated without all of the daytime crowds. I've returned with a portfolio of images from my two tours with Giulio on this trip to Italy that will stay with me for a lifetime. My only regret is that I can't give his tours ten stars! On all counts - overall rating, value, fun factor, and WOW factor - it was off the charts!

 

Lisa Mace

I wish I could give this tour with Giulio ten stars. Everything was perfect! His attention to every single detail was evident from his first communications even before finally booking. He was so warm and friendly and answered all my questions in detail. We had many exchanges in email and over the phone prior to booking so I felt very safe and comfortable with every aspect. From the minute you meet Giulio you will feel like you have reunited with a long lost friend. His love and joy for Rome (we did the night tour of Rome) are contagious. My advice would be to skip all the other tours and let Giulio be your guide. He has a vast knowledge of both photography and the history of his city and can cater his tours your level of experience. He spent time with my daughter who is a beginner photographer and was patient and gave her so much helpful instruction. He was even able to give me pointers in using my iPhone. He has an eye for detail and experience all over the world. He is kind, funny, full of joy, and has a vast knowledge of the world, history, and photography. You will be blessed to meet him and learn from him. We were in Italy for 11 days and our five hours with him was our very favorite part and our most memorable!! I can not say enough good things about Giulio. He leaves you better! He is an extraordinary man and an amazing talent!! Thank you Giulio! We will never forget you.

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Amy Lovett

Giulio was an amazing guide! He was excellent with communication prior to booking and throughout the process. He was patient and kind during our journey and provided lots of history and stories along the way. We love our pictures of the attractions! Our favorite booking in Rome!

 

Jeff Mcelroy

Giulio was a great guide and very patient with my daughter that is just beginning her adventure as a photographer. He had a great eye for composition and explained the process of balancing lighting and aperture settings in a very easy to understand manner. I would highly recommend taking this class and I will be doing another one with him when I return.

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Judith Kies

This was the highlight of my time in Rome! Not only was Giulio entertaining, he was also very knowledgeable in the history of Rome. We started at Castel Sant’Angelo, then over to Saint Peter’s Basilica, as well as a few other stops, then culminated at the Colosseum. What fantastic sights at night. He was even kind enough to drop us back at our hotel afterwards. I highly recommend this tour and will surely contact him for another tour in Italy, if I am ever lucky enough to make it back. It was worth every penny!!

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Wiliam Kracov

Excellent photographer. Had a very nice tour of Rome at night. Very few people at the sites. Giulio is very knowledgeable about the camera settings for night photography. This was my first time attempting nighttime shooting. Never rushed us. Has an extremely good knowledge not only about photography but, is a historian regarding the history of Rome and the church and its leaders. I am recommending him if you are interested in more than a photography tour.

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Amanda Robinson

The photo tour by night with Giulio was one of the best parts of our 12-day trip in Italy. My two kids (ages 17 and 21) were the photographers - both fairly novice-level in photography. Giulio was an excellent teacher, and he was able to provide photography and a tour in bite-size, memorable pieces. The photos they took are fantastic. I also was able to tag-along as a non-photographer, and learned much about Rome (and a little about photo composition). I highly recommend this tour!

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Alena Bartikova

What an amazing photo tour! I found Giulio via recommendations, I searched on his website and wrote to Giulio about availability and tour`s set up details. He immediately replied and asked about equipment and interest. We kept contact regarding details prior our photo tours. I was very satisfied with Giulio`s commitment, excellent planning, services. I took opportunity to book another tour Villa Borghese tour. It was an amazing and educational tour. Giulio is excellent, professional photograph and guide provide safe, interesting, fun, awesome, tour! My boyfriend is an amateur photograph and wanted to immerse himself shoot in manual mode. Giulio was exceptional teacher, shared tips in photography. He explained shooting principles and for each shot he provided guidance, advice for positioning and settings. After the night tour with Giulio, my boyfriend said: from now I will shoot in manual mode, I have learned so much from Giulio. Previously he was shooting in P mode with exposure compensation in camera. Giulio gave attention and patience to all tour`s participant and was very helpful in pointing out different photo perspectives along with technical tips. Throughout the tour Giulio shared Italian history and knowledge of the places that we visited. Incredibly interesting Italian history stories. I gave this tour to my boyfriend as a birthday gift, and he LOVED it. This is one of the best tours he has ever done. Thank you Giulio! This is an exceptional tour that we cannot recommend enough! Giulio is amazing guide and excellent teacher, we

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Stephanie Puleo

A truly incredible experience to have such a thoughtful tour of all the best photo spots, expert help in ensuring you get a great picture, and background history too. My husband and I are so thankful we chose to do a tour with Giulio- we had a wonderful night touring around and the memories, knowledge gained, and awesome shots are priceless! Definitely interested in touring with Giulio again in the future too!

