A Photographer of the Sea tells Alma’s story from an unexpected perspective. Half way through, the story takes a turn that almost forces the reader to make a judgment about the way in which the story is being told. In his book Bas Jongerius investigates not only the pitfalls of a romantic spirit. Alma’s tragic story also leaves the reader with a burning question: has the photographer only registered the reality, or is he, as storyteller, also the director of the story? A Photographer of the Sea is a book in the Dutch tradition of the photographic novel, as made famous by Ed van der Elsken.