The best culinary photographs of the year. You will not find these photos on Instagram

Chinese photographer Jianhui Liao won the prestigious Pink Lady Food Photography Photographer of the Year 2019. In one photo he managed to show all of China.

Culinary photography can be associated with candy pictures of food that reign on Instagram and blogs . It's often great technically, well-processed and lit cages that are hard to fault. Unfortunately, as in most Instagrama, they lack depth, history standing in the background, human emotions. All that I value the most in photography.

Meanwhile, the Pink Lady Food photography contest Photographer of the Year 2019 is looking for this depth, the human element and history in culinary photography. The competition jury values ​​something more than just technically perfect, nicely arranged instagram cages. They appreciate photos from the borderline of culinary photography and reportage. This is just an interesting combination. No wonder that the first place in this year's edition of the competition was taken by a photograph showing culinary culture in China.

For Chinese, food is religion. The awarded photo aptly shows it.

In Chinese cities, even those several million in a deep province, food can be bought on every corner, at any time of the day or night. And pay for it by scanning the QR code of the seller with your smartphone with the WeChat application. Even if we buy a cooked smelly egg at the bus stop.

During lunch, at approx. 12 most Chinese people, if they can, leave the most important thing of their life (work) for a moment and sit down to eat. And at the same time, he spends much more time than we do here in Europe.

No wonder that food is also an important element of the celebration of the holidays, such as the Chinese New Year - the most important holiday in the traditional Chinese calendar, falling between the end of January and the beginning of February. Then all of China travels, factories stand, and employees often return to their homeland and traditionally eat their New Year's pasta with their family. Chinese photographer Jianhui Liao managed to show all this in one picture, and even more (Chinese people like to work in groups, which can be seen in the picture). His work won the whole competition Pink Pink Food Photographer of the Year 2019 and in the category of "Food for Celebration".

The photo entitled "Cauldron Noodles" was made in Shexian - a county in the southeast of Anhui province in China.

Every year from the first to the eighteenth day of the lunar calendar, the villagers wear the Qing dynasty costumes to celebrate the birthday of the ancient goddess Nvwa, eating large portions of pasta at noon, writes the photographer.

For the picture Liao received £ 5,000. The award was presented to him by the contest juror Andy Macdonald, who complimented the photographer:

The photo stands out from the others in its category, [Liao] made the subject of the photo important, made the joint feast beautiful and atmospheric - said Andy Macdonald.

For the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2019 competition, 9,000 photos from 77 countries were submitted, which shows how important and popular the competition is. The works could be submitted in as many as 23 categories, including two new ones: "Champagne Taittinger Wedding Food Photographer" and "Food Stylist Award". In the industry of photographers dealing in food photography, it is one of the most important and renowned competitions in the world. Victory helps photographers get attention and reach the most important people in the industry. You can find out more about the competition on its website .

The best culinary photographs of the year. You will not find these photos on Instagram