Winners of the 2021 Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year have been announced

The Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year has announced it’s 2021 winners, celebrating the joy of gastronomy, the people who produce what we eat and the bon viveurs who enjoy fine dining. 

Now in its 10th edition, the food photography competition gave awarded its top prize to Chinese photographer Li Huaifeng for ‘Taste,’ a portrait of a family preparing dinner in Licheng, Shanxi. 

The competition counts 25 categories in total celebrating the best of food photography around the world, which reflect on our eating habits and food production. 

Pink Lady received over 70,000 entries for this year’s competition, from 77 countries, which were presented to a International judging panel before the winners were announced by the celebrity chef Fred Sirieix during a ceremony streamed live on Youtube. 

The winning photographs will be on show at the Royal Photographic Society in Bristol for the first time ever from 20 November to 12 December 2021. 

David Loftus, who chaired the judging panel, said:  ‘This year, the hardest year for so many, surprised us all, not just for the greatest number of entries & their breadth and scale, but for the overwhelming sense of positivity and joy that glowed from our screens.’ 

Speaking of Li’s intimate portrait ‘Taste,’ Caroline Kenyon, the founder and director of the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year applauded the ‘technically outstanding’ use of light and composition. 

‘But what raises it to the level of historic importance is the depth of its storytelling and emotion. It tells of a year of isolation and living indoors, living in tiny communities of immediate family,’ she said. 

‘Here, the scene is bathed with love, with echoes of Madonna and child. An exceptional shot which perfectly demonstrates that photography need not shock or disturb to be great or memorable. This exquisite image lingers in the mind,’ she added.  

Here Femail goes over the pictures that earned photographers their winning spots. 

'Taste' by Li Huaifeng which was taken in Licheng, Shanxi, Chin was crowned the overall winner and praised for its composition and use of light. It shows a Chinese family preparing dinner together

‘Taste’ by Li Huaifeng which was taken in Licheng, Shanxi, Chin was crowned the overall winner and praised for its composition and use of light. It shows a Chinese family preparing dinner together 

'After Party', by Dutch photographer Remko Kraaijeveld won the 'Production Paradise Previously Published' category with his chaotic scene of fine dining where diners kiss and toast while their table is on fire

‘After Party’, by Dutch photographer Remko Kraaijeveld won the ‘Production Paradise Previously Published’ category with his chaotic scene of fine dining where diners kiss and toast while their table is on fire 

'Drinking from Garbage,' by Md Mahabub Hossain Khan, which shows a child drinking on a pile of discarded plastic bottles in Bangladesh, won the World Food Programme Food for Life category

‘Drinking from Garbage,’ by Md Mahabub Hossain Khan, which shows a child drinking on a pile of discarded plastic bottles in Bangladesh, won the World Food Programme Food for Life category

'Pressing the Pinot Noir,' by Victor Pugatschew, which shows a winemaker crushing grapes with his feet in Australia, won the Errazuriz Wine People category

‘Pressing the Pinot Noir,’ by Victor Pugatschew, which shows a winemaker crushing grapes with his feet in Australia, won the Errazuriz Wine People category

Promising UK photographer Evie Grimshaw won the Young, 10 and Under category thanks to her tantalising picture titled 'Mussels with Steam'

Promising UK photographer Evie Grimshaw won the Young, 10 and Under category thanks to her tantalising picture titled ‘Mussels with Steam’

'Female Butchers of Panzano, Martina,' which was hot by Italian photographer Marina Spironetti, on the Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers

‘Female Butchers of Panzano, Martina,’ which was hot by Italian photographer Marina Spironetti, on the Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers 

'Breakfast at the Weekly Market,' showing locals eating noodles and eggs in Vietnam, by Thong Nguyen, won the 'Food at the Table' category

‘Breakfast at the Weekly Market,’ showing locals eating noodles and eggs in Vietnam, by Thong Nguyen, won the ‘Food at the Table’ category

German team Martin Grunewald and Frank Weinert won the 'Food Stylist Award' for this stunning assortment of vegetables including carrots, cabbage, garlic and swede, as well as other exotic veggies

German team Martin Grunewald and Frank Weinert won the ‘Food Stylist Award’ for this stunning assortment of vegetables including carrots, cabbage, garlic and swede, as well as other exotic veggies 

Martin Grunewald and Frank Weinert's other work 'Fruits de Mer' which captures shellfish ready to be eaten also won the Food Stylist Award

Martin Grunewald and Frank Weinert’s other work ‘Fruits de Mer’ which captures shellfish ready to be eaten also won the Food Stylist Award

Indigo Larmour's photograph, titled 'Odisha Tribal Markets,' which shows women selling food on the street in India, won the Young 11-14 category

Indigo Larmour’s photograph, titled ‘Odisha Tribal Markets,’ which shows women selling food on the street in India, won the Young 11-14 category

'Drying Okra,' taken by Dilek Uyar, which shows two women working the vegetable on their farm in Turkey, won the 'Bring Home the Harvest' category

‘Drying Okra,’ taken by Dilek Uyar, which shows two women working the vegetable on their farm in Turkey, won the ‘Bring Home the Harvest’ category

Oscar Oliveras's 'A Grape View,' showing grapes being harvested at sunset, was the overall winner of the Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year category

Oscar Oliveras’s ‘A Grape View,’ showing grapes being harvested at sunset, was the overall winner of the Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year category

'Enjoying,' which shows a little girl selling treats in Vietnam, and was taken by Viet Van Tran, won the 'Street Food' category of the competition

‘Enjoying,’ which shows a little girl selling treats in Vietnam, and was taken by Viet Van Tran, won the ‘Street Food’ category of the competition

'Family,' taken by Ziney Abdulhakim Ibrahim in Iraq, won the WFP Storytellers Award with this portrait of a quiet family picnic where a toddler is munching on some bread

‘Family,’ taken by Ziney Abdulhakim Ibrahim in Iraq, won the WFP Storytellers Award with this portrait of a quiet family picnic where a toddler is munching on some bread

'Old Friends,' taken by Sandro Maddalena, which is showing a group of gentlemen enjoying a meal in Italy, won the 'Politics of Food' award

‘Old Friends,’ taken by Sandro Maddalena, which is showing a group of gentlemen enjoying a meal in Italy, won the ‘Politics of Food’ award

'Street Vendor,' showing a woman buying fruits and vegetables from another in Malta, taken by Joseph P. Smith, won the Winterbotham Darby Food for Sale category

‘Street Vendor,’ showing a woman buying fruits and vegetables from another in Malta, taken by Joseph P. Smith, won the Winterbotham Darby Food for Sale category

Li Huaifeng, who was the competition's overall winner also won the 'Food For Celebration' category, which was sponsored by Champagne Taittinger, for 'Happy Birthday'

Li Huaifeng, who was the competition’s overall winner also won the ‘Food For Celebration’ category, which was sponsored by Champagne Taittinger, for ‘Happy Birthday’

Martin Grunewald and Frank Weinert snatched all the places of the 'Food Stylist Award,' and 'Salumi,' which captures several different styles of ham, was also a winner

Martin Grunewald and Frank Weinert snatched all the places of the ‘Food Stylist Award,’ and ‘Salumi,’ which captures several different styles of ham, was also a winner 

Lana Svitankova won the Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year, Places, with this haunting photo of a cave titled 'The Vanishing Craft'

Lana Svitankova won the Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year, Places, with this haunting photo of a cave titled ‘The Vanishing Craft’

'Spill the Tea,' by Dewi Hollema, won the Young, 15-17 category with this slice of life from his neighbourhood in Egypt, showing locals gathering for chat and food

‘Spill the Tea,’ by Dewi Hollema, won the Young, 15-17 category with this slice of life from his neighbourhood in Egypt, showing locals gathering for chat and food 

'Making Rice Noodles,' by Abdul Momin in Bangladesh, won the Fujifilm Award for Innovation award for this colourful look into the snack's making

‘Making Rice Noodles,’ by Abdul Momin in Bangladesh, won the Fujifilm Award for Innovation award for this colourful look into the snack’s making 

'Head to Head,' by David Thompson, won the Philip Harben Award for Food in Action with his portrait of a butcher working the meat in Taiwan

‘Head to Head,’ by David Thompson, won the Philip Harben Award for Food in Action with his portrait of a butcher working the meat in Taiwan

John Armstrong-Millar's photograph, titled 'Many a Slip,' won the Champagne Tattinger Wedding Food Photographer category with his funny snap taken in France

John Armstrong-Millar’s photograph, titled ‘Many a Slip,’ won the Champagne Tattinger Wedding Food Photographer category with his funny snap taken in France

'Farmer with Longhorn Cattle,' by Harry Williams, won 'Food in the Field,' with its ethereal colour composition and foggy UK landscape

‘Farmer with Longhorn Cattle,’ by Harry Williams, won ‘Food in the Field,’ with its ethereal colour composition and foggy UK landscape  

source: dailymail.co.uk