“Walk on the mallow side” by Jacki Gordon (United Kingdom). Production Paradise Previously Published, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“During the COVID pandemic lockdown, I started photographing tiny railway model figures (just three quarters of an inch high) positioned with everyday items – usually food – in order to entertain my family and friends on social media. By the time the pandemic passed, I had developed an insatiable appetite for creating these little scenes.
The idea for this image came from me taking a bite out of a tea cake and being presented with its inner snow-like mallow – the perfect terrain for my tiny Nordic walkers to feel at home.”
Now in its 13th edition, the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year is once again proving that photography can be both artistic and appetizing. The recently revealed shortlist of the 2024 competition highlights a plethora of food-related imagery from around the world. Selected from thousands of images from 65 countries that entered this year's contest, the photos take us from a biker's fast-food burger to the inner workings of a Michelin-starred restaurant.
The contest's 17 categories offer ample scope for creative food photographers. Whether highlighting single ingredients or the bonds between people, the photographs remind us of the important role that food plays in our lives. A global judging panel will now have the difficult task of whittling down the list and selecting the winners, who will be announced at an awards ceremony in London in early June.
All of the finalists will see their work on display at The Malls Gallery in London as part of the Plate! St. James festival celebrating food, drink, and photography. Scroll down to see some of our favorite finalists and view the full shortlist on the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year website.
Here are some of our favorite finalists from the 2024 Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year competition.
“The Pirates Catch – The Last Few” by Sarah Louise Ramsay (United Kingdom). Shortlist, Production Paradise Previously Published, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“The Pirates Catch is from a series called, ‘The Last Few’ created in Havana, Cuba in 2023. By law, the bulk of fish caught in Cuban waters must be handed to the state for distribution amongst the people. However, some of the poorest in Havana are brave enough to provide for their families by venturing out to sea using nothing more than inner tubes from trucks and tractors as makeshift fishing rafts. As darkness falls, the Pirate heads home, to feed his waiting family and friends. There used to be many. Now there are just a few.”
“Love” by Mohammad Fayzul Mowla (Bangladesh). Shortlist, World Food Programme Food for Life, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“I took this photograph in Chittagong, Bangladesh. A woman is feeding her pet cats. She is called Minnie's mother by all the locals, as she calls all her pets ‘Minnie'. This woman has many pets. She spends half of the money she earns daily to feed these animals. She earns money by working in other people's homes.”
“Peter enjoying his Scotch Broth by the fire with his dog, Seoras” by Susie Lowe (United Kingdom). Food for the Family, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“The image of Peter MacQueen enjoying his Scotch broth by the fire with his West Highland Terrier, Seòras at his feet, was shot at Guardswell Farm in Perthshire, Scotland. It was photographed while shooting the Hebridean Baker at Home cookbook by Coinneach MacLeod. Peter is Coinneach’s partner and official recipe tester! Scotch broth is a traditional Scottish recipe that has been handed down through many generations. It’s warming on a cold day, comforting, nourishing and makes use of locally produced ingredients.”
“Side Street Hanoi” by David Cotsworth (United Kingdom). Shortlist, unearthed® Food for Sale, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“This photo was taken in Hanoi, Vietnam. I was on a family holiday, and we were just wandering through the many narrow side streets in the city, and I came across this old bicycle full of fruit; the colors against the dark background and rusty old bike made it really stand out.”
“Italian Oyster Mushroom” by Lynn Karlin (United States). Shortlist, Hotel Art Group Cream of the Crop, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“This Italian Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius) was locally grown indoors on straw at Bramble Hill Farm in Unity, Maine. It has an earthy, mild flavor. The texture of the large fluted light brown cap and white gills is accentuated by the soft natural side light.”
“A rice cracker eclipse” by Julien Mazille (France). Shortlist, MPB Award for Innovation, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“I always strive to create visuals that say a little more than what they appear to say. I'm sure you have already read books and taken great pleasure in the intertextuality, seen movies where the implicit elevated certain scenes, admired a painting for its multiple layers of meaning. There's a lot of that in photography too. We can try to give the viewer a spectacle that isn't just aesthetic. Even in food photography.”
