Taste, by Chinese photographer Li Huaifeng, has won the overall prize in the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2021 competition.

The winning image, taken in Licheng, Shanxi, shows a young family sharing in the joy of preparing food. “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, says Caroline Kenyon, Director/Founder of the awards.

It tells of a year of isolation and living indoors, living in tiny communities and of immediate family.

Almost 10,500 entries were submitted from over 70 countries for this year’s contest, which celebrates its 10th anniversary. A new category has been introduced in memory of Claire Aho, Finland’s greatest woman photographer.

The first winner of the Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers is Marina Spironetti with her portrait Female Butchers of Panzano Martina (below).

The Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to the World Food Programme. “Their use of photography to explain their work in places of danger and deprivation around the world is extraordinary,” Caroline added.

Winners will be shown at the RPS in Bristol from 20 November – 12 December 2021 and you can see the full list of shortlisted and winning entries at www.pinkladyfoodphotographeroftheyear.com in the meantime.

The still image category winners


Bring Home the Harvest: F.Dilek Uyar, Turkey

Champagne Taittinger Wedding Food Photographer: John Armstrong-Millar, France

Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year – Overall: Oscar Oliveras, Spain

Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year – People: Victor Pugatschew, Australia

Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year – Places: Lana Svitankova, Ukraine

Food for Celebration sponsored by Champagne Taittinger: Li Huaifeng, China

Food at the Table: Thong Nguyen, Vietnam

Food for the Family: Li Huaifeng, China

Food in the Field: Harry Williams, UK

Food Influencers: Deborah Trocchia, Italy

Food Stylist Award: Martin Grünewald, Germany; photographer: Frank Weinert

Fujifilm Award for Innovation: Abdul Momin, Bangladesh

Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture: Harriet Harcourt, Australia

One Vision Imaging Cream of the Crop: Emma Sheldrake, Australia

Pink Lady Apple a Day: Natalia Bogubowicz, Poland

Politics of Food: Sandro Maddalena, Italy

Production Paradise Previously Published: Remko Kraaijeveld, Italy

Spayne Lindsay On the Phone: mxprivé, Germany

Street Food: Viet Van Tran, Vietnam

Student Food Photographer of the Year supported by the RPS: Sarah Blandford, UK

The Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers: Marina Spironetti, Italy

The Philip Harben Award for Food in Action: David Thompson, Taiwan

WFP Storytellers Award: Ziney Abdulhakim Ibrahim, Iraq

Winterbotham Darby Food for Sale: Joseph P Smith, Malta

World Food Programme Food for Life: Md Mahabub Hossain Khan, Bangladesh

Young Food POTY 10 and under: Evie Grimshaw, UK

Young, 11-14: Indigo Larmour, India

Young, 15-17: Dewi Hollema, Egypt


Further reading
Discover food photography


To read more articles like this one subscribe to our print magazine today. You’ll save money every week and enjoy having each issue delivered to your door! Click here