CHAINSAW MASSACRE – roman trees
if you like living things, especially large harmless ones such as whales ands trees, perhaps you’d better not look at these graphic images
the story behind these sad photographs is below
brutally amputated tree, rome, italy, spring 2012
brutalized plain trees (Platanus orientalis), rome, italy, spring 2012
what is left of plain trees and an umbrella pine (Pinus pinea), rome, italy, spring 2012
near limbless fir tree of some kind, rome, italy, spring 2012
some kind of conifer, rome, italy, spring 2012
in bad shape, rome, italy, spring 2012
holm oaks (Quercus ilex). rome, italy, spring 2012
this used to be a tree, rome, italy, spring 2012
laurel stumps (Laurus nobilis), rome, italy, spring 2012
tree after chainsaw massacre, rome, italy, spring 2012
rome, italy, spring 2012
this huge old umbrella pine (Pinus pinea) took a particularly brutal bashing, poor thing. rome, italy, spring 2012
the story behind these ghastly photographs.
winter 2012. it snows in rome. quite a bit of snow. last time it snowed significantly in rome was a full quarter century earlier.
rome is a huge city and has a great many of a lot of things. one of them is cars. the other, thankfully, is trees. when it snowed, several branches snapped under the weight of the snow. and guess what they fell on top of? that’s right, mostly parked cars. now, messing with an italian’s car is possibly worse than commenting on his mother.
revenge came in the form of a messy, brutal and merciless chainsaw attack on some of rome’s most decent citizens
it truly breaks my heart.
alessandro ciapanna
I have a fervent affinity for trees. These black and whites are gorgeous.
Blessings,
Cara
thank you cara.
People who ask me on how to get better with photography, I always insist them on following one single theme on a photowalk which will ultimately improve their photographic eye. This article is a clear indicator of that. Excellent shots and brilliant tones on all of them and perfect execution of the theme. good work.
thank you.
i couldn’t agree more: although each single photograph is supremely important, a well executed photo story can paint a far more accurate portrait of the chosen subject.
Cheers, keep up the great work
Your photos are beautiful. I do love trees – especially in black and white. Gives them a kind of mystique. So sad though.
i find it extremely sad. many of these trees will sprout new branches (the holm oaks, the laurel and the plain trees). the resinous plants (pines and firs) however, are just not able to sprout new branches from the trunk. they will just have to hold on to dear life in their twisted, unnatural new shapes
Ciao, thanks for highlighting this,great in b& w, same happens around here, l guess the local commune can’t afford tree specialists! catch my blog on the massacred olive trees! ciao. Lynne
terrible, isn’t it?
thanks for the feedback, lynne
Thanks for visiting my blog Alessandro, and for the ‘like’. They’ve been chainsawing our Amsterdam plane trees this week too, though I’m trusting that the pruning is in the tree’s best interests – opening up the centre to let the light in. We’ll see how they turn out as the leaves start to develop. Cheers, Richard
yeah, plain trees are fairly tough, thankfully…
thanks for the feedback, richard
I love the way you explained the damaged trees. Seem like something my husband would do.
the explaining, i hope, not the chopping…
thank you
No, not the chopping.
ouch
Good pictures….nature always fights back…
it will certainly find a way to do so
thank you
Good one !
thank you ranadive
Great reportage. B&W gives it the right effect for the emotions that you have captured. I lived in Rome for ten years and I hope to come back soon to live in. Trees are everywhere in the city, they are part of it! I know your feelings. Congratulations.
so true: trees are a huge part of the city.
thank you, paola
Sad story, great photos!!!
thank you bente
The b&w is very effective for this type of story.
yes, color would be a distraction from the twisted shapes
thank you
Wow, shocking about the trees. I was similarly disheartened when trees were cut back where I work… “to improve the view”… which is now of unattractive houses beyond.
though common sense may sometimes not prevail, life certainly will
Sad indeed…
Well done for making the massacre look suitably stark and brutal.
thanks rudolf. i am glad to say that, a few short months later, most of those trees are already back into proper shape
They hold a very mysterious and odd beauty in the sense that their stripped bare of their limbs, but still standing in black and white. Proving that life will not die, not even Nature.
-Carlos Hernandez
You are so right. Thanks for your kind words, Carlos