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Tim Mather

This was my second photo tour with Giulio. The first was Rome by Day in January 2024. Both were wonderful, informative and well worth the time. As a USA "tourist" I appreciated Giulio's well-spoken English, his insight into Italian culture, and his knowledge of the history of Rome. His expertise in photography and his perspective in street photography are second to none. Giulio is a wonderful, kind, generous and patient host and goes above-and-beyond as a host to a city he loves.

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Jennifer Freshwater

Giulio spent 5 hours with my husband and I as we had agreed. We worked with my Sony camera for awhile but since neither of us were familiar enough with the settings, we did eventually switch to his camera and my card. I learned so much in those hours about adjusting the camera settings for low light conditions. I have great photos from the Vatican square, Castel Sant’Angelo, outside the Capitoline museum, the Roman forum and the Coliseum at a time when most tourists were not around. But even better, I have good memories of spending time with Giulio while learning how to take those photos. My husband learned about making some adjustments in the settings on the cellphone for night photography and composition of the photos he takes. We highly recommend this activity for anyone wishing to improve their photography skills.

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Trish Lebrun

What a brilliant personalised tour highlighting some on the beautiful sites of Rome at night without the crowds. Giulio gave me technical guidance and advice while giving a history about the sights. He was energetic, personable and by the end of the tour felt like a friend. Don’t hesitate to book this tour.

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Chris Mullins

In Summer of 2024, during a week long trip to Rome, I booked this as a last-minute activity. Running from ~9pm to ~1AM, this tour was simply amazing. Here's what I really liked: * At a logistical level, this was easy to book and participate. Communications was clear via WhatApp, and the price seemed very reasonable. I booked last minute, and things worked out well. Our guide spoke perfect English. He's worked in the US for years and was easy to understand and communicate with. * Flexible. Not having planned ahead, I hadn't brought a tripod with me. Giulio provided one along with an Arca-Swiss Plate. * Tour itself. The tour itself was just my wife and I. We met up at the Castel Sant'Angelo at the right time, found each other, and set off. We wandered the street, spent a solid hour at St Peter's Basilica, headed over to the Coliseum, shot countless side streets and small details, and of course hit the big sites along the way. * Giulio is an actual Pro. He teaches, publishes books on photography, and has a lifelong professional background in complex photo and video production. He did a solid job of "This is interesting" while still not intruding on the shots that I wanted to shoot. He's 100x the artist I'll ever be, but I had a blast shooting and bringing my own vision to all of these interesting places. * Giulio also knows the details of modern camera's well and is a strong proponent of proper technique. Tripod stabilized shots, shutter release delays, and correct settings for each environment. He was happy to help with any questions I had. Honestly, this trip was one a highlight of Rome for me. It got my spouse and I a guided tour of some of the city's most amazing spots, did so at night to bring a unique view to everything, and was thoroughly amazing and worth the money. For a small extra fee, my spouse came along just for the walk and tour, and she also had a very fun time. I would 100% recommend this to any photographer, ranging from an iPhone enthusiast to a working professional looking for a quick deep dive into the city of Rome.

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Martin Kilpatrick

Giulio provides a very easy to book experience while in Rome [or other areas]. As the amateur photographer I am, he provided great advice and hints to get the best photos out of the tour. When weather made our early morning tour doubtful he happily gave us options for other times…we chose the night tour which was great as we had far less people around, great shots, and cooler temperature. We definitely went places we would not have found on our own.Even better is the very informative history of Rome and detailed explanation of motives and symbolism behind various areas and sculptures. I’m telling all my friends …they must do this!

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Simonetta Maffey

Esperienza molto bella e che consiglierei sia ai romani appassionati di fotografia, che ai turisti. Giulio è stato molto bravo nello spiegare come realizzare gli scatti migliori, oltre che nello scegliere alcuni tra i punti panoramici più adatti e belli di Roma. Il tempo è volato ed ho riportato a casa tante belle foto.

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John Corey

I booked both the Rome by day and Rome by night tour with Giulio. Both are fantastic. Booking was easy. Giulio's web site lets you pick the date you are interested in and then once booked sends you a confirmation email. A few days before your tour Giulio provides an email with information on where to meet and asks questions about your photography skills, type of gear you will be bringing and what you are hoping to see. Giulio is very responsive, promptly replying to emails and even phone calls. Giulio knows Rome inside and out. The best part was in addition to photographing the well known parts, coliseum, Pantheon he takes you to less famous but just as beautiful areas that are not crowded letting you take great photos. Giulio is a professional photographer that is able to impart knowledge and skills if that is what you are looking for. However, his focus is on your experience and is content to let you have your best moment as well. If you are looking for a guide to take you around Rome so that you can take great pictures Giulio and Rome Photo Fun Tours is a great value and worth your investment.

