There’s something quietly cinematic about this little square—like a scene waiting for someone to step into it. The old brick walls and the tall windows give off a kind of quiet dignity, while the cast-iron streetlamp in the foreground adds a sense of time standing still. What makes the image come alive are the fallen leaves scattered across the cobblestones. They catch the light in patches, creating a subtle rhythm through the frame.
You might miss it at first glance, but there's a second lamp tucked just off-center in the distance, echoing the first one and creating a natural line for the eye to follow. The overhanging branches soften the top edge of the frame, adding a bit of texture and framing to what might otherwise feel too still.
I shot this during a walk through Leiden on a crisp autumn morning. There were no people around, just the rustle of leaves and that lovely soft northern light. I remember pausing here longer than expected, not because something was happening, but because nothing was—and it felt rare.
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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