I was born in Rome, Italy in 1961. I have been working in Radio, Theatre and Television in Italy and in New York. In 2002 I began working on documentaries on poverty, development and the raising clash between societies, cultures and religions. In 2003 I moved to Nairobi, where I founded Canvas Africa Productions, a company focusing on social issues through documentaries and photography projects for UN Agencies and NGOs. In 2014 I came back to my hometown, where I run photography workshops, but I am also still involved with humanitarian projects. Through photography I learned to look more deeply into human experiences, people’s life and feelings. My work was exhibited in many different prestigious venues, such as art galleries, cultural centers, embassies and International photo festivals. One of my major achievements has been to have my work being shown at the Biennale di Venezia in 2011. I have been published by the New York Times Lens, and some of my photos from Africa have been bought by Alidem, a photography gallery in Milan (www.alidem.com). A great deal of my photography work and some of my videos are on my website and Instagram account.

1. Day Time Tours of Roman buildings and monuments
2. Night Time Tours of selected highly photogenic landmarks
3. Day Time Tours focusing on Street Photography
4. Day Time in Villa Borghese and surrounding posh areas
5. Food Photography (needing 1.4 F. stop and macro lenses needed)
6. Churches and their art (sculptures, painting, frescos, crypts)
7. Your Own Photo Shoot (I will take professional photos of you in Rome)
8. Your customized tour based on your very specific requests.

Day tours last four hours. Night tours are five hours long (taking photos at night requires more time for setting up).  The starting time will vary according to the time of the year and based on clients’ needs and wishes. They can be easily arranged either via email or using the calendar on the website.  FYI though, my favorite hours, as professional photographer are:

• Day Time, one hour before sunrise (to see places when the city is still asleep)
• Night Time, at around 10 pm (to take amazing shots of monuments wrapped in the charming and mysterious nocturnal lights).
• Street photography tour, from 7 am to 11 am or from 10 am to 2 pm and from 12pm to 16 pm, when street life is more vibrant.
• Your Own Photo shoot. It take either half or a full day.

The tours are normally conducted in English, but I also speak French, I do understand Spanish and I am a native Italian speaker.

The meeting place can be arranged according to the clients’ needs. It can be at the hotel or in any other convenient locations to be agreed upon, in order to quick start the tour, e.g. Castel Sant’Angelo, Colosseum, Trastevere.

You can participate in the tour with any kind of equipment you have. Ideally you should have a digital camera, a spare battery, one memory card by 32 GB and a second card as back up one wide lens ranging from 18 or 24mm to 70mm or 85 mm, and a zoom lens from 70mm to 200mm. Always make sure to have your lenses well cleaned before starting the tour. It would also be good if you could bring along a small kit to clean them, with a microfiber clothe, in case they get wet or dusty as we do the tour. Make also sure to have the camera sensor well clean before the tour. It would be wonderful if you also had either a 35mm or a 50 mm with low F stop (1.4 to 2.8). For night tours you should have a good tripod. If you don’t have it, I will avail mine.

Comfy and casual. Shoes must be extra comfortable. During late spring and summer the temperature can be truly hot, from 28 up to 35 Celsius, so you should wear light clothes, a nice hat, bring sun protection cream, and a water bottle to be refilled with the wonderfully tasting fresh water pouring out of the Roman drinking fountains, called “nasoni”.

Anybody from 18 to 80 years old, in medium good shape, able to walk long distances even at a slow pace. Don’t worry, we will not be running a marathon, rather take our time to take good shots and learn the technique. For those who cannot walk 4 hours, I can also plan shorter tours. Minors can participate only if accompanied by their parents or tutors holding their legal responsibility.

Rome is well known for many things, one is the way Romans drive both scooters and cars, the other one is the cobblestones of it streets downtown, another one was the “pickpocketers” or snatchers (much less frequent nowadays, unless you are in the metro or in buses , which we won’t take).  Besides those main things, let’s be honest anything can happen during a tour, even the camera could accidentally fall or slide off your shoulder. Rome Photo Fun Tours does not cover these accidents, therefor we are not liable for any damage or loss that might occur, hence you should hold an insurance fully covering yourself and your gear.

Monuments and statues usually don’t get offended or get hostile when you take photos of them, nor they have to sign a release for you to take  a shot of them…. but some people might. It is always a good policy to be kind, open and discreet when taking photos of people, especially during the street photography tour. Romans see millions of tourists every year, and we are quite used to photographers trying to portrait our colorful way of being, so we are pretty easy going with it, still my suggestion would be use some tact, while in some places like markets or small artisans’ shops it is always good policy to ask for permission before shooting. Good manners and respect are also a must when taking photos in churches, and it is good to know that normally, it is not allowed to take photos during mass, while is always forbidden to use the flash both in churches and museums.

