World food photography awards

2 hours ago
2 min read

"Food is the great leveller, the great unifier and photography captures this so powerfully,” Awards Founder, Caroline Kenyon

I don't have much time today, as I'm preparing for tomorrow's lunch, so here is a sort of taster of some of the amazing photographs that won prizes or were highly commended in this year's World Food Photography Awards.

This is not the overall winner, although it is the winner of the sponsor's prize. The major sponsor this year is Tenderstem^® Bimi^® Broccolini. I think it's actually my standout photograph too, but I have to tell you that this is an example of photography expertise - it's not just point and click - although there is one category for phone photograps. This one is ART:

"I wanted to create a unique image of candied fruit, and I have always been fascinated by the transparency of colours revealed through the process. I began by slicing a pear very thinly and boiling the slices in a mixture of sugar and water. Once the slices became transparent, I laid them out to dry on paper. The image was created using sugar water and a pear slice placed on a glass sheet, along with coloured plastic in front of a table lamp. I photographed the setup multiple times from different angles, and finally, I used Photoshop to combine the various images." Ann Mason-Hoerter who is from Germany.

It's art really isn't it?

There are actually twenty five different categories and one overall winner. Which is this one. And I have to say it would not have been my pick - but this is what one of the judges had to say about it:

“An old woman pours herself tea - but it’s so much more than just that. The expression on her crevassed face is beautiful, it moved me to tears. She is alone, her simple breakfast on the table before her echoes the fruit in the painting on the wall behind. Against the parched colours of the scene through the window, the rich crimson chairs give a regal quality to the setting, and though humbly dressed, her dignified bearing is queenly too. She has seen much in life, we are sure, but holds her head high." Carolyn Kenyon/Award founder

Yes indeed but there are many other photographs with similar intent. If you are at all interested in photography check out the extensive gallery of all the winners, and highly commended here.

I was going to present one from every category, but now have just decided to give you some that I liked - mostly not the winners. Click on the pictures to get a bigger view. The first two are from the very young - two awards sponsored by Jamie Oliver - under 12 and 13-17: