In addition to the £5,000 prize fund one of the exclusive benefits the winner can make use of is a feature in the Production Paradise Spotlight Magazine.

In anticipation of this exciting news we thought we would talk to Neska Husar, Marketing Director at Production Paradise to tell us a little more about the organisation and what it does and her take on food photography at the moment.

In addition to being the Marketing Director, Neska is also editor of their magazine Showcase. Neska is responsible for their new launches, manages their collaborations and organizes their presence at key events.

Please tell us a little about Production Paradise and what it does:

Production Paradise is an online resource and showcase for advertising photography and motion professionals around the world. Through our directory and online magazines ‘Showcase’ and ‘Spotlight’ they can show their work to hundreds of thousands of new potential clients and collaborators. We focus only on the advertising and fashion professionals and make sure the quality is high. This is why the creatives trust us to always deliver the best content. We have thousands of art buyers from ad agencies, magazine photo editors, art directors, producers and other creatives worldwide who regularly use our website to find talent and services to work with. Our members show their work in our online magazines to get the attention of the industry decision makers and make connections with other members of Production Paradise worldwide.

Production Paradise started in 2002 in Barcelona, Spain. The founders have backgrounds in modelling, production and technology and the idea for the one-stop-shop actually originated in a plan to start a production hotel in Barcelona, since that would be used as a location to shoot, prep and accommodate the crew. Instead of that the idea of an online directory one-stop-shop was born.

Our website has visits from over 200 countries in the world, even from Vatican city. Most visits come from ad agencies, art buyers and art directors, who form our biggest audience. The visitors are usually looking for images, videos, brand names, photographers, photo agencies etc to get more information on the creator of these images or videos. They also look for services like production, rental studios, lighting, camera rental, casting agencies and hotels for production. The majority of our visitors come from USA and Europe followed by Asia and South America. Mostly they are creative people.

An important part of our strategy is to work with local partners who know the local industry and people and this is how we establish our brand in a location. “Think global – act local” is the main approach we follow when establishing our presence in a market. We also have a team of researchers who look for relevant contacts in different countries, especially within advertising agency sector. We make sure, by doing this, that we always approach the decision makers and this is an important service for our members.

The magazines on our website are all digital, we don’t print anything. We produce them in the head office with our editorial team and the magazines are the place for creative professionals and services to showcase their work – hence the name for Showcase magazine. Spotlight magazine is where we put a topic into the spotlight, like food and drink photography, photographer’s agents, studios for rent, commercial production or CGI for example. The star, of course, is the work of the professional.

What key trends you have seen emerging in food photography over the last few months that you have enjoyed?

I’m a big fan of cooking blogs and I noticed that the photography seen there has improved significantly over the years. So, there’s a lot of very good amateur food photography out there. Also, food photography from mobile devices has really exploded with high quality phone cameras and social media networks that serve to share them.

On the professional side, we have been doing the Food & Drink Photography Spotlight since 2007 and I have noticed a shift in style to a similar aesthetics of the food blog photography, to a very rustic and warm style. As for which influenced the other, I dont really know.

Which of our 2013 categories most interest you and why?

FOOD AND ITS PLACE because it includes people, local traditions and spirit surrounding the food.

FOOD PORTRAITURE That will be a feast for the eyes for sure!

And I love the FOOD SN-APPING category concept, where a percentage of the submission goes to a charity cause Action Against Hunger.

As we march towards the date of the exciting awards ceremony and exhibition at the renowned Mall Galleries, London we thought we would introduce you to the company that will be bringing the exhibition to life and printing the 2013 finalist images in all their glory.

Derek Poulston is the Managing Director of One Vision Imaging Ltd and we talked to him about the company, his background and all things photography.

Company Details

One Vision is one of the largest professional photographic laboratories in the UK. For well over 40 years we have been processing and printing work for many of the UK’s and indeed Europe’s finest Social, Commercial and Industrial photographers. Our reputation for high quality photographic output has also attracted customers such as advertising agencies, graphic designers and exhibition and display companies. Over the years we have also been entrusted to print for Government funded bodies such as the NHS, the emergency services, Fire, Police and also the M.O.D.

Derek’s Background

I was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in 1969. I left School at my earliest opportunity as I was eager to get to work. Originally thinking I could get involved in graphic design I was soon put off by the thought of an 8 year college course. My second train of thought was to get involved with photography as I had been taking pictures for many years as a hobby.

