A PORTRAIT of a Mumbai-based candy floss vendor named Pappu Jaiswal, shot by UK-based Jon Enoch, was awarded the top overall prize at the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023, announced earlier this month.
Enoch's award-winning photograph was taken in the streets of Mumbai, around the western suburbs. It is part of a wider series of images of the sellers, which capture the unique ways used to display the candy in the hopes of attracting buyers.
Caroline Kenyon, the founder of the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year, likened the image to "the great late 18th and early 19th century portraits of Reynolds and Gainsborough: the gaze, the full-length figure, the subject’s position in the frame".
Meanwhile, Enoch said that ever since he "first saw the candy floss sellers, (he) was drawn to the shapes, colours and juxtaposition of the candy and the urban environment".
The Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year is a celebration of the art of food photography and film, and honoured contributions across 36 categories in its 16 May 2023 ceremony.
The judging panel, which picked the winning entries from among thousands of submissions from over 65 countries, was chaired by renowned food photographer David Loftus, and included Fiona Shields, Guardian News & Media's head of photography; celebrity chef Ian Kittichai; Ella Ravilious, curator of The V&A Museum; cookbook author and columnist Nik Sharma; and Rein Skullerud, senior photographer and photo editor at the United Nations World Food Programme.
An exhibition featuring the works of the 2023 finalists has premiered at The Royal Photographic Society in Bristol, and will conclude on 11 June 2023.
See the winning entries below:
Overall Winner: 'The Candyman', by Jon Enoch (UK)
Pappu Jaiswal, a candy floss seller in Mumbai, India, holds his display of brightly coloured confectionery on the streets near Versova Beach. Never more popular than in the age of social media for some eye-catching likes, the pink sugar clouds are popular for those looking for an affordable treat.
Photo © Jon Enoch and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Bring Home The Harvest: 'In The Storm', by Khanh Phan Thi (Vietnam)
Lap An Lagoon in Hue province in the dry season: When the water recedes, the fish are stuck in puddles and when the tide is low, people often go fishing here. When I arrived at Lap An Lagoon, the storm came. The people who were with me were very afraid of lightning, but I stayed to witness the change of the storm when Heaven and Earth seemed to be connected by wind and water. I tried to stay calm, to forget my fear and shoot this moment. I think things that survive in harsh conditions are always great.
Photo © Khanh Phan Thi and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Champagne Taittinger Food for Celebration: 'Dinner With The King And Queen Of Sweden', by Jonas Borg (Sweden)
Sverigemiddagen (the Dinner of Sweden), an annual event held at the Royal Castle in Stockholm, celebrates individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to their local communities. Invited guests are honoured for their achievements and are hosted by the King and Queen of Sweden at a grand dinner.
Photo © Jonas Borg and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Champagne Taittinger Wedding Food Photographer: 'Stories During Dinner', by Isabelle Hattnik (The Netherlands)
Kids playing around the family table at a huge wedding.
Photo © Isabelle Hattnik and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers: 'Adua's Kitchen', by Carla Sutera Sardo (Italy)
Adua's Kitchen is part of a journey down memory lane, of an 86-year-old woman who had to leave her lifelong home during the COVID pandemic.
Photo © Carla Sutera Sardo and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year; Overall (and People): 'Girl After Emptying A Tank At The End Of Fermentation', by Thierry Gaudillère (France)
A girl resting after emptying a vat after the fermentation of the grapes in a vineyard in Burgundy. It is physical and tiring work.
Photo © Thierry Gaudillère and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year; Places: 'Pommard Pruning', by Oscar Oliveras aka 'wineographic' (France)
A vineyard worker burning vine branches from the previous season in the Pommard Rugiens vineyard in Burgundy, France.
Photo © Oscar Oliveras and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year; Produce: 'The Eye', by Adrian Chitty (US)
Chardonnay lees forming a striking pattern at the bottom of a stainless steel fermentation tank.
Photo © Adrian Chitty and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Food At The Table: 'Thankful For The Simplicity In Life', by Jesslyn Jocom (Singapore)
This image was taken from my visit to Shwe Gu Orphanage monastery in Old Bagan, Myanmar, in 2018. I visited this monastery for three days and observed their daily routines. Most of these children have lost their parents and have no family. They are training to be Buddhist monks. These children have very difficult lives in a difficult place, yet they are very happy and grateful. They are thankful for the simplicity of life that they have.
Photo © Jesslyn Jocom and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Food For The Family: 'Slurping Spaghetti', by Catherine Falls (Ireland)
Spag bol is always a winner in our house and the leftovers are enjoyed for lunch the next day, as my youngest daughter demonstrates in this image.
Photo © Catherine Falls and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Food In The Field: 'Dinner is Ready' by Felipe Pizano (UK)
Sow taking a nap in a hole. Meanwhile her piglets feed themselves in the hot weather of Palenque, close to Cartagena, Colombia.
Photo © Felipe Pizano and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Food Influencer: 'Lost Love - Grandfather', by Indu Vishwanath Singh (India)
Grandfather with his love's favourite fruit, still unable to take off his ring after her death. Food connects us emotionally and this is a true example.
Photo © Indu Vishwanath Singh and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Food Stylist Award: 'Trio of Cakes', 'The Aftermath', 'Who's Doing the Dishes?', 'Say When...', and 'Let them Eat Cake...', by Keiron George; photographed by Frankie Turner (UK)
These images image are part of the collection 'Beauty in Destruction'.
