ATRANI SUNRISE ~ YACHT VIEW ~ ITALY
LANDSCAPE AWARDS 2025 – AERIAL COMMENDED
Awarded by Australian Photography Magazine. Judged by industry leaders including Serena Dzenis, Petra Leary, Anthony McKee, Ignacio Palacios, Matt Palmer, Will Patino, and Steph Vella.

As a professional photographer, I’ve always believed that the most powerful images aren’t just about light and composition, they’re about the journey behind the lens. And few journeys have shaped me more than my second trip from Australia to the cliffside village of Atrani, on Italy’s Amalfi Coast.

This wasn’t just another shoot. It was the pursuit of a frame I had visualised for years, an elevated, untamed perspective of one of the most photographed villages in the world. I didn’t want a postcard. I wanted poetry.

The vision: capture Atrani at sunrise from the Santuario Santa Maria del Bando, a chapel hidden 3,000 steps above sea level. From there, the town unfolds like a Renaissance canvas: pastel buildings, domed churches, and alleyways that seem to whisper stories.

That frame—the exact moment when the town wakes under lavender skies, is now award-winning. My image, Atrani Sunrise, Yacht View, was officially commended in the 2025 Landscape Awards (Aerial Category), a recognition judged by some of the most respected names in global photography.

But before the shutter clicked, there was Giovanni.

Recommended by my local contact Gregory Smirnov, Giovanni wasn’t just a guide. He was a custodian of Atrani’s soul. At 4am, we began our climb through alleyways and lemon groves, guided by lamplight and the stories Giovanni carried, about saints, sunsets, and filming with Denzel Washington during The Equalizer 3.

By the time we reached the Santuario, the sky had begun its quiet reveal. I set up in silence, Giovanni standing beside me, proud, smiling, and still. The view was untouched, sacred. And when the sun poured over Atrani’s rooftops, layer by layer, dome by dome, the shot came alive.

That morning, I didn’t just capture light. I captured trust, timing, and a town seen from a place only a few ever reach.

The print now hangs in my personal collection, but its story, its spirit, and its soul are meant to be shared.

This is more than a photograph. This is the moment I earned a frame that now speaks around the world.

Now available as a limited edition fine art print. Own the award. Own the story.

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Atrani Sunrise