This photograph was all about slowing down. I remember leaning in, not to frame the statues or the courtyard in the usual way, but to let the balusters take center stage. They’re often overlooked—just barriers or framing devices—but here they shape the entire rhythm of the image. Their alternating forms create a pattern that’s both solid and fluid, almost like a visual heartbeat pulsing across the foreground.
Beyond them, the scene opens up gently. You catch glimpses of the classical sculptures tucked into the walls, and the curve of the lower balcony pulls your eyes inward, deeper into the space. It’s like the past is peeking through these stone figures, half hidden and half revealed. What I really loved here was the sense of layering—how the old architecture, the carvings, and the quiet shadows all seem to be waiting for someone to look long enough to notice.
I took this during a quiet weekday in Rome, and for some reason, this moment felt like the most honest one.
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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