I do care about my clients. My main goal is always to make them happy and 100% satisfied of the tour they have taken with me. This is why I always appreciate their feedback and the sharing of their honest opinions. Those are the most valuable tools I have to improve the quality of my services. Therefor your reviews on the tours taken will be a precious contribution to my ability to always offer better tours.

RPFT will pay full respect of your privacy and your data protection. In addition to that, if you want to have your pictures or the pictures I will have taken of you during our tours, published on my website or in my other social media (for promotional purposes only), I will ask you to sign a proper release to authorize me to do so. If you will agree, you will also become part of the Rome Photo Fun Tours experience: a yearly photo competition amongst my clients, where the three best photographers will win a 50% discount coupon for themselves or their friends to be used in a new tour.

The Rome Photo Fun Tours fees are as shown in this table:

If you want to book your Rome Photo Fun Tour, you have two options:

• You can send me a direct e-mail at giuliodercole@gmail.com with your booking request, adding up other specification or special needs if you have. In this case you will have to send a down payment equal to the 50% of the tour chosen, either through credit card or paypal. The balance will have to be paid at the end of the tour either in cash or credit card.
• You can fill the on-line form that I will send you (or as it will appear in the website which is still under construction) paying the upfront fee. The balance will have to be paid at the end of the tour either in cash or credit card.

• Invoices will be sent to you within 24 hours.
• Both e-mail and online booking will be followed by confirmation of dates, hours and kind of tour selected, within 24 hours.
• The payment does not include your medical, travel and equipment insurances. Those should be taken care by you or by your tour operator/travel agency.
• Drinks, meals, eventual cost for public or private transportation are also not included.
• Special agreements can be taken to have aperitifs and meals arranged in characteristic bars and restaurants according to your likings.

• Bad weather conditions such as medium rain or strong wind will not stop us to take our tours. The importance thing is to be prepared to protect ourselves and our equipment. So you should have a) a raincoat or a raincoat-poncho (they can be bought for five euros in Rome), b) a rainproof bag for your camera, c) if possible a rain protection for your camera. I will provide umbrellas.
• If the weather will truly making the tour impossible, you will be free to reschedule, and I’ll make anything possible to find you a new slot, or you will be reimbursed for the total amount given.
• If, for any circumstances, I will be unfortunately forced to cancel the tour, I will either make anything possible to find you a new slot or you will be reimbursed for the total amount already paid, or I will provide you with another professional photographer to run the tour on my behalf.
• Full cancellation of the tour on your side, notified two weeks before the tour, will have the deposit refunded (or the full amount if already paid). Only 50 euros per person will be retained by RPFTs for administration costs.  
• Cancellation from your end after two weeks prior the tour, will see the full deposit and 50% of the full amount paid in advance (in case it was paid) being retained from RPFTs.