I was subsequently given an YTS (Youth Training Scheme) in a professional photographic laboratory named Hamills in Cheltenham. I spent the best part of three years being sent from pillar to post throughout the small business learning every aspect of traditional processing from C41 and E6 to black and white hand printing.

I joined a photographic recruitment agency in London as my colleague had done so and in 1998 a new opportunity came up for a colour printer within a Satellite laboratory for the UK’s largest professional laboratory Colab Ltd. Since then Colab have gone through extensive changes eventually merging in 2007 with Multiprint to create One Vision Imaging Ltd. I have been with the company throughout the changes, albeit with two breaks to travel the world!

Derek’s thoughts and observations of the photography industry

In relative terms and due to the digital revolution, photography has had possibly the biggest upheaval of any industry. For well over 150 years film had been the method in which to capture images and the level of sophistication and technology that had been applied to this media was immense and truly impressive. Films such as Fuji’s Velvia and PRO 160S are still today producing stunning results and will still challenge most digital capture methods for quality. In comparison however, rarely are they still used due to the many other benefits digital capture offers. Within a relatively short space of time film had been turned on its head and digital had taken over creating many commercial casualties. In the medical profession alone millions of ‘X’ ray images used to be on film. Almost everyone of us had a film camera and used it regularly. Pretty much every image taken throughout the world had a second stage to its capture and that was the processing of film.

My personal knowledge and years of experience was now under threat. I understood film, I could recommend film types and speed of films for different shoots, I understood processing techniques and the varying chemistry. I’d learnt how exposing my film in varying ways gave me different results. I knew then my life was about to change forever and I would have to learn an entirely new world, a digital world. For professional photographers the decision to go digital was also a critical one. Whilst the benefits are clearer today a decade ago they certainly were not. Understanding colour management, learning new skills such as Photoshop seemed essential and understanding how to get the most out of digital capture devices was no mean feat. I have to admit I foolishly fought the progression; such was my passion for film and the quality of print it produced. It’s worth noting that my profession is devoted to getting the best printed results from photographer’s images and so any reduction in print quality was never going to go down well with me.

The transition period was difficult for everyone, quality overall suffered and I believe the professional photographer suffered more than most. Now everyone has a digital camera or even two when you consider most mobile phones have cameras built in. The quality of digital capture devices is now of course quite superb and the benefits obvious to all.

Nowadays professional photographers have to work even harder to differentiate themselves from the ‘man next door’ who owns a perfectly good DSLR camera. Sadly they even look the same nowadays. Back in the old days if you had a Medium Format camera you looked instantly professional as nobody other than a pro used such a large format of film and therefore camera. The ability to be able to manipulate images, remove unwanted objects and make people look better than they actually are, are all things that the general public are fully aware of and this too makes people think that they too can shoot like a pro. The truth is of course they can’t and by using professional photographers you can and will receive significantly better results. Combine those skills with a professional laboratory like ourselves and you have a proven formula for a high quality product.

Food Photography is absolutely no different, if the saying ‘we eat with our eyes’ is true then this is almost certainly the reason why food photography is so critical to enticing us all into dining at the finest restaurants and hotels around the world. Producing the finalists prints for the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year is a perfect example of how great photography and perfect printing can come together to produce stunning results. We can’t wait to receive this years images and if last years is anything to go by then we are in for a real treat. Even though every single day I get to see hundreds if not thousands of professionally shot images, seeing great commercial shots is still exciting for me.

I’m very much looking forward to attending this year’s award ceremony at the Mall Galleries. Meeting photographers and finding new ways of exploiting food photography to benefit the food industries will be my mission.

For more information about One Vision Imaging Ltd visit www.onevisionimaging.com

Celebrations wouldn’t be celebrations without food and something sparkling and in the run up to the awards night we have two classic key pink dates.  They are, of course, Valentine’s Day – a must for Champagne – and then Mother’s Day – the perfect bubbly pressie on Sunday 10^th March for all our hard working, long suffering mums.

Vitalie Taittinger

One of the unique things about Taittinger is that it remains one of the few major houses to be owned and actively managed by the family named on the label.  Pierre Emmanuel Taittinger is currently in charge, grandson of the founder; his son, Clovis and daughter, Vitalie (Seen Left) are both working in the business and love to talk about the different Champagnes for different celebrations and occasions. They always have a quirky take on wonderful food and wine combinations.

