To express the grandeur of Istanbul, for sixteen centuries the Imperial capital of the Byzantine empire and the Ottoman sultans, one needs to stand in the middle of the Golden Horn -- a flooded river valley spanned by the Galata Bridge. I made this image of Istanbul’s most significant mosque from that bridge at sunset. Four factors converge to express grandeur here – the swirling pattern of the clouds, the soaring gull lifting its wings precisely over the minarets of the mosque, the golden colors of the setting sun, and the exotic symbol of mosque architecture. I made dozens of images in order to get this one – the light and color was changing as I shot, as was the pattern of the clouds. And most importantly, the sea gulls that fly over this natural harbor were continually entering and leaving my frame. I had to get one in precisely the right spot and in the most effective expression of flight. Some photographers would simply clone a seagull from another shot into the image, but such electronic manipulation would cheapen the photographic experience and dilute the validity of the image. We stood on that bridge for fifteen or twenty minutes and made many images, but in the end, I was able to find the combination of factors I was looking for to express the grandeur of Istanbul.