• Thank you so much for an absolutely incredible photo tour.  The Morning Light photo tour exceeded my wildest imagination. I booked the tour almost 6 months ago, and was really looking forward to it.  Giulio was an exceptional guide as he was informative about both photography and the city of Rome.  I can’t possibly recommend this experience enough.  Joelle
• Giulio could not have b been nicer, more professional, or more of a pleasure with which to spend time.  Gary
• Giulio was very professional and very knowledgeable in photography. I consider myself a novice in photography and needed a lot of things to learn but Giulio never made me feel intimidated taking photos while on the tour. He taught me a lot of things especially in composition and proper exposure – those were my main goals. Not only that Giulio delivered but he exceeded my expectation. Giulio was native Roman so he knows the ins and outs of the town, the history behind those places we went to and best of all, he showed us where we could find good food! And the best part of it too were the photos of us that he took. Thanks Giulio! Mike
• Our photography workshop with Giulio on 01/07/17 was fantastic.  We met at 6am in Trastevere, an area of Rome that we love.  The streets had not yet been cleaned so Giulio suggest we take a walk to some other areas to find some nice shots.  We later returned to Trastevere after exploring some areas of Rome we had never visited before.  Giulio’s knowledge of Rome and photography is second to none, and we very much appreciated how much he wanted to share; he went above and beyond to ensure we enjoyed our experience.  Thank you so much Giulio, our shots are great and we will treasure the memories. Kay
• Giulio was right on time and spoke very good English, which made the tour very easy flowing. He was very friendly and eager to share his trade. His overall photographic knowledge combined with his in depth knowledge of Rome’s best photo spots made it a very productive tour. I went to places and made photos that I never would have been able to make without him. Daniel
• Giulio was unbelievably super!! Such a nice person and a fantastic pro. Thank you again! I had a wonderful evening and a super shoot. Richard
• Giulio was great and really did an outstanding job of conducting us around Rome. I give Giulio a 5 star rating. Jack
• I therefore spent several hours with Giulio yesterday. It was a complete pleasure!! He is knowledgeable but gentle in dispensing instruction. We were able to see fantastic parts of the city by foot. He took care to direct me to sites that were of interest to me, mostly for street photography I highly recommend him! Debbie 
• Giulio has been very attentive, very responsive to our expectations and tendencies, and actually made every possible effort to turn this workshop to an unforgettable experience for the both of us and such a great way to celebrate Etti’s Birthday.  Etti & Amit
• We really enjoyed the trip with Guillio last Thursday. Our stop prior to colosseum was particularly nice. We really enjoyed the trip, and guide was very good with lots of tips about camera settings, composition and he certainly took us to some great places to stop. We are pleased with our results, and would highly recommend him. Dennis
• Lorraine and I had a sensational time with Giulio the other day. Giulio delivered everything we hoped for and more. He got us to the right places at the right times in order to take advantage of the best light. He brought us to the best known monuments and beautiful, off-the-beaten-track spots. Giulio was a great guide and coach. I’ve been taking photos for years but, with Giulio, found I still had plenty to learn. He was patient, accommodating and clearly loves what he does. His enthusiasm was contagious. He was also a fascinating person to spend the morning with. John
• A quick note to let you know how much we enjoyed last night’s tour with Giulio. His master of light taught me much. The settings were perfect. His vast knowledge of Rome insightful. Very.  It was a truly memorable evening in Rome. All that I was hoping for and more. Much more. Gary

More Reviews about my work as Photographer and Film-Maker in Africa:

• When it comes to portraying humanitarian development work in the field, Giulio is a superb photographer and videographer without question. He knows how to capture fabulous scenes in all kinds of difficult situations and conditions and does it with the appropriate cultural sensitivity required. I wouldn’t hesitate to hire Giulio for future assignments and work. Mitchell Wilkie for CBM
• Giulio is a very passionate and professional photographer. His eye for detail is fantastic and he works well taking natural expressions as well as setting up interesting shots. While Giulio is highly experienced in his field, he is also open to direction and consults well within a team. Linda Bailey for CBM
• Giulio has demonstrated concrete skills in undertaking various aspects of the documentary. He is a great team player. He is very professional, confident, and proficient with a keen eye to detail and dedication to achieving results. Farah Said for IOM
• Giulio D’Ercole provided valuable video services to the World Bank/FAO/ILRI Gates-funded project on” Livestock Data Innovation in Africa”. He comes highly recommended by the project coordinators. Nancy. Morgan
for FAO and World Bank
• Mr.D’Ercole has shown great professionalism, promptness and flexibility in carrying out the assignment. His attention to detail and seeking to ensure the quality of the product is highly appreciated. Iman Morooka for UNICEF
• Giulio D’Ercole was the Coordinator of the CCT project ICTs for intercultural dialogue “Developing communication capacities of indigenous peoples” for the Africa region. The work achieved by Mr. D’Ercole in regard to the challenge facing this project was excellent from the project execution point of view as well as from the methodology employed to develop a an authentic participatory process. The result: an informative, seducing and audacious documentary which fully responded to the ToR required by UNESCO. Alonso Aznar for UNESCO
• Giulio D’Ercole managed to creatively bring the story to life, tying together powerful sound bites to riveting images collected in Burundi, Tanzania and Ethiopia. I highly recommend Canvas Africa as a production partner. Beatrice Spadacini for CARE International
• I have had the pleasure to commission Giulio’s services as a filmmaker on several occasions and have been very satisfied with the results every time. He is very creative and has a sensibility towards social equity issues, which he can capture and translate through his documentary film work and through his photos. Giulio is customer-oriented and pays attention to requirements and input, resulting in high quality audio-visual products. I recommend him unreservedly. Codou Diaw for FAWE
• Giulio is one of the most professional and creative producers I have worked with. I had the pleasure of working with Giulio in a couple of high-pressure projects. Giulio always remained positive, focused and gave a sense of partnership. Working with him also means being exposed to positive challenging thinking in constructive and brainstorming session aimed to achieve the best strategies, solutions and results for the task ahead. Dorothy Chlystum-Githae for DHL

Tel. +393403552538

Email: giuliodercole@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/giulio.dercole

Instagram: www.instagram.com/dercolegiulio

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/giulio-d-ercole-04534128/

Skype: Giulio.dercole