For Valentine’s Day, Vitalie’s firm favourite is a bottle of Taittinger Prestige Rosé – presented in a clear bottle to show off its gorgeous pink hues.  She describes this wine ‘like a marvelous kiss. You can feel the generosity of the fruit and the bite of the Chardonnay.  It is subtle, enjoyable, strong and fresh!’ 

Vitalie’s Valentine pairing is, believe it or not, ‘poached salmon and cranberry marmalade, sweet potatoes and crispy peas with bacon,’  ideally dished up at her ideal romantic hideaway, Leslie Castle in Ireland.

This dish is perhaps a little less conventional than the other foodstuffs of love that we know: truffles, oysters, chocolate and chilli are all cited as powerful aphrodisiacs – some of which are sublime pairings for Taittinger; others a little trickier.

We enjoy the challenge and are often asked to come up with pairings for these.  Our favourite matches include…  Our top Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc des Blancs for truffles or oysters, or our Taittinger Prelude Grands Crus – both Champagnes have lovely minerality and complexity that work with these foods and are the ultimately decadent matches.

Although chocolate is often paired with Champagne and given as a gift, this can actually be quite a difficult match.  Chocolate is tricky with most wine styles and we try to think a bit more creatively.  We are fond of something like white chocolate mousse with raspberries paired with Taittinger Prestige Rosé.  However, when it comes to chilli we would rather have it in our curry with a pint of lager or a glass of spicy Shiraz than let it crucify the delicacy of carefully created Champagne bubbles, which have taken anything from 3 to10 years to make!

To find out more about Champagne Taittinger visit http://www.taittinger.fr/

Pete A. Eising is the owner, president and CEO of CulinArts Group, a holding company which unites under one roof several media companies specialising in food and lifestyle, including StockFood, the world’s leading food image agency.  StockFood represents more than 1,000 professional food photographers worldwide.

Discover everything StockFood has to offer at www.stockfood.com

So how did StockFood come to be part of the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year Award?

As soon as we heard about the Award, we just had to get involved.  We knew it would be a perfect fit for us – our philosophies are in perfect harmony. You see, at StockFood, we’re always on the hunt for the very best food images in the world for our own database. Our search is on behalf of our many clients who work in the food and catering industry, and also in the media, advertising and publishing. Over the years, we’ve built up the most comprehensive food-specific media collection on the web, and this includes not just photographs, photos, but also videos, features and recipes. We’re particularly thrilled to be sponsoring a whole new category in the 2013 Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year called Food off the Press!

Why did you decide to sponsor this category?

When it comes to Food off the Press, we’re completely in our element, as this category is StockFood’s raison d’être. The exceptional, professionally-produced photographs in our database are literally made for publication – offering a superb choice of images for use in books, magazines, newspapers, magazines and advertising. Food off the Press suits us down to the ground.

Tell us how your agency started.

It’s both a long and a short story, as StockFood was born over 30 years ago.  The company was founded in 1979, long before the Internet came into our lives. I was a photographer myself, with a passion for food photography.  At the time there were no specialised marketing channels for photographers, least of all in the field of food.  So I set up a company to meet that need, in my home town of Munich – and StockFood is still headquartered there today. Believe it or not, in those days we worked with slides and negatives which we sent all round the world by post! It’s hard to imagine now, when we live our lives and run so much of our business on the web.  The internet has had a huge impact on the way we work – in fact, it’s not just responsible for our current business model, it’s tranformed the entire photographic industry.

And now?  Where can we find Stockfood offices and branches today?

Just about everywhere. StockFood has three main offices: in Munich, London and the USA.  We also maintain agencies in 20 other countries around the world which act as “Master Delegates” under the StockFood brand label, the most recent additions being StockFood Turkey and StockFood Brazil. On top of this, we are represented by partner agencies in 60 more countries, making a grand total of offices in 80 different countries on all continents.  Thanks to the combination of this dense global sales network and the sheer quality of our collection, we’re now the leading international food media agency. I must say we’re very proud of this success!

But StockFood doesn’t just offer top-quality, professional images for publication – as you’ve already hinted, the B-to-B market’s portfolio has expanded considerably in the past few years, hasn’t it?.

Yes, indeed it has. We now have three other major product strands running alongside food photography.  First, there’s video; secondly, we offer fully-produced features (ready-to-use image/text spreads for magazines) and finally StockFood also has an extensive and ever-growing recipe database, with texts available for all suitable images and videos in many languages. So corporate clients in the food and catering industries, and advertising, publishing and media customers can now find exactly what they need in four complementary areas.

