“Kebabiyana” by Debdatta Chakraborty (India). Overall Winner and Winner, Street Food.
“Khayyam Chowk is an alleyway in Sri Nagar, which is no different from other streets during daytime. But, in the evening, numerous charcoal ovens are lit up by vendors and the aroma and smoke of wazwan kebabs turn this street into a food-lovers’ paradise.”
Grilling up kebabs on the street, preparing dumplings with the family, and draining a pot of pasta are just some of the delicious moments awarded by the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2022 contest. Food photographers from over 60 countries submitted their best work, which was judged by an expert panel of photographers and foodies. In the end, Indian photographer Debdatta Chakraborty was named the overall winner for a dynamic photograph of a street vendor cooking kebabs.
The photo was taken on Khayyam Chowk, an ordinary street in Srinagar that transforms into a buzzing hub for food lovers by night, as vendors fire up their grills. In Chakraborty’s photo, the vendor is surrounded by smoke that frames his face, as he brushes kebabs to season them to perfection.
“It is always a source of excitement and wonder when one single image rises to the top in the Awards,” says Caroline Kenyon, director and founder of the awards. “In today’s world, more than ever, we feel the need for comfort, for love. There is so much to reassure us here—the beautifully captured billowing embrace of the smoke, the golden light, the subject’s expression as he prepares the food for sharing. Sparks fly from the skewers, whose roasting we can almost smell, we imagine the warm, delicious aroma. This image, gentle but powerful, nourishes our soul.”
Other category winners take us on a culinary tour across the globe. Whether it’s leaving cod out to dry in Norway or gathering prunings at a winery in France, each image gives a glimpse into local food culture. Since 2011, the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year has celebrated these moments, and they note that now, more than ever, the link between photography and food is needed. This reminder of how food touches every aspect of our lives is also a call to embrace every moment and to appreciate what we have.
All of the winners and finalists are featured in Pink Lady’s online gallery and will also go on display in an exhibition at The Royal Photographic Society in Bristol, England, this fall.
Check out some of our favorite winners from the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2022 contest.
“Traditional Skill” by Chen Ying (China). Winner, Champagne Taittinger Food for Celebration.
“Taken in a small farmhouse in Qianlian Village, Xiangyou County, Putian City, Fujian Province. A family gathers around to make rice or mung bean filled dumplings. They use a wooden seal to stamp the word “fortune” or “happiness” into the red dough, and steam the dumplings in a large steamer. This tradition means that the New Year will be welcomed with reunion and the coming year will be prosperous.”
“Strawberry & Rhubarb Pie” by Carolin Strothe (Germany). Winner, Food Stylist Award.
“Early summer pie with rhubarb, strawberries, elderflower and vanilla. The pie is decorated with jasmine leaves and flowers formed from the shortcrust spelt pastry.”
“Putting On The Ritz” by John Carey (UK). Winner, Food at the Table.
“The ‘Arts de la Table’ table-side theater is a big part of The Ritz Restaurant experience.”
“Drying Stockfish” by Kasia Ciesielska-Faber (UK). Winner, On the Phone.
“In Lofoten archipelago, stockfish racks have become part of the landscape. The cod is preserved by drying on large racks with no salt or smoke required as the temperatures are just below freezing. The climate is perfect for outdoor stockfish production.”
“Architecture And Wine” by Marina Spironetti (Italy). Winner, Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year – Places.
“Man, architecture and vineyards – a perfect combination. Taken at the Antinori nel Chianti Classico winery, Italy.”
“Central Park” by Yuliy Vasilev (Bulgaria). Winner, Fujifilm Award for Innovation.
“The image is part of my ongoing project called “Foodtopia”, a miniature world created with food items.”
“Draining Pasta By The Window” by Elisa De Cecchi (Italy). Winner, MPB Food Influencer.
“Draining pasta by the window sink on a gloomy day, moisture fills the air, condensation forms on the windows and droplets slide down the glass. It is an activity that seems quite mundane, but I find it evocative.”
“Gathering prunings on Corton Hill” by Jon Wyand (UK). Overall Winner and Winner, People – Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year.
“Winter prunings gathered in the vineyards of Corton Hill in Burgundy.”
“Movement Of Noodles” by Chang Jiangbin (China). Winner, Bring Home the Harvest.
“Noodles are a favorite food of people in Southern Fujian, China. The noodles are cooled and made with a unique process. Taken in Fuzhi County, Fujian Province, China.”
“On Ice” by Suzanne Becker Bronk (USA). Winner, Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year – Produce.
“Dry ice is used to inhibit the start of fermentation at Caldwell Vineyard.”
“Carrot Field Forever” by Paolo Grinza and Silvia Vaulà (Italy). Winner, One Vision Imaging Cream of the Crop.
“This image is part of a photographic series based on the concept of “hands at work”. Developed for the restaurant Etiko Bistrot (Torino, Italy) on behalf of Plastikwombat – Photography Art and Concept.”
“Agricultural Art” by Paolo Crocetta (Italy). Winner, Food in the Field.
“After a heavy snowfall I raised the drone to take some photos of my country covered by the whiteness of the white coat, after a few minutes of flight I noticed the particular shapes that the apple plots created in contrast with the snow on the ground.”
“Traditional Food” by Weining Lin (China). Winner, Food for the Family.
“During the Spring Festival, the Tujia people in western Hunan will make tuansa, a special local delicacy which is made of glutinous rice and tastes light and sweet. Most local people take tuansa as a gift or an offering.”
“Lemon Cake” by Isabelle Hattink (Netherlands). Winner, Champagne Taittinger Wedding Food Photographer.
“The cake was cut and the lady didn’t like this shot. She told me, when I asked her if I could publish the picture, that somebody had stepped on her toes.”