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Jonathan Fine

My wife and I did the Rome by Night Photo Tour with Giulio, and it was a wonderful experience from start to finish. Giulio communicated with us ahead of time, met us at Castel Sant’Angelo and off we went on a great photo tour. Giulio pointed out unique locations and perspectives throughout the night, and we ended the tour with a treasure trove of photos. Giulio’s knowledge of the history behind the locations and his ability to share that knowledge made the night even more special. We would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Rome!!

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Tracy Fitzgerald

We had the most wonderful experience with our Rome by Night Photo Tour Under the Stars. Giulio was so knowledgeable in photography and Roman history. He was friendly, responsive, flexible and accommodating with our schedule and preferences. Our photos are stunning- better than postcards! We rented equipment from him, which he showed us how to use. He made the whole experience enjoyable. I highly, highly recommend!

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Suzanne

Giulio is an exceptional guide who knows all the places to capture wonderful memories of Rome. He is patient, informative, attentive and helpful. I highly recommend scheduling a tour with him!

Strongly recommend this tour!

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Heather Lary

Strongly recommend this tour! Giulio was AMAZING. He was patient--letting us go at our own pace, super accommodating to our requests, and made sure our specific location requests were met. We are pretty established photographers, but he had some great tips and suggestions which really made our photos pop. We only had one day in Rome, so glad we spent it with Giulio!

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Allan Woolway

This was one of the best photo tours I could imagine. The guide was super knowledgeable and told us many stories. He took us around to photo all the highlights of Rome and night without having lots of tourists around. I would highly recommend this tour and guide.

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Kelly Jones-Wagy

I had an absolutely amazing experience with Giulio during our tour. We went to every place promised on our tour. I learned a little bit about Rome, and a little bit about photography as we toured the city. A completely private tour of Rome at night to the most iconic places to take photographs was something I never could have done on my own.

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Terrie Gray

Giulio did a great job of helping me make the most of the evening. He knew where to go and the history of the area. He also provided a few photography tips. I recommend him!

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Nausher Banaji

Giulio is a great photo tour guide to Rome. Giulio took us to all the perfect vantage points for our shots. This is the main advantage of hiring a photo tour guide. Only a local photographer like Giulio knows all the best angles for all the amazing locations and monuments that Rome has to offer. Giulio has a lot of positive energy and it was a pleasure to do the tour with him.

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Odette Foronda

You’re being coached by a Roman who can not only walk you to the best photo spots in Rome with his eyes closed, but because he’s a professional photographer with multi-layered knowledge and experience in different cultures and continents, he will also effortlessly guide you with your composition and camera settings. Very warm, friendly, kind, and funny. In perfect English, he gives you technical tips, gently and patiently repeating them until they sink in your head. He has loads of stories to tell, not only about the history of the sites, but pretty much else under the sun, including how to marinate rabbit and why you have to jaywalk with him on Rome’s busy streets. :) What’s not to love? When I first visited Rome almost two decades ago, I came home with lousy shots from my point-and-shoot. On this second visit, I meant to come home with the best shots possible. I’ve been teaching myself photography for five years in an effort to come up with publishable photos to include in the travel books I’m writing. Although I had a grasp of how the exposure triangle works, I’d never had the benefit of working with a pro. I’d mostly been shooting in either Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority mode, going Manual only occasionally. Giulio had me shooting in purely Manual mode, and after a couple of hours, I started feeling more confident with it. I took three tours: Rome by Night, Rome by Day, and Churches, Angels and Art, meaning I had the benefit of Giulio’s coaching for at least twelve hours, resulting in a treasure folder of photos. I have been shooting more in Manual mode ever since. Now there’s a thick line that divides my photo files: BG and AG – Before Giulio and After Giulio. You can bet the AGs are superior to the BGs. The booking procedure was easy; Giulio responded to my emails promptly and clearly, and he accommodated some schedule changes I needed to make. Just keep in mind that the sites you are able to cover depends largely on your skill and energy level. Five sparkling stars; highly recommended!

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David Swainson

What a great evening with Giulio, we found great opportunities for some wonderful images, and we moved at a pace that I was comfortable with, taking a small break when I needed it. We finished at the Colosseum which was where I wanted to get to. Best thing, Giulio drove the last segment to get us there before the tour ended then dropped me off at my hotel afterwards. Thanks, well done

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Jennifer Brubaker

This tour was fabulous if you are new to photography and want to learn more about how to take a beautiful shot at night. Giulio was a delight to spend time with and was very flexible scheduling. He asked a lot of questions about my skill level, experience, etc before the day so he could really tailor the tour to my needs. I learned a lot about photography and how to adjust the various settings to achieve the picture I want. I would recommend this tour to anyone interested in photography and learning more about Rome!

