Winners of the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2024 competition

Red Bean Paste Balls, by Chinese photographer Zhonghua Yang, won the overall prize for Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.

The image, which came first in the Champagne Taittinger Food for Celebration category, was taken in rural Xiangshan, Zhejiang, during preparations for the Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year.

Celebration traditions include making dim sum, such as red bean dumplings, steamed rice cakes, and glutinous rice cakes.

“This wonderful, perfectly balanced image is full of light, shadow, mystery and poignancy,” said Caroline Kenyon, founder of the Pink Lady competition.

“The food is of exquisite quality: its circular shapes contrast with the angularity of the openwork screens, through which the light pours.

“Meanwhile, the woman who prepared the food, tired, carries another tray. Her role is to work and serve, while the guests party and enjoy.”

Here is a selection of the category winners, with descriptions from the photographers who took them.

“Lucy and Tony, along with their children, made the long journey from Kent to the Isle of Skye to get married.

“They didn’t want to transport a traditional wedding cake all the way here, so their cake maker made them these fabulous little ‘container cakes’.

“We found a place near the historic Sligachan Bridge, and they settled in!”

“Buri means fish in Japanese (belonging to the species) Seriola quinqueradiata – it is known in English as “Yellowtail”.

“For centuries, fishermen would fillet buri, salt them, dry them for about 10 days, and finally wrap them in leaves and long ropes of rice straw before hanging them in front of their homes, exposed to the breeze Marine.”

“Rhubarb fascinates me so much. I love its color and texture. It also means spring is near.”

“Chestnuts symbolize the autumn harvest.

“In our family with strong Celtic roots, they are considered the guardians of men and animals.

“The old chestnut roaster is a family heirloom and a nod to our agricultural heritage.

“The crested dove symbolizes harmony and virility.”

“This photo was taken as part of a series, The Hungry Traveler, a Gousto campaign celebrating cuisines from around the world.”

“At the start of the rice growing season, a young farmer carries a rack of rice shoots in a rice field in Sakon Nakhon province, Thailand.”

“As the sun descends gracefully over the horizon, casting a warm, magical golden glow with ethereal radiance, a tribal lady engages in the ancient practice of beating rice grains in the courtyard of her house with movements rhythmically throwing the harvested rice into the air.”

“A celebration of cake with My Little Cake Tin’s signature colorful and elegant edible floral decoration.”

“Boats fan out across part of the lake, creating a floating market selling a range of fresh fruit.

“This is a floating market of seasonal fruits like jackfruit, pineapple, mango, in Rangamati, Bangladesh.

“Tribal farmers sell their fruits early in the morning at the minimum wholesale price.”

“I caught this bee having breakfast on a large sunflower at Bignor Roman Villa in West Sussex, England.

“Without bees to pollinate, there would be a lot less food in the world.”

This year’s jury, evaluating thousands of entries submitted from more than 65 countries, was chaired by food photographer David Loftus and included Fiona Shields, head of photography at Guardian News & Media and Rein Skullerud, lead photographer and editor photo, United Nations World Food. Program.

An exhibition of all the finalists can be seen from June 5-9 at the Mall Galleries in London.

All photos subject to copyright. Courtesy of the 2024 Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year.