Photo Essay: Rome with a cameraphone.

Autumn in Rome 2007.

Finally, a weekend away with my wife, and the first time we've had three days alone together since the birth of our son, nearly three years ago. Fantastic.

A surprisingly hot few days for the time of year. Even better. The beauty is in the ambience, in the food and definitely in the eye of the beholder.

This is not a personal photographic assignment, this is a holiday. I only have my cameraphone, a SonyEricsson K850i.

If you haven't used one, they are a marvel. Extremely portable, discreet, 14mb jpg files when open, working well in low light, with a 'Cybershot' facility that automatically shoots either side of your capture. Sounds impossible, I know, but it gives you a choice of pictures in a sequence so you choose your favourite. Cuts the shutterlag problems and can yield some very surprising and amusing results.

Point, compose, click and walk on.

This set of pictures were taken in seconds. Most are the only shot of the subject I took and I didn't choose from hundreds of images.

Somehow most tourists seem to overlook these details in such a historically inspiring city. However, it's the sum of the parts that makes for a wholesome experience. Enjoying the sights with a camera is essential when it comes to appreciating the architecture of a place. These pictures work as a study of composition and colour. Specifically showing architectural elements which are part of the usual tourist haunts but not featured on the postcards or in the guide books. Although I have plenty of those too!

Except the last one...and the Trevi Fountain at 3am is a simply irresistible place to be alone with the one you love!