How many photographers are currently represented by StockFood and how you select them?

We are an agency for professional photographers and film makers, with a clear focus on the food sector. At the moment, the collection contains the work of over 1,000 photographers and video producers: these are artists who are at the top of their field, from right across the world. Our selection criteria are based on the highest standards: we only look for images of exceptional quality with excellent production values. Our Photographers’ & Art Department has now been monitoring global trends and developments in food photography for over three decades, using experienced trend scouts to keep a close and detailed watch on new movements and styles from the moment they emerge.

Can interested photographers apply directly to your agency?

Certainly, and it’s a very simple process, which we explain in detail on our website. Initially it’s best to submit a sample CD or DVD of images and videos for quality control purposes, as this saves time and money for both parties. All photographers who are accepted for representation by StockFood are then listed individually on our website, with their own portfolio.  Customers can then easily assess each photographer’s particular style and see if it suits their brand or product.

Are there any StockFood photographers competing for the 2013 Pink Lady® Food Photographer of Year award?

At the moment we’re still some way from the deadline for entries, which is 31st January 2013, and I must emphasise that as a member of the jury I am reluctant to pick out names.  But I can certainly tell you that many of last year’s entrants are represented by StockFood, including the overall winner: Jean Cazals, the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2012, who is responsible for over 2,000 images in the StockFood collection.

Do you think this award has the makings of a major event in the photography industry?  How do you see its chances in the future?

Definitely!  It’s early days – the competition is only being held for the second time in 2013 – yet it’s already considered one of the leading events of the industry.  The goal is to see the international crème de la crème of food photographers submitting their very best work for this contest.  And with a sponsor like Pink Lady® – a global brand with a great reputation -  I think it has every chance of succeeding.

What would you say was the ’next big thing’ to look out for in food photography, and how do you keep on top of the latest trends? 

Mystic Light is the name given by the StockFood Photography and Art Department to a dark, atmospheric and almost magical new style they’ve recently identified.  Originating in Scandinavia, it’s a look which is proving very popular elsewhere, and personally I like it very much.  It’s minimalistic and moody and has a particular affinity with wintry productions.

We communicate with our photographers via newsletter on a regular basis so that they can keep informed about all the latest trends, developments and customer needs. This means that photographers can always be responsive to demand. It’s a service that is clearly appreciated by photographers and clients alike.

When the competition results have been announced, where can the general public admire the prize-winning photographs?

Following the award ceremony on 23 April 2013, there will be an exhibition of the shortlisted images and the ultimate winners at the Mall Galleries in central London.  But if you’re not able to visit in person, winning images can be admired online our website at www.stockfood.com.    

Finally, a question for Pete Eising the photographer…after all these years, can you still be found with a camera in your hand?  If so, what are your favourite subjects?

This is a good question, people ask me quite often. I have to admit though that I put away my camera as a Food Photographer many years ago. The management duties for my growing companies did not allow anything beside it. Probably in response to our ever changing world and especially in our digital media industry I became an avid outdoors man again.  With this came the desire to hold a camera again.

I started to take professional Wildlife and Nature Photography. On my trips in the Alps and the Maine North Woods and other countries, whether hiking a mountain or in my canoe on a pristine lake in Maine I have my Macro and Tele lenses with me. The Great Outdoors refuels my senses after a straining work week and the art of Wildlife and Nature Photography evokes an emotional response inside me.

Thanks so much for your time, Mr. Eising – we hope you enjoy working with the rest of the jury!

Nickolas Murray, Untitled, circa 1935

The image resembles Henry Fantin-Latour’s work. A key 19^th century painter, he painted ‘Still Life: Corner of a Table’ in 1873 as his perception of a moment in bourgeois Parisian life, showing key indicators of class and lifestyle.

Henri Fantin Latour, Still life: Corner of a Table, 1873

His considered effort creates a natural, random arrangement of objects. His painting is detailed, realistic and reminiscent of still-life paintings from the 18th century by Jean Simeon Chardin (referred to in Part 2). Composition is clearly important. The plant in front fuses the items on the table, which stand out against the dark background, in contrast with the white tablecloth. This emphasises the objects and brings the viewers’ attention to the stunning effect of pink flowers reaching to the golden fruit in the dish above. Visual similarities in lifestyle, status and class are implied in both images and testify to a significant and perhaps even direct influence.

