So, Fahim,
You are seeing with your imagination; the saturation is understood, but what did you do to get the painterly look of the water?
The darker presentation is often how I think the Venetians should think of their impressive heritage. Although the Italians possess some of the most advanced engineering skills in the planet, they don't seem to have the will to look after this jewel of city that is their inheritance. While they make a fortune on tourist, little seems to go back to infrastructure and maintenance. Stores on the ground floors often make millions of US dollars a year. But to what benefit? The buildings themselves above are in disrepair and support beneath are unsound.
Still, despite really dirty water and rats, Venice has managed to maintain itself as a tourist capital with endless crowds of happy folk enjoying the beauty, the gondolas, art galleries and some of the finest eating anywhere. What's so extra special about a vacation in Venice is that there's no ground transportation system. Either one walks everywhere or else waits for the overcrowded
Vaporetto, (the giant water craft like long over-crowded buses in a London rush hour) and that is a happy experience only the first few times. So the net result is that one can eat anything in Venice, feast to one's heart content and then just walk it off. No one seems to gain weight in venice, that's the beauty of it!
Thanks for showing a version of the Venice canals that doesn't romanticize the decay and negligence! Beauty and ugliness do go together very well sometimes!
Asher