Panarea and Stromboli, Sunrise - Adam Butler Photography

Panarea and Stromboli, Sunrise, December 2020

A day or two after I first visited this fabulous viewpoint location high up the hill above the town of Lipari, I returned for a sunrise view. I love skies like this, the post-thunderstorm sky still filled with heavy cumulo-nimbus clouds that hover low in the sky but which are slowly dispersing in the warming sun.

The rays of the sun are so low in December, we are within a week of the winter solstice here, and it’s lovely to see this warm light gently stroke the eastern flank of Panarea and illuminate it with the soft winter glow. I waited a long time to get all of Panarea, as well as Basiluzzo, Dattilo and Lisca Bianca all lit by the sun; you can seee the patches of sunlight on the surface of the sea, as it filtered through the clouds. But eventually it did illuminate everything, and for a brief moment of sheer delight the picture came alive.

As quickly as I could I ran off a series of 8 overlapping vertical shots, all of which would be later incorporated into this panorama, allowing 3 seconds of shutter delay to stabilise the long 300mm lens from any shake between each shutter press and capture. It is this time that you pray the light won’t change and a shadow fall over one of your elements! But I did it, and suddenly the early pre-dawn wake up, the long drive with my friend Alessio, the preparation, the lining up, tripod head levelling, the exposure calculation, and the long wait for the right light and the previous efforts in which shadows came over parts of the scene… were all forgotten about in the realisation I had achieved precisely what I had gone there for.

This image encapsulates for me winter light in the Aeolian Islands. The warm but soft sunlight, the low angle of the rays, and the beautiful rosy tinted clouds in the sky, and the amazing clarity of the atmosphere. I am now putting this image onto my website for anyone interested in ordering a print.

Let me know if anyone is interested in a last minute Xmas present for that (very) special person….Please feel free to drop me an email for any queries.

Framing information

This image is available to order as either unframed fine art prints on Hahnemülhe art paper, or ready to hang
as acrylic glass prints on an aluminium base, with or without a frame.

Unframed prints

If you need to have the print shipped, an unframed print is the best option. They are museum quality archival giclée prints on Hahnemülhe fine art paper. Rolled up in a tube, they’re easy to send to anywhere in the world.

Acrylic glass prints

These are superlative, ultra high resolution prints, with the print bonded between 6mm of acrylic glass, and an 3mm aluminium dibond base. An aluminium bracket is on the back for hanging. They look sleek and modern with no frame.

Acrylic glass with wooden frame

These acrylic glass prints are perhaps even more elegant with a solid wooden frame, available in a variety of different finishes, including white, maple, oak, dark brown alder and black. This is combined with 2mm acrylic glass on aluminium

Unframed Prints

30cm x 90 cm – £300.00
45cm x 135cm – £550.00
50cm x 150cm – £600.00
60cm x 180cm – £750.00
67cm x 200cm – £975.00
80cm x 240cm – £1,200.00
97cm x 290cm – £1,500.00
Custom sizes also available

6mm acrylic glass on aluminium

30cm x 90 cm – £478.00
45cm x 135cm – £907.00
50cm x 150cm – £1,010.00
60cm x 180cm – £1,356.00
*67cm x 200cm – £1,600.00
*80cm x 240cm – £2.094.00
*97cm x 290cm – £2,995.00
(*only available in 2mm size)

2mm acrylic glass & wooden frame

30cm x 90 cm – £511.00
45cm x 135cm – £936.00
50cm x 150cm – £1,036.00
60cm x 180cm – £1,365.00
67cm x 200cm – £1,708.00
80cm x 240cm – £2,237.00
97cm x 290cm – £3,221.00
Larger sizes – please enquire

This image is in a limited edition, each print is signed and numbered by me. But the 30 x 90cm version is in an open edition.