As if the sky – the evening glow over a harbour by Acharya Fotografie

For a few minutes, the sky itself seems to become the true protagonist of the landscape. Red, orange and gold spread across the horizon in broad, almost painted patterns. Beneath them, the harbour gradually sinks into darkness. Boats, masts and trees lose their fine details and become silhouettes.

The motionless boats stand in stark contrast to the drama unfolding above them. Whilst the sky appears to be filled with colour and movement, the harbour lies still. The tall masts rise like fine lines into the intense evening light, linking the dark world by the water with the glowing sky.

The spectacle continues on the surface of the water, too. The last light is reflected amongst the boats, transforming sections of the lake into a liquid orange. Light and darkness meet here for a brief moment, before night causes the colours to fade once more.

The photograph thus speaks less of a sunset than of a transition. Of that elusive moment between day and night, when a familiar landscape changes its appearance for a few minutes.

The beauty of such an extraordinary moment also stems from the knowledge of its transience. Photography cannot capture it – but it can preserve the fact that it existed for a moment.