Last night, the finalist exhibition of the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2015 was held at The Mall Galleries in London. Unfortunately I couldn’t attend this year’s prestigious event but I am pleased to say that I was awarded third prize in the Politics of Food category.

The prize-winning image above was taken in north west Laos and shows table of wild food openly onsale in the market. One of the first things you see when entering the airport at Vientiane is a huge sign about wildlife trafficking. Wild food always has been a part of the diet in Laos, especially with the rural communities of the north. Although a table of python, civet cat, bamboo rat and an assortment of other jungle creatures may look gruesome, the real issue is not local consumption but mass smuggling of anything that moves to feed the voracious appetite of China. Corruption and incompetence ensure that little is being done to address the problem.

I also had another image on show at The Mall Galleries in the Politics of Food category. The “Highly Commended” shot, “chickens on a bike” was taken in Yangon, Myanmar and shows the indifference to animal suffering that is frequently encountered in Asia.

Shortlisted but not making it into the final selection were these “Commended” images:

“Man versus manta ray” – an enormous ray cut up on a quayside in Myanmar which was in the Politics of Food category.

“Crabs for somtam”, an image taken in Phuket Town, Thailand was shortlisted for the Cream of the Crop category.

“Just one more spoonful” of a mother feeding her daughter in Kompong Cham morning market, Cambodia…

…and “street-side lunch” from Yangon, Myanmar – both from the Food for the Family category.

The above photographs and my extensive library of food and food culture images are available through my agency, StockFood.

You can see all the finalist images online here or can pop along to The Mall Galleries, just of Trafalgar Square in London. The exhibition is free and open to the public until the 10th of May.

I must confess that I am a bit of a foodie. And I live in the right place to indulge myself. Thailand, indeed South East Asia, is a paradise for adventurous eaters. An added bonus is that I love photographing in vibrant markets, snapping food vendors and the nosh on my plate.

Last year I entered the international “Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year ” competition, a prestigious annual event which attracts thousands of entrants, and I was selected in one category. This year, I am delighted to say that I have been selected in three categories; ‘Food in the Street’, ‘Food in Action’ and ‘Food in its Place’. There are only seven photographers selected for each category.

I must emphasize that the images shown here are not the chosen images. These have to be kept secret until the winners are announced at The Mall Galleries in London on April 23. I will be going to the show as it coincides with my annual trip back to my grey little island.

The event is attended by leading figures from photography, media and food industries. Senior representatives of the sponsors also attend including Petra Thierry from StockFood’s Photographer & Art Department. More importantly Errazuriz Wines and Taittinger provide free flow wine and fizz. Basically it is a damn good arty party and I’m really looking forward to it.