Whenever I visit a place with stunning landscapes and cityscapes, I feel compelled to capture them in timelapse video. My camera of choice is the compact and easy-to-pack GoPro Hero. While widely known as an action camera for adventure sports, the GoPro is an incredibly versatile travel companion. Instead of lugging around a backpack full of camera gear, I simply slip my lightweight GoPro into a pocket along with a foldable mini tripod, and off I go.
Recently, I spent seven weeks in Italy as part of a university-based adult learning program. Unlike the typical tourist on a week-long vacation, I had the luxury of wandering at my own pace, fully immersing myself in Italian life. There’s nothing quite like selecting a spot, observing the rhythm of daily life, and capturing it in timelapse. You never know what you’ll discover. One thing I quickly learned is that Italians are always on the move, day and night. The streets and squares of Rome pulse with constant activity.
One early evening in Piazza del Popolo, I watched as locals strolled through, stopping for gelato and chatting with friends. At the center of the piazza stands a towering Egyptian obelisk, originally built in the 13th century BC under Ramses II, accompanied by a grand fountain. It serves as both a focal point and a social gathering place, where carefree children climb and play on the lion statues at its base. To me, that’s a striking sight—an ancient relic turned into a modern-day playground.
In a similar blend of old-world charm and contemporary culture, just across the piazza, a group of teenagers transformed the space between twin 17th-century churches into an impromptu dance floor. With music blaring from a boombox, they executed acrobatic breakdancing moves, blending history with modern expression in an unexpected yet mesmerizing way.
Throughout my journey, I encountered countless other fascinating moments. Two seagulls perched on a ledge of the Colosseum seemed to pose for excited tourists, oblivious to the fact that gladiators once fought for their lives on this very ground. A young couple expressed their love at a romantic lighthouse overlook on the island of Capri. And in Venice, the golden glow of sunset bathed the waterways as gondolas carried couples on the dreamlike journey they had always imagined.
Observing and capturing these moments in brilliant timelapse is not just a passion of mine—it’s a way to keep the journey alive forever.