“Hot & Spicy Honey Bacon” by Jackie Alpers (United States). Shortlist, Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“Hot Honey Bacon is a recipe illustration from the culinary arts book, The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook, which was written and photographed by food photographer Jackie Alpers. The cookbook illustrates Western Americana recipes inspired by the Dutton family's Montana ranch and the relationship the ranchers have with food and the land on the dramatic and sometimes violent Yellowstone television series. The images reflect regional culinary influences while exploring food history, symbolism, and cultural significance.”
“Figgy Sweet Cake Temptation” by Seersa Abaza (Jordan). Shortlist, Tiptree Cake Award, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“‘Figgy Sweet Cake Temptation’ captures the irresistible allure of a delicious cake topped with fresh figs and drizzled with syrup, all set against a clean white background. The image invites viewers to indulge in the rich flavors and textures of this mouthwatering dessert, showcasing the artistry of culinary delights.”
The winners will be announced in early June at an awards ceremony in London.
“Back to front (of house) in one shot” by John Carey (United Kingdom). Shortlist, Philip Harben Award for Food in Action, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“I have always been fascinated by the two contrasting worlds of the dining room and the kitchen, the front and back of house. When photographing at Adam Byatt’s Michelin-starred Trinity Restaurant in Clapham, I noticed there was just a thin wall separating the two contrasting environments. This was shot just before evening service. I wanted to portray the calm, warm, welcoming ambience in the dining room, juxtaposed with the busy, buzzy, chefs in the kitchen. The differences are what makes this shot for me.”
“First date in Vienna” by Guido Caltabiano (Italy). Shortlist, Food at the Table, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“I took this image during a trip to Vienna. It was a gloomy and freezing day. Stopping in the Café Museum for a quick coffee, I noticed this couple sharing an apple strudel. The café was packed with people, but they didn't care. Coincidentally, a void had been created around them. The lines converged on them. With those pastel colors and the shelves full of books it seemed as if the scene was suspended in time. I liked the idea of it being their first date. I turned on the camera and shot.”
“Lunchtime at the Ashram” by Sue O'Connell (United Kingdom). Shortlist, Food for the Family, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“These gentlemen are pilgrims attending the mighty Kumbh Mela Hindu festival, reputed to be the largest gathering of humanity on earth. The venue is the northern Indian city of Haridwar on the banks of the Ganges. All pilgrims are offered food, usually dhal and rice, by local ashrams, and I was struck by the patience and discipline involved. Once the gates opened, a hundred or more men walked calmly and silently into the building and took up their places, waiting to be served. The meal over, they rose as one man and left as silently as they had entered.”
“Tomato Cans” by Alana Dimou (Australia). Shortlist, Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“My Egyptian mother once told me, ” My mum used to say you’ll never go hungry if you have a tin of tomatoes in the pantry.” The beauty of tinned foods is often revered for its package and label design. In this case, I wanted to give prominence to the textures and abundance of tomatoes in a familiar setting, lauding this essential ingredient in Egyptian cooking.
“Biker Stop 2” by Harry Williams (United Kingdom). Shortlist, On the Phone, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“This image was shot on my iPhone at a roadside meeting place popular with bikers in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. I had arranged to meet a good friend, who is an avid biker, for a catch-up in the fresh air amongst the hills. I treated him to a burger on the condition that I could use it, and his bike, for the shot (no expense spared!).”
“Cave Fishing” by Natnattcha Chaturapitamorn (Thailand). Shortlist, Tenderstem® Bring Home the Harvest, a category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.
“A father and son catching fish by using bamboo basket trap inside a karst cave in South Vietnam during the monsoon season. Cave fishing can only be done in the monsoon season when the cave chamber is flooded by rainwater.”
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