Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year is the world’s leading celebration of the art of food photography and film. Now in its sixth year, almost 40,000 entries have been submitted since its inception.
At a packed awards reception at the Mall Galleries in London this spring, Bangladesh-based Shoeb Faruquee was declared overall winner of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2017. He was presented with a cheque for £5000 by Andy Macdonald, who heads up Pink Lady® in the UK, headline sponsor of the awards.
Faruquee had won the “Champagne Taittinger Food for Celebration” category earlier in the evening, and then went on to scoop the overall crown for his stunning image Food for God. (Click on images to enlarge)
Overall Winner: Shoeb Faruquee (Bangladesh); “Food for God”
“The competition was fiercer than ever,” says Macdonald, “there were over 8400 images entered internationally, from over 60 countries, and the standard was phenomenal. Shoeb’s shot stood out from the rest in its category, however, for the way in which he made the subject matter both incredibly striking and atmospheric.”
Faruquee’s photo shows a cook preparing food for devotees at Rajapur Lokonath Dham, a religious centre in Chittagong, Bangladesh. This is the ghee light burning festival in the name of ‘Baba Lokonath’, a Hindu yogi and mystic who was born in 1730. The devotees fast for 24 hours, and then pray for fulfilment of their good wishes, after which they “break their fast.”
The awards evening was emceed by chair of the judges, journalist and food critic Jay Rayner, and took place in front of more than 400 people at the Champagne Taittinger reception, many of whom had flown in from across the world for the occasion, from America, Australia, France and more.
Judges this year included Vitalie Taittinger, Marketing Director, Champagne Taittinger; David Loftus, Jamie Oliver’s photographer; culinary superstar Gary Rhodes; Emily Luchetti, Chair, James Beard Foundation, NYC; and Nik Powell, Director, National Film & Television School.
Here are more of the winning photographs:
10 and Under: Carla Smend (UK); “Fruit of the Bloom”
11-14 Years: Lily-Mae Franklin (UK); “Flowering Tea”
15-17 Years: Felicia Frank (Germany); “Muuuh”
Food in the Field: Sally Ann Stone (UK); “Swiss Chard Forest”
Startisans Food in the Street: Robin Stewart (UK); “Crouch End”
Food Sn-apping (in aid of Action Against Hunger): Laura Cook (UK); “Waiting for Stew”
Production Paradise Food off the Press: Jonathan Gregson (UK); “Vegetables”
The Philip Harben Award for Food in Action: Francesca Brambilla and Serena Serrani (Italy); “The Grandmother”
Mark & Spencer Food Adventures: Kyriacos Arkatites (Cyprus); “Oua, Look at This One!”
Food for the Family: Leonardo Salomão (Brazil); “Breaktime”
Food Bloggers (supported by Aspire): Hein van Tonder (South Africa); “Caramel!”
Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year (People): Mick Rock (UK); “Cleaning Port Barrel”
Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year (Produce): Robert Holmes (USA); “Crush at Cristom Vineyard”
World Food Program Food for Life; Emma Brown (UK): Collecting Egg Rations, Smara Refugee Camp
Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture: Darren Eastwood-Hickson (UK); Salad Plate
Visit Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year’s website to see more photographs from around the world, and to find out how you can enter next year’s competition!
Follow them on Twitter @FoodPhotoAward.
