What makes a picture a picture?

This is a photo-turned-painting work, via Photoshop.
The photo was captured during my recent visit to Hakodate.
It was at Mt. Hakodate (very famous for its night scene) during sun set.

Problem:
Due to low light condition, the resulting photo was suffered from severe digital noise - at level that can't be solved using noise filter (It's my 1st experience encountering this problem, though I shot night scene before, see my fireworks, but such problem never arise... more to be investigated about this problem).

Solution:
Since the photo encompasses elements that make good picture (as elaborates at the end of this post), I decided not to give it up, by turning it into a 'painting' via photoshop.
Through photoshop conversion, the digital noise will disappear as may be seen.

Methods:
Open the photo in Photoshop.
Filter>Brush Strokes>Angled Strokes> then adjust the settings according to your need.


Elements make a picture a picture:
Depth -
Foreground, middle, and background; These 3 layers bring out the sense of depth for a picture/photo which is in reality two-dimensional.
Notice that when looking at the picture, your eyes traveling fore and back as if there is depth in this 2D space?
Rule of Third -
Things that are divided into equaled-half are boring, avoid it!
Apply the golden Rule of Third instead, by dividing things into one third or two third of the picture space.
See, each layers of my picture taking out one third of the space.

Then, place the 'Point of Interest' of your picture (i.e. the most interesting spot of your picture that when people look at your picture, their eyes will first meet there, e.g. eyes of the model in case of a human portrait picture, or top of the Mt. Fuji in case of a Mt.-Fuji-landscape picture, etc.) at either of the 4 intersections.

*Note: These two elements especially important in the case of landscape photography or painting.
If you are new to this, you should now start thinking of this rules when looking at others' picture or trying to make your own.
Perhaps, now is time for you to re-looking back my photos in the previous post that you think good, I'm sure you can tell now why they are 'good' :)