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Matthew L.

My family was visiting Rome for spring break. It would be our first time in Rome. One of the things I wanted to do while there was photograph as much of the highlights of Rome as I could. Not being experienced with the city I decided to look for a photo tour with an experienced photographer. After doing some web research, I found Giulio’s site and really wanted to do the night tour. I contacted Giulio via his webpage to ask a few questions I had. Giulio promptly contacted me via phone to answer my questions as well as ask me some questions to gauge my interests as well as to let me know what type of gear I should bring. Communication was wonderful leading up to the tour. Reminders were sent as well as email communication to answer last minute questions I had. It was going to be me and my teenage daughter for the tour. We met at the agreed upon location and went over some basics. Then we were off. We travelled a lot of ground and hit numerous locations to photograph, both well-known and hidden jewels. Giulio is very knowledgeable about the city and offers insight into many of the areas where we shot at. The four-hour tour went so quickly. Giulio was wonderful with my daughter helping her get some great shots as a composition would catch her eye. Before we knew it our wonderful tour was over, and Giulio was dropping us off at our hotel. It was a great tour, and we were so happy we had the chance to do it. If/when we return to Rome, I would like to do the early morning tour that Giulio offers. I highly recommend hiring Giulio as your guide for a wonderful time of photographing Rome, no matter what your skill level.

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Amber Orr

I highly recommend Rome Photo Fun Tours. Rome is beautiful by day, but magical by night. Giulio was so knowledgeable and patient. He taught me how to use functions I didn't even know my camera had and his knowledge of photo composition made all the difference in a great picture versus an incredible picture. Anyone interested in learning while taking fantastic photos should definitely book a tour with Rome Photo Fun Tours. Thank you so much for showing me your gorgeous city all lit up.

 

Mark Ostler

My wife and I had high expectations for our night photo tour and to our very pleasant surprise, all of them were exceeded--it was a truly outstanding evening. We began at 9 pm and finished up shortly after 1 am, having visited several of the most famous Roman landmarks as well as some interesting side streets and byways. During the tour, Giulio provided lots of very helpful instruction regarding technique, while also giving us entertaining and informative stories about Roman history and the sites we visited. He even turned what might have been a negative (rain during the final hour or so of our tour) into a big positive, doing his best to keep us relatively dry while demonstrating how the rain made the streets shimmer beautifully in our photos. Hiring a personal guide of Guido's quality is worth every penny (and probably a lot more, but I hope he won't charge us accordingly the next time he engage him), and we'll both give him the highest recommendation to friends and family going to Rome or Tuscany.

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Noma Finney

I took both a day tour and a night tour with Giulio and I enjoyed them both tremondously. I couldn’t have been more delighted! The night tour was so enjoyable as was the day tour. It was just magical as we went to so many beautiful sights illuminated at night! Giulio took me to places that I would have never seen on my own in Rome and I saw and photographed some night scenes of Rome without crowds that still amaze me! If you are considering a photography tour with Giulio, don’t hesitate. You will not regret a tour with Giulio. When I return to Rome, I will definitely book another tour with him and would recommend him to anyone regardless of your photography level.

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Heather Kane

My Husband and I took the Rome by Night Tour and just had the best time. Giulio was the perfect host, full of history of the city, and a very good teacher. This is a tour that would be enjoyable no matter what level photographer you are. We enjoyed every minute--not wanting the night to end. Booking was simple, and Giulio is fantastic with his communication. We knew we were going to be in good hands even before we arrived. The tour was smooth, the perfect pace, and one of the highlights of our entire vacation. We would whole heartedly recommend this offer to my friends and family.

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Françoise Hertigers

As it was our first day of our first time ever in Rome, we could not have imagined a better way to start our Roman adventure as with this amazing Rome by night phototour/workshop "Under the Stars". I learned a lot that night under the Roman stars, about this beautiful city and its eventful history. But also about night photography and photography in general. Giulio, who is realy patient and very friendly, provides advice about photographical know how and skills, but yet he gives you enough space to create your pictures as you want them to be. For Rome first timers I would definitely advice a phototour with Giulio at the beginning of their stay in Rome. With Giulio because he really is the best! At the beginning of your stay, because it's amazing how much it lowers the pressure: We came to Rome with such a big list of things we wanted to see… After the tour with Giulio we felt that pressure lower immediatly, for we got to see already a lot of Romes hot spots, and in a way we could not have imagened in advance. The days after we got to see Rome in a more relaxed way. And of course, the other days and nights I got the chance to put into practice the photographical skills Giulio learned me. And there is no other place you would rather practice … I would definitely and wholeheartedly recommend a phototour by Giulio. Time flew by too fast. If we get the chance to visit Rome again, I will definitely book another tour with Giulio.

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