A Helmsman Steers a Great Ship with a Small Oar

Prompt

James 3: 'Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member.' A weathered helmsman stands large and central at the stern of a great Roman merchant ship, both hands gripping the long wooden steering oar, steadying the huge ship as wind fills its square sail and spray flies over the bow. Bright sunlight breaking through clouds over a deep blue Mediterranean sea, strong and dramatic. The helmsman wears a wrapped head-cloth over his hair. Style: a blend of photo-realism and cinema, like a still from a big-budget film. Bright, rich, saturated, luminous colour, clear daylight or glowing golden light even in dramatic scenes, never murky or muddy, crisp detail, real human faces full of emotion, shallow depth of field, subtle film grain. Simple, uncluttered composition: ONE clear scene from this chapter, with the chapter's main character or characters large, close and central in the upper and middle frame, and a simple background. No montage, no collage, no inset vignettes, no crowd of small figures competing for attention. Historically accurate ancient Near Eastern clothing, architecture and landscape. Keep the bottom quarter of the frame simple and uncluttered (ground, water or sky) so a large chapter number can be set over it. Absolutely no text, no letters, no words, no numbers, no logos, no watermark, no border, no frame.