L'essence de Paris? L'essenza di Venezia?

The time has come to pick my next entry for The Guardian's Been There competition, and I'm having a hard time picking an entry based on this month's theme. The description for June is as follows:

June 2013: cities

NYC, London, Tokyo, modern behmoths. Or perhaps a more ancient one? Can you capture the essence of the urban metropolis?

So, the question is, what's the best way to interpret the theme? And how do you represent a city in a photograph while also avoiding cliches? One possible way I've thought to interpret the "cities" theme is to try to capture multiple cities (i.e. capitalizing on their use of the the plural form of the word) in one shot. The only photo I have which really fits the bill is this one, taken in 2012 in Bruges, Brussels:

Option #1 (Bruges from the Belfry)

While I like the city names in the foreground and the red roofs of the city in the background, I feel that having so much of the photo comprised of grey concrete is a little dull.

Another possibility is to try to capture as much of the city as possible--a cityscape from a good vantage point. I have a few I think might be good possibilities:

Option #2 (Prague from the Bridge Tower above the Charles Bridge)

Option #3 (Florence from the Duomo)

  

Option #4 (Florence's Duomo from Palazzo Vecchio)

 

 Option #4 (Venetian canal in the morning)

 Option #5 (Sunset over Venice)

Option #6 (Ponte Vecchio in Florence)

I'm not sure whether panoramas are acceptable for the contest or not, but if so, perhaps these might also be possibilities:

Option # 7 (Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo)

Option # 8 (Venice from a Vaporetto)

Finally, drawing on the challenge in the last line of the description--to capture the essence of a city--I could enter a photo which I think best encapsulates the experience of traveling in the city. While I think this has the most potential, it also holds the greatest possibility for either a) a cliche or b) a misinterpretation of my meaning. Possible entries for this interpretation are below:

 Option #9 (Venice from a Vaporetto)

Option #10 (A Gondola on the canal from the Guggenheim)

Option # 11 (Anchorage from the Coastal Trail)

While would arguably fit well in the cityscape category, I like this one as a "capturing the essence" photo because, while Anchorage itself is not particularly picturesque, the charm of the city lies in the wild, untouched landscape that can be found even within the city limits. The natural surroundings make it a beautiful and colorful city even on a grey, dreary day.

Option # 12 (Berlin's Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe )

This is my favorite photo of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin. I once heard an interview with an author of a German history book in which the author said that Germany has a very actively apologetic history--there are numerous monuments and memorials which acknowledge the atrocities of World War II. I didn't find that to be the case in places like Cologne, Heidelberg, or Dresden (though obviously the bombing of Dresden plays prominently in the city landscape when you consider the reconstruction), but certainly I could see the author's point in Berlin. Much of the landscape of the city has been shaped by World War II and the division of the city after the war, and I found the memorial to be a haunting reminder of the city's past. You quickly lose your companions in the maze of uneven, cockeyed pillars, which remind the viewer of massive grey tombs. The site, very near to Hitler's Bunker, is an unavoidable reminder of the city's past, which I think shapes so much of the character of the city today.

 Option # 13 (Jardin des Tuleries, Paris)

I took this on a beautiful spring evening walking through les Jardins des Tuleries in Paris; it was one of first warm, sunny days where everyone just sits outside and enjoys the beautiful weather. The park was full of Parisians taking in the sunset over the water.

Option #14 (Street performer outside of La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre)

Option #15 (Paris at night from the Eiffel Tower)

I like this one because it reminds me of the City of Lights, but I didn't have a tripod, so it's not without its flaws.

Option #16 (Crossing a bridge in Istanbul)

Istanbul is a city of mosques, and a blend of old architecture and a bustling, modern metropolis. I like this shot because it shows local people enjoying fishing in the heart of the city, while also capturing the clear blue sea and the sun-soaked mosques in the background.

I'd love to get your thoughts! Is there a photo which you think best fits the theme, or which appeals to you for some other reason? Is there one you think is trite or badly composed? Constructive criticism is always appreciated :)

(In)decisions

Most of my time lately has been devoted to shooting portraits (see my previous post) and some new travel photos in Germany, France, and Belgium (below), but I also have some exciting news to share. In early March, I decided to enter the Guardian newspaper "Been There" travel photo competition. Much to my surprise and pleasure, I was selected as a finalist for the March competition, and my photo was published online (click here to view my photo, entitled Solitude on Stanley Lake). Needless to say, I'm feeling pretty motivated to enter the April competition, so I need to make some decisions.


Unfortunately, as usual, I'm having a hard time deciding which photo to enter, and the photo is due tomorrow (the 23rd). The theme for April is "Street Life"--anything which captures daily life in an urban setting. I think I have a few shots which capture urban life from my recent trip to Paris. While I'm drawn to the photos of the performer climbing the lamppost with a soccer ball, perhaps the Parisians lounging on the banks of the Seine does a better job of capturing daily life? I also feel that the film grain on the performer pictures is a little distracting--it was a very dreary day, and the ISO settings combined with the high humidity mean there's a lot of noise in those photos.

Suffice it to say I'd be grateful for some external opinions. Is there one that strikes you as fitting the theme particularly well (or badly)? One with more striking composition as compared to the others? I'd love to hear your thoughts!