Colosseum · Rome
Colosseum photoshoot, before the tour buses
The Colosseum looks its best when the square in front of it is still empty and the stone turns soft gold. We meet you there early, walk you between three viewpoints a few minutes apart, and tell you exactly where to stand.
From €180 · no Colosseum ticket needed, we shoot outside
No ticket needed
We photograph outside and around the amphitheatre: no queues, no entry slots.
The Colosseum, not the crowd
We come early, so the arches are behind you instead of a tour group.
Blue hour works too
After sunset the arches light up. The best plan B when mornings are too early.
From €180
Half an hour at one viewpoint, or an hour across three.
From our Colosseum sessions
Colosseum photoshoot photos
Where we stand
Where we photograph around the Colosseum
Piazza del Colosseo
The amphitheatre up close, with the arches filling the frame. Empty only in the first hour of the morning.
The terrace on Colle Oppio
Largo Gaetana Agnesi, above Via Nicola Salvi: the postcard view from above. Busy after nine, so we go there first or last.
Towards the Forum
Via dei Fori Imperiali and the Arch of Septimius Severus seen from the Capitoline Hill, a short walk away. Our favourite way to fill an hour.
The session
Colosseum photoshoot prices, from €180
- A route of three or four backdrops, planned around the light
- Direction from the first minute
- Every keeper edited by hand
- Clips the same evening, the gallery within one week
€180
Half an hour
About 25 edited photos
- The Colosseum from one viewpoint
- Posing guidance from the first minute
- Private gallery within one week
Most booked
€300
One hour
50 to 70 edited photos
- The Colosseum, the Forum and the Capitol
- Route and light planned for you
- Private gallery within one week
€600
Two hours
100 to 140 edited photos
- Ancient Rome, then the centre
- Time for an outfit change
- Private gallery within one week
Most couples combine the Colosseum, the Forum and the Capitoline Hill in one hour · weddings and elopements are quoted individually
Timing and light
Photographing the Colosseum: crowds, light and timing
Read more: crowds, light and timing
Crowds through the day
Before 8am the road beside the Colosseum and the terrace above it are nearly empty: on 14 June our session started at 7:35 with nobody else in the frame. The monument opens at 8:30, and by mid-morning the square is full of tour groups. In summer it closes at 7:15pm, and the square calms down again in the evening.
Light through the year
In June the sun rises around 5:35, in December around 7:30, so a sunrise session means very different alarm clocks. For warm light on the stone, come in the last hour before sunset; right after sunset there are about 30 minutes of blue hour, when the arches are lit. Our sunrise and sunset times has the hour for your month.
Three viewpoints within five minutes
Piazza del Colosseo for the arches up close, the terrace on Colle Oppio at Largo Gaetana Agnesi for the classic view from above, and the side towards Via dei Fori Imperiali and the Forum. We usually use two or three of them in one session.
Adding the Forum and the Capitol
In one hour we often continue to the terrace above the Roman Forum by the Arch of Septimius Severus, then up to the Capitoline Hill. On our June route that took from 7:35 to 8:50, finished before the heat. See that morning.
Going inside afterwards
The photoshoot is outside, so you need no ticket for it. If you want to see the arena or the underground after the session, book ahead: our guide to Colosseum tickets and hours covers every ticket type and price.
Questions
Colosseum photoshoot questions
Where is the best place to take a photo at the Colosseum?
For the classic view from above, the terrace on Colle Oppio (Largo Gaetana Agnesi). For the arches up close, Piazza del Colosseo before 8am. We usually do both in one session.
Do we need a Colosseum ticket for the photoshoot?
No. We photograph outside and around the amphitheatre, so there are no tickets, queues or entry times. If you want to go inside too, here is our guide to Colosseum tickets and hours.
What is the best time for a Colosseum photoshoot?
The early morning, when the square is empty and the light is soft: in summer the sun rises around 5:35, and it stays quiet until about 8am. The second-best option is blue hour, right after sunset. See our sunrise and sunset times for your month.
Can we do a Colosseum photoshoot at night?
Yes, around blue hour, when the sky is still deep blue and the arches are lit. It suits summer trips, when early mornings are hard.
Can you photograph a proposal at the Colosseum?
Yes. We pick the spot together, usually the terrace or the square early in the morning, agree a signal and stay out of sight until you kneel.
How much does a Colosseum photoshoot cost?
€180 for half an hour, €300 for an hour with three or four backdrops, €600 for two hours. See all Rome photoshoot prices.
More of Rome
Other places we photograph
Trevi Fountain photoshoot
Before the €2 ticket gates open
Our Rome photoshoot route
Ponte Sant’Angelo, Navona, the Pantheon and Trevi in one morning
Elopements in Rome
The Colosseum at 7:37, Trevi and the Pantheon by nine
A June morning at the Colosseum
7:36am, then the Forum and the Capitol
Your dates in Rome
Book your Colosseum photoshoot
Tell us your dates and who’s in the shoot. A photographer replies within a day with a route and a start time.