Quadrille Publishing, the leading cookery book publisher, offers extra prize for winner of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2013

Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year, the global celebration of the art of food photography, is delighted to announce an additional prize for the winner of the prestigious awards.

Not only will the lucky photographer receive a cheque for £5000 on 23 April 2013 at the world-renowned Mall Galleries, London but also a commission to shoot the iconic image for Quadrille Publishing’s promotional card for 2014, of which 350,000 copies are printed and tucked into Quadrille’s cook books.

“I have been involved as a judge with Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year since it launched in 2011,” says Helen Lewis, Creative Director of Quadrille Publishing, “and it is great to have further involvement in encouraging this wonderful and hitherto uncelebrated art form.”

Quadrille Publishing www.quadrille.co.uk has a reputation for producing magnificent and stylish cookery books, by some of the very greatest names in food, including Antonio Carluccio, Bill Granger and James Martin, all, coincidentally, judges of this year’s Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year.

It reminds me of my previous life as editor of a travel magazine. My favourite bit of the job was looking at photographer’s portfolios. It’s not that long ago, but the pictures were in slide form, and I used to look at them on a light box with a loop. It seems like something out of the Jurassic Age. Sometimes, would-be contributors would send them in on spec, sometimes they would call to make an appointment and bring their pictures to show me. I could never guess, when I went down to reception from my office to collect my visitor and their large black portfolio, what sort of pictures I would be shown. It was a great lesson to me never to judge by appearances!

So, early February looks likely to be very busy, as the first short-listing process gets under way. The whole judging process is conducted anonymously, so that judges have no idea who took which shot. Basing experience on last year, it is going to be a painful process too.The standard is so high, it seems desperately unfair that many more images can’t make it through to the final cut.

Recently, we looked through all 3100 images submitted last year, and we gasped afresh as we spotted so many wonderful shots that had not been selected for the Finalists’ exhibition at the Mall Galleries. But the good news is, this year we have more categories and more images in the final show! So make sure you enter your very best by 31 January, we really do love to see your work.

I am responsible for making a lot of technical decisions in the vineyard and winery, but I see my main role now as a bit like a conductor, to help my winemaking team to make the best wines possible.

My winemaking team comprises of strong people and skilled technicians. We meet frequently to discuss wine styles, winery practices, grape picking procedures and people. They challenge me – they are not “yes men”! – which I like, but uItimately we are all focussed on producing the highest quality wines – that have been recognised as among the best that Chile produces.

I also spend a big chunk of my time travelling to present and promote our wines in the different markets.

These are three of my favourite wine photographs that I wanted to share with you all.

Place: The Aconcagua Costa vineyard with all the rolling hills of beautiful vineyards.

Product: Don Maximiano

There is quite a lot happening at the vineyard at present. Our Aconcagua Costa vineyards, planted in 2005 and only 12 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean, are now fully productive, yielding very attractive wines from fresh Sauvignon Blanc to spicy Syrah, showing the cool climate characteristics and the minerality given by the schist soils.

In 2013 we will also have the first production of our Max VII vineyards, located in the interior part of the Aconcagua Valley, where thanks to the warm conditions we were able to plant Mediterranean varieties such Tempranillo, Grenache and Mourvedre.  This allows us to produce very unique and distinctive wines which I am very much looking forward to produce.

My top tip? Enjoy Errazuriz wines with fine food and carefully selected company! For Christmas I will be with my family in France, eating some very French food for sure prepared by my mother in law, accompanied by a good bottle of Champagne and some very fine wines. For a ‘classic’ Christmas, I recommend:

Smoked Gravadlax or Ceviche with our Sauvignon Blanc Aconcagua Costa 2011 (£11.99, Waitrose, E.H. Booth, London Wine Company)

Roast Turkey with our Chardonnay Wild Ferment Aconcagua Costa 2011 (£15.99, Wimbledon Wines, Kingsgate Wines, Hailsham Cellars, Eagles Wines), but we may have duck or goose, in which case I would serve our Wild Ferment Pinot Noir Casablanca 2011 (£13.99, Majestic, Booths, Cambridge Wine Merchants, Wimbledon Wine Cellars)

Some rustic cheeses including Colston Bassett Stilton and Appleby’s Smoked Cheshire with our Don Maximiano Founders Reserve 2008 (£45, Hailsham Cellars, Farr Vintners, Waitrose, Laithwaites, slurp.co.uk, Partridges of Sloane Street).

