Photography

Bill, It's difficult to make specific suggestions, as all three locations you mentioned have almost unlimited scenic views with beautiful landscapes, old buildings, ruins, etc. Unfortunately, many of these locations are also "tourist spots", such as the Colosseum in Rome, the Ponte Vecchio in Florence or the Piazza San Marco in Venice. Many of these locations will be better for photos either in the early morning or late in the afternoon, as the lighting will be better. I've been packing along a compact travel Tripod for the last few trips, mostly for use in these "low light" situations. While it's sometimes a nuisance to haul around, I've been glad that I brought it on a number of occasions. If you're planning to take photos inside Churches or other buildings, note that Flash and Tripods are usually prohibited. Some locations (ie: Borghese Gallery in Rome) will not allow ANY photography, and you'll likely have to "check" your Camera when you enter (I did). I'm assuming you're using a DSLR? Happy travels!

The two previous commenters are spot on. There is no shortage of such spots. You might take a look at what other amateur photographers have done, to get some ideas. For example, here are some of the photos I've taken of Rome in May 2008 Rome in May 2011, Venice in May 2008 Venice in May 2011 Happy travels.

you will be overwhelmed with the amount of photo opportunities Italy presents you there is no need to seek out special locations, you will be bombarded with them daily
to catch a beautiful sunset over the city of Florence visit Piazzale Michelangelo before the sun goes down, the light can beautiful

Michael Great photography. This is what I am looking for. Hope mine will turn out just as good. Thanks Bill

Pt. 1 While I agree with the prior responses about being presented with camera-worthy scenes as you tour, there are places and, importantly, times that present optimal opportunity for capturing memorable images outside the normal tourist routine. That's a long-winded way of saying that if you are willing to get up early and stay out late, you can get some great shots that others don't. For example, in Rome shortly after daybreak the sun shines over the Tiber and Bernini's statues on Ponte Sant' Angelo onto the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. You can get the picture from upriver (East) on Ponte Umberto I. Then walk along the northern embankment to Castel Sant' Angelo and the bridge for more interesting morning scenes. It'll be just you out there with the Romans on the way to work which is an interesting experience in itself.

Pt. 2 If you have a mini-tripod and know how to manage shutter speed, nighttime is a good time for photos. The Rome authorities don't seem to care about mini-tripods in my experience. I've shot the Spanish Steps late at night and before sunrise and recommend the latter as there are fewer people around. Find a spot you like on Fontana della Barcaccia (again Bernini) and shoot up the steps. For the fountain, do it the other way around. I didn't find a place to use the tripod at Trevi Fountain or Piazza della Rotunda, so I used handy walls to steady the camera which worked well with a stabilized lens. If you don't have that equipment, I would still give it a go as there is no cost to try in the age of digital photography. I visited Florence and Venice in the days before I really got into photography (in the youthful days of late nights and mornings) so I can't give specific sites for those cities. But to get the shots others don't of the same scenes, early, late and nighttime are the times to be at waterside and St. Mark's Square in Venice and at the Piazza della Signoria and along the Arno in Florence.

I think in order to successfully capture a location you should not only do the 'must photograph' locations but should look for images that reflect your own trip and your own vision of those locations. You can buy postcards done by professionals that show a location to its best advantage, but you can't buy an image of your plate with a wonderful dinner, the view out of your window, etc. Don't forget to photograph the details...door knobs, window boxes, market stalls, interesting people, doorways. I am a professional photographer and have taken groups to Europe and it sometimes helps to give yourself an assignment for the day. One that has been fun in the past is to choose a color for the day... then be sure to capture lots of images with that color.... or a word or a shape. It helps you to see things in a new way. All the locations have many great photo ops, but it is up to you to looks for the images that will be uniquely yours.

I agree 100% with Tex and Terry. The very first time we went to Italy (in 2003), I decided to take pictures of doors with my 35mm. I scanned some of the results and uploaded them to my flickr page here. Some turned out better than others, but there was no shortage of subjects. Another theme you can play with is reflections, catching images reflected in glass or pools of water.

Views from Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence are beautiful. If your hotel has a rooftop terrace, you are set for great photos of the skyline and closeups of the Duomo and Bell Tower, if you are in the right place. Rome: early morning or late afternoon light is best. Go to the Gianicolo for views of Rome. There is a spot near the entrance gateway at Piazza del Popolo where you can get a photo of the obelisk in the piazza and the twin churches on either side of it. Venice: just about anywhere along the water, but views of Venice from the Lido are always good. A word on tripods: You can use them almost anywhere outdoors but most churches/museums will not let you set one up inside.

We stayed on the Lido the third time we went to Venice (bad mistake), but found it too far away from Venice to get good pictures. Here's a picture from the Lido that illustrates what I mean. Perhaps Zoe is thinking of the Giudecca? There would be some excellent views from there.