Red Bean Paste Balls, by Chinese photographer Zhonghua Yang, has won the overall prize in the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.

The image, which came first in the Champagne Taittinger Food for Celebration category, was taken in the rural area of Xiangshan, Zhejiang during preparations for the Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year.

Celebratory traditions include making dim sum, such as red bean dumplings, steamed rice cakes and glutinous rice cake.

“This wonderful, perfectly-balanced image is full of light, shadow, mystery and poignancy,” said Caroline Kenyon, founder of the Pink Lady competition.

“The food is exquisitely made – its circular shapes contrasting with the angularity of the fretwork screens, through which the light pours.

“Meanwhile, the woman who has made the food, weary, carries in yet another tray. Her role is to labour and to serve, while the guests party and enjoy.”

Here is a selection of the category winners, with descriptions by the photographers who took them.

“Lucy and Tony, and their children, made the long journey from Kent to the Isle of Skye to get married.

“They didn’t want to transport a traditional wedding cake all that way, so their cakemaker produced these fabulous little ‘cakes in containers’ for them.

“We found a spot by the historic Sligachan Bridge, and they tucked in!”

“Buri is Japanese for the fish [belonging to the species] Seriola quinqueradiata – it is known in English as ‘Yellowtail’.

“For centuries, fishermen filleted buri, salted them, dried them for about 10 days, and finally wrapped them in leaves and long rice-straw ropes before hanging them in front of their houses, exposed to the sea breeze.”

“Rhubarb is so fascinating to me. I adore its colour and texture. It also means spring is near.”

“Chestnuts symbolise Autumn harvest.

“In our family with strong Celtic roots, they are considered guardians of men and animals.

“The antique chestnut roaster is a family heirloom and a nod to our farming heritage.

“The crested dove symbolises harmony and virility.”

“This photo was shot as part of a series, The Hungry Traveller, a Gousto campaign celebrating cuisines from around the world.”

“At the beginning of the rice-farming season, a young farmer carries a rack of rice sprouts across a paddy field in Sakon Nakhon province, Thailand.”

“As the sun gracefully descends on the horizon, casting a warm and magical golden glow with an ethereal radiance, a tribal lady engages in the ancient practice of threshing rice grains in the courtyard of her home with rhythmic movements by tossing the harvested rice into the air.”

“A celebration of cake with My Little Cake Tin’s signature colourful and stylish edible floral decoration.”

“Boats fan out across a stretch of the lake, creating a floating market selling an array of fresh fruit.

“This is a floating market of seasonal fruits such as jackfruit, pineapple, mango, at Rangamati, Bangladesh.

“The tribal farmers sell their fruit early morning at minimum price on a wholesale basis.”

“I caught this bee having breakfast on a large sunflower at Bignor Roman Villa in West Sussex, England.

“Without bees to pollinate, there would be far less food in the world.”

This year’s judging panel, assessing thousands of entries submitted from more than 65 countries, was chaired by food photographer David Loftus and included Fiona Shields, head of photography at Guardian News & Media and Rein Skullerud, senior photographer and photo editor, United Nations World Food Programme.

An exhibition of all the finalists can be seen, between 5-9 June, at the Mall Galleries, London.

All photos subject to copyright. Courtesy of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2024.