Memories of Dalmatia XIX

I will begin with this critique quite simply. When I first laid my eyes upon this piece, I was convinced that it was, in fact, a painting, or a drawn illustration of some kind. It was only when I first looked at the tags, and actually took a closer look at the image itself, that I did actually realize it to be a photograph. If you would look at the boat, closest to the foreground of the image, you can see why I would've thought as much. The boat "ZD 2936", as far as I can tell from one look, seems to have been painted. The colors are gritty and semi-varied, and the way that the curtains are draped, colored and just appear gives off the effect that it has been done extremely meticulously by hand. However, as you continue along the rest of the image, starting with the boats lining up against the harbour, to the clouds, buildings, trees (and even that one building poking its head between a couple of trees on the left), you start to wonder if this is truly a photograph, or simply a carefully-built illustration. I am, to put it simply, mesmerised.

However, I now look away from the stark and dirty white of the boats, and gaze into the distance at the city. They offer a strange contrast, really. They are dark, dirty, gritty and almost something to be disliked. You look at them, and you see the clouds that cover them, and you start to think that it's a place you don't want to be--as if this little path with boats lining it is the greener grass on the other side of the fence.

As it stands, I am not a photographer. I know little of the nuances of taking a picture, nor could I take one that would look as professional as this. I am, however, a writer. And with that, I start to imagine how this scene would be painted in my mind, placed into words and given life through letters. When I look at this, I see many different scenes opening up around me. Unfortunately, I can also see this as giving forth ideas of "cliche". One morning, just as the sun is finally rising. The sound of slowly flowing water, and seagulls flying through the air. It is a beautiful image, but one that I cannot help but feel I have seen before. This does not degrade from the quality, mind you.