Photos © Keiron George, Frankie Turner and Pink Lady® Food
Hotel Art Group Cream Of The Crop: 'Mushrooms In Seville Market', by Susan Astor-Smith (Australia)
The mushrooms at Mercado de Triana in Seville immediately caught my eye with their strong shapes, lines and textures. Black and white perfectly suited the graphic detail of this image.
Photo © Susan Astor-Smith and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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MPB Award for Innovation: 'Flowing Still Life: Greengrocery Project', Elisa Villa (Italy)
Vegetables or green fish?
Photo © Elisa Villa and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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On the Phone: 'Bonnet Delights', by Hein van Tonder(UAE)
Saturday afternoon street food in Galle Fort, Sri Lanka.
Photo © Hein van Tonder and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Pink Lady® Moments of Joy: Hanging Up Persimmons', by Zhonghua Yang (China)
Autumn on the loess slopes of Shanxi Province, China. The mountainous region located in the Taihang Mountains, is so cold and dry that making hanging persimmon cakes is the main source of income for local farmers. This year's persimmons are harvested, peeled and dressed, and hung under the eaves in bunches, waiting for the persimmons to soften and freeze, hoping they will bring a good price in the New Year.
Photo © Zhonghua Yang and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year (Africa): 'Gingery Pear And Treacle Sponge Pud', by Dianne Bibby (South Africa)
No description provided by photographer.
Photo © Dianne Bibby and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year (China):'Anchang Sugar Dance Artist', by Zhonghua Yang (China)
Taken in Anchang, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. The process of pulling sugar is a local specialty. This process is very skillful and the master appears to be dancing when pulling the white sugar.
Photo © Zhonghua Yang and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year (The Gulf): 'Two by Two', by Rico X (UAE)
While shooting in the northern town of Saint Louis in Senegal, I ventured into the neighbourhood of Guet N'Dar, meeting its people, trying to understand the community with the help of my guide when I came across this spot. All that was there were the jeans and the door with the Senegalese flag. I waited and I waited and this is by far my favourite capture from that long wait.
Photo © Rico X and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year (New Zealand): 'Eggs at Farina Ponsonby', by Manja Wachsmuth(New Zealand)
Chef is handling eggs in preparation for pasta making in the kitchen at Farina Ponsonby in Auckland NZ.
Photo © Manja Wachsmuth and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year (South East Asia): 'Drying Fish', by Khanh Phan Thi (Vietnam)
These women are drying fish but they appear to be connecting the coloured patches together. The details of the fish remind us of Van Gogh's watercolour paintings.
Photo © Khanh Phan Thi and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year (USA): 'Chapel Barrel Room, Fitapreta Vinhos Alentejo, Portugal', by David Sawyer (US)
The beauty that the Chapel Barrel Room (the building dates back to the mid 1390's) at Fitapreta Vinhos emitted early one evening compelled me to capture its pure serenity. I suppose any chapel should evoke such compulsion in one, whether full of perfectly stacked barrels or not.
Photo © David Sawyer and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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Politics of Food: 'Ramadan Meals Among the Ruins in Idlib, Syria', by Mouneb Taim (The Netherlands)
After the campaign of the Syrian regime on Idlib and the departure of the Syrian forces from the city of Nayrab, the people of the city found all its houses destroyed. That was in the month of Ramadan in the year 2020. Neither the war nor the destruction prevented the people from holding a group breakfast, an important tradition for them during Ramadan.
Photo © Mouneb Taim and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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unearthed® Food For Sale: 'Selling Fish', by Md Mahabub Hossain Khan (Bangladesh)
Naya Bazaar is one of the oldest weekly fish markets in Dhaka, Bangladesh. We can see rare and expensive species of fish here that cannot usually be seen in other markets.
Photo © Md Mahabub Hossain Khan and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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World Food Programme Food for Life: 'Hungry Tears', by Al-Nasim Talukdar Rajib (Bangladesh)
Sustenance is unfortunately not available to everyone. Humiliation, sadly not unknown to the starving children living in the hostile street environment, is often something to which they have to become accustomed.
Photo © Al-Nasim Talukdar Rajib and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
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YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ages 10 and under: 'Peaches', by Maja Kowalczyk (Poland)
One of my favourite summer fruits, photographed under a tree in our garden.
Ages 11-14: 'Flaming Lamb Skewers', by Jacqueline Tsang(New Zealand)
At a bustling night market in Pakuranga, stands line the aisles of a once-dull car park, bringing it back to life. A chef works passionately in his stall, and curious customers watch as he fetches bundles of skewers evidently prepared earlier and lays them neatly along the edge of the grill before sprinkling them generously with seasoning. After waiting for the meat to cook, he flips each set over, summoning a blazing tower of flames, much to the spectators' delight.
Ages 15-17: 'Spices Of Indian Household', by Amitha AR (India)
This image is my depiction of the ruling spices in Indian cuisine, showcasing the vibrant colours of powdered turmeric and chilli exploding in the hands.
Photos © Maja Kowalczyk, Jacqueline Tsang, Amitha AR and Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023
Slurrp will be covering more of the finalists across various categories in the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2023 awards over the coming days. Watch this space.