There was something about this moment that made me stop mid-step. I was walking along the Tiber, not expecting anything in particular, when this view through the winter branches framed St. Peter’s Basilica so perfectly it felt staged. The bare trees, twisted and tangled, create a natural vignette, pulling your eye toward the soft dome rising behind the bridge. The overcast sky softened the colors, giving everything a warm, earthy tone—the faded reds, the pale travertine, the dusty yellows. I love how the bridge cuts across the lower third, grounding the composition, while the dome sits high in the frame, balanced by the sharp branches. The contrast between nature’s chaos and the geometry of the architecture works beautifully here. And the tiny patches of graffiti under the arch bring you back to the present, grounding the image in real life. It’s a quiet, layered scene—one you don’t plan for, but that feels like a gift when it appears.
Welcome to my world of photography. I am Martijn Jebbink, born in the Netherlands and living in Rome.
I grew up in a small town, surrounded by an impressive forest. In that environment I developed my own way of looking at the world. At first, I didn’t see..
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