With these pairings you will definitely have a fine Christmas!

The newly established medium of photography radically renewed the Impressionist art movement.  Impressionism in still life paintings focussed on consumption and class – the painter created a seemingly natural scene of objects despite conscientious arrangement. Rather than mirroring a scene like these early still-life photographs, artists personally depicted their own visual experience.

Although monochrome pictures began to appear in early cookery books, the process was slow. Professional photographers used the half-tone process for cheaper reproduction. By breaking the images into a series of dots, it was much easier to reproduce the full tonal range of a photograph in print.

Food illustrations often illustrated cookbooks. Chromolithographs featured in ‘Le Livre de cuisine’ (“The Royal Cookery Book”) by well-known French chef, Jules Gouffe. Printed in Paris, 1867, the book contains 25chromolithograph plates printed in colour. Images like this chromolithograph plate may have influenced contemporary images of abundant food. As photography became a popular medium, advancements in printing paved the way for easier production.

Arabic music drifts like a lullaby to exotic dreams, merging with zingy scents of mint and lemon, sharp bursts of garlic and gentle cinnamon. Candle light flickers through the patina of delicate lanterns. The table is set with glass and pottery, earthenware and old china in Byzantine hues of azure and crimson, tangerine and terracotta.

It is quite a transformation and the mood is unmistakably one of celebration as Phood studios come together with friends and colleagues to celebrate the inaugural International Food Photography Day and to launch their new daylight food studio.

And what better way to do so than over good company, great food a bash at some daylight food photography!

Taking cue from the Middle Eastern menu devised and cooked by chef and stylist Nicole

Grimsdale, with wines chosen by Leeds’s oldest wine merchants Cairns and Hickey, the day was centred on both a feast to share and a feast to shoot.

Prop stylist Hannah Marshall was in charge of setting the scene – both for the table and the camera. Choosing disparate colours and textures was key to her vision – layering eclectic and vintage pieces (primarily sourced from Phood studios vast collection of props) to evoke the warmth and vibrancy of the Middle East.

She hung the walls of the dining area with Persian carpets; found huge hand crafted platters for the sharing plates, smaller ones for hummus to dot between guests. Every plate was different, but together they all worked.

The camera only catches a small frame – for the photographic element of her brief Hannah selected small pieces that could add the right note to the picture. Swatches of bright silks, old Turkish tiles, a golden glass bowl, coloured cups for coffee.

Andy and Roo were assigned to christen the new studio, photographing two dishes from the day. Both were excited by the possibilities afforded by natural light – its refinements and challenges.

“Daylight gives a completely different feel,” says Roo. “The colour temperature is something flash can never really re-create. It’s more editorial, perfect for a looser style of food.”

Roo says the challenge is in the unpredictable movement of natural light. “It means photography becomes an interplay of light and math” he says with some relish.

As Nicole cut and squeezed, tore and blitzed, ripped, scattered and seasoned with flourish and abandon, on the other side of the studio (in the soft glow of northern light from the newly un-veiled windows) food stylist Ann Reynolds was a picture of calm focus, using tweezers and a considered, careful placement. Working from the same recipes, the two stylists’ approach couldn’t be more different.  Cooking to eat and cooking to shoot require a changed approach – yet the best food photography looks like it is ready to eat!

“It is all about exaggerating elements,” says Ann. “I extracted ingredients from the recipe to create contrast and variation in colour and texture. For example, I chose the most charred pieces of chicken and really thought about how I cut things; the angles and shapes. If a recipe says to chop herbs I might tear instead to retain the shape of the leaf.

The day is in full flow, heaving plates of saffron chicken and tabbouleh are being passed around with jokes and anecdotes, sesame crusted pide mops up garlicky hummus and Lebanese wine swishes in tall glasses. Laughter and conversation, food and wine – the essentials of celebration

On International Food Photography Day, surrounded by their friends, the guys from Phood (their wispy Movember taches now speckled with flecks of flaky baklava filo as they slurp hot espressos) have something to be proud of. The new daylight studio means they have even more to offer as food photographers. They can catch light and shadow in ways that flash never could. But most of all, they have created a business out of what they love – out of what they have in bucket-loads: a passion for food.

Cheers to that!