Bread

There were understandably a number of tasty-looking crusty loaves in this contest, but this one was my favourite, taking top spot. Lighting looks natural, and is directed appropriately to put full focus on the bread, with the black backdrop and pan sufficiently lit to avoid them becoming formless and risk the bread looking like a cutout. Textures on the surface of the crust are great, tempting us just to cut in to it or break off a tasty chunk. Congratulations on your winning image.

A classic still life composition, including a good amount of bread without overwhelming the rest of the scene, making the setup seem quite natural. The addition of the bread bin works well, and again, importantly, it does not dominate or draw the eye inappropriately despite the lettering. Lighting is good, with a pool of light on the central foreground elements, with the subjects further from the camera being less brightly illuminated, alhough clearly visible. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

A great shot of a baker removing some crusty loaves from a traditional oven. Positioning of the human subject is great, and we see a little movement in the rear hand which conveys the action of the shot. I love the smears of flour on the face and the hands. The composition of the shot directs the viewer towards the tasty-looking fresh bread. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

One of the most important things with food photography is to make the food look tasty and delicious, and you have certainly succeeded here. Lighting looks natural giving the toast, ham and cheese a very realistic colouring with no off-putting tints. The cheese has tempting melting dribbles, and the texture of the edge of the toast looks especially appealing. Use of a wide aperture has given sharp focus in key areas with the rest of the scene falling gently out of focus. Congratulations on your third place finish.

A slightly unusual image, with a slice of partly burnt fruit bread placed centrally on some paint-flaked wooden board. Set against the dark background allows the golden toasty colours to really stand out. Colouring looks natural, something that is key when photographing food. Simple but effective. Congratulations on your second place finish.