Uno, Due, Treeeeeeeeeeee

Ciao, everyone! As the group’s certified portrait photographer, I felt it was necessary to document my experience behind the lens of my Roman journey. As a little bit of background, I grew up learning about Rome all the time. Whether it be Brutus and Caesar or the importance of Michelangelo, I’ve been taught and learned to love Rome’s atmosphere. However, when I learned anything about this city, it was always through a textbook or a page I found on Google. I never had any personal experience that truly connected me to the nature of what lies here in the city. For most of my life, I thought that the pictures in the textbooks were enough and that there really wasn’t that much more to see. But I was wrong. I was missing the entire experience.
Getting out of the airport and actually seeing Rome for the first time was an eye-opening in itself, but my perspective changed for the better starting at the Colosseum. I’m sure that anyone reading this post will have at least some experience either reading about the place of gladiators and city gatherings or will have added a picture to their Pinterest board of “dream vacation spots” at some point. I was that person until I got off of the Metra and lost my breath at my first real view of the monument in person. Pictures that I saw in textbooks and ones I took myself were in no way close enough to showcase the extremity and beauty held within its walls. I, as a very talkative person, found myself at a loss for words. This experience helped to teach me that textbooks and schooling can be great in explaining why an event or a place is significant, but it can’t give you the true experience needed to fully understand the context of its importance. As I moved along with my phone’s camera in hand, I learned even more how the significance of the experience of being physically connected to art can enhance my perspective on the piece.
Today, the Roamin’ Knights took on the Vatican Museum, which might I add was about twenty times larger than I had imagined. The museum held some of the coveted art I only thought I’d ever see in my art history textbooks and brought ancient history to life. While it was great getting to walk through the Egyptian halls and seeing the contemporary art, I had a moment in the confined halls of the Sistine Chapel. This was the first place we visited where silence was required and no photos were allowed. While I was initially upset I wasn’t going to be able to post pictures of the Last Judgement on my Facebook page, I quickly gained an appreciation for the rules of the sacred place. Getting to experience Michelangelo’s masterpieces in near silence kind of changed my life. I hate to admit it, but during the first half of the tour I would walk by masterpieces, snap a quick photo, and continue on my merry way without taking the time needed to appreciate the art for what it’s worth. Without having my phone in hand, I was able to focus on the details of the master’s four year project and feel more for a fresco than I ever had before. While this isn’t to say I don’t want to ever take pictures of famous art again and plan on trading in my current phone for an old school flip phone, it helped me to realize there’s a level beyond what can be captured in my own pictures and to learn to appreciate the work for what it is.
This experience of peeling back from textbook to my own camera to my own mind has helped me to walk away from each day feeling more connected to the city than I ever imagined possible. Bringing these creations to life is an experience that deserves to be felt in person, and without a phone every once and a while. I’m off to go snap some more photos of the group striking their own poses in front of some of the best photo ops Rome has to offer, but I hope this leaves my readers with more of an eye than just a lens.
Ciao!