Winners of the Food Photographer of the Year 2021 Competition

Pink Lady® — an apple brand that hosts the world’s leading celebration of the art of food photography and film — has announced the winners of its Food Photography of the Year 2021 competition.

This year’s global judging panel, chaired by legendary food photographer, David Loftus, includes Fiona Shields, Head of Photography, Guardian News & Media, Susan Bright, Writer and Curator, Nik Sharma, Cookbook Author and Photographer, Chef Simone Zanoni, Restaurant Le George, Four Seasons Paris, Alison Jacques, Founder, Alison Jacques Gallery and Vitalie Taittinger, President, Champagne Taittinger.

Describing it as a “tender and subtly powerful image for our times,” the Pink Lady® judges crowned a photo by Chinese photographer Li Huaifeng titled “Taste” the overall winner of the competition as well as the winner of the category “Food for the Family.”

The photograph, taken in Licheng, Shanxi, on a warm and sunny day, shows a young family sharing in the joy of preparing food:

Taste | Li Huaifeng

“This picture is technically outstanding in its use of light and composition, but what raises it to the level of historic importance is the depth of its storytelling and emotion. It tells of a year of isolation and living indoors, living in tiny communities of immediate family,” says Caroline Kenyon, Director/Founder of the Awards. “Here, the scene is bathed with love, with echoes of Madonna and child. An exceptional shot which perfectly demonstrates that photography need not shock or disturb to be great or memorable. This exquisite image lingers in the mind.”

Below are the other categories and their respective winners.

Bring Home the Harvest

Drying Okra | F. Dilek Uyar, Turkey

Champagne Taittinger Wedding Food Photographer

Many a Slip | John Armstrong-Millar, France

Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year

A Grape View | Oscar Oliveras, Spain

Food Influencers

Lumière d’automne | Deborah Trocchia, Italy

Food for Celebration sponsored by Champagne Taittinger

Happy Birthday | Li Huaifeng, China

Food in the Field

Farmer with his Longhorn Cattle | Harry Williams, United Kingdom

Food Stylist Award

Fruits de Mer | Martin Grünewald, Germany
Cobia Fillet | Martin Grünewald, Germany
Winteropulenz | Martin Grünewald, Germany
Salumi | Martin Grünewald, Germany
Veggies | Martin Grünewald, Germany

Fujifilm Award for Innovation

Making Rice Noodles | Abdul Momin, Bangladesh

Food at the Table

Breakfast at Weekly Market | Thong Nguyen, Vietnam

Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture

Mulled Pears | Harriet Harcourt, Australia

One Vision Imaging Cream of the Crop

Cinnamon | Emma Sheldrake, Australia

Spayne Lindsay On the Phone

Blackberries | mxprivé, Germany

The Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers

Female butchers of Panzano | Martina
Marina Spironetti, Italy

The Philip Harben Award Food in Action

Head to Head | David Thompson, Taiwan

Pink Lady® Apple a Day

Apple in cake | Natalia Bogubowicz, Poland

Politics of Food

Old Friends | Sandro Maddalena, Italy

Production Paradise Previously Published

After Party | Remko Kraaijeveld, Netherlands

Street Food

Enjoying | Viet Van Tran, Vietnam

Student Food Photographer of the Year supported by The Royal Photographic Society

Beetroots Still Life |
Sarah Blandford, United Kingdom

Winterbotham Darby Food for Sale

Street Vendor | Joseph Smith, Malta

World Food Programme Food for Life

Drinking from Garbage | Md Mahabub Hossain Khan, Bangladesh

Young (15 – 17)

Spill the Tea | Dewi Hollema, Egypt

Young (11 – 14)

Odisha Tribal Markets | Indigo Larmour, India

Young (10 and under)

Mussels with steam | Evie Grimshaw, United Kingdom

To see the full announcement ceremony, watch the video below:


Image credits: All photos individually credited and provided courtesy of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2021.

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