What stands out in the shortlist

 

Words by Caroline Kenyon

After all the New Year’s resolutions - more exercise, less indulgence, more efficiency, less procrastination - something very special to look forward to in the early part of the year is the World Food Photography Awards shortlisting week.

While I may not have the encyclopaedic visual memory of our colleague Kathleen, I can recall many images submitted over the last 15 years, having been privileged to be involved in the shortlisting process from our very first Awards back in 2012.

The week is intense, exciting, demanding. Every morning, we start the day wondering what we are going to see, how we will be challenged visually, emotionally and intellectually. Will decisions be unanimous or conflicted? Will we feel happy that the category shortlists have not left out any worthy contenders? Or shall we be mourning the loss of some we should have loved to have put through but there were just too many? That really hurts as we know how much it means to entrants to be shortlisted. Nonetheless, with our amazing judges, we always come to a point where we know the shortlist is right, and that we are all willing to champion each image as outstanding in its own way.

 

Here are some that have lingered in my mind since last year.

 

Vienna Street Food by Florence Wibowo, MPB Award for Innovation

What a cool card this man is in his magenta striped socks and shiny loafers with heels. Surrounded by sticky detritus - cans, packaging, bottles, half eaten food - this image tells a story of riotous pleasure, perhaps a little sinister. We can’t see his face and what was in those bottles? His trousers look as if they belong to a smart suit. Is he a businessman who has overdone it after a hard day at work? A resonant, witty, and slightly unsettling shot of a fleeting moment.

 

Homegrown Tomatoes: Greenhouse Magic by Giedre Barauskiene, Food in the Field

This is such a simple and beautiful shot. All it shows is some tomato plants. But it is exquisitely framed and lit, the fruit, the leaves, the cobwebs, light and shadow all make for a calming and compelling image, which draws one in and soothes.

 

Fishermen unload the fish from the boat’s hull by Kidsadakon Sukmool, Bring Home the Harvest

This tightly framed photo cleverly captures the claustrophobic hull of the aged, rickety fishing boat. The fisherman crouches uncomfortably in the tiny space, handing the haul up to his colleague. His muscles strain under the weight of the huge fish, the walls of the cavity are brilliant with patches of blood red paint. This is punishing work, doubtless for small return, captured in a jewel bright image.

 

The Recipe of Memories - Nourishing Roots in Emigration by Anna Federova, Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers

There is a beautifully still quality to this image, the little girl plays just round the corner from her mother, who is cooking in a bleak kitchen, there is no adornment. But there is comfort in the proximity of the mother and child. The mother busies herself cooking food from her home country, the act of doing so comforts her. It is a lovely narrative shot.

 

Restoration of the Five Senses by Remko Kraaijeveld, Cream of the Crop

This is a lovely, joyful shot. The Brussels sprout chandelier hangs elegantly in the middle of the image, while two enormous kale parasols nestle on one side of the floor, while a carefully balanced display of squashes and artichokes on a wooden churn stands on the other side. A sprinkling of flower heads on the floor flows outwards. The lighting is clear but gentle, this is a perfect celebration of produce.

 

Check out the 2025 Shortlist and 2025 Finalists. Entries to this year’s Awards close on 8 February, so do please share your images with us before then. Take a look at our categories to find which ones suit your work. Good luck!