39 Mouth-Watering Pictures By Winners Of The 2024 Pink Lady® Food Photographer Of The Year

Bored Panda got in touch with Barbora Baretic, a food stylist, photographer, and baker, who is one of the winners of the 2024 Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year. Barbora, the creator of delicious shots titled ‘Blood Orange Cardamom Cake,’ ‘Summer Nectarine and Lavender Tart,’ ‘Summer Tart,’ and ‘Canneles,’ was awarded 1st place in the Food Stylist category.

We asked Barbora to tell us how she comes up with the concepts for her food styling, and we learned that the photographer's biggest inspiration has always been nature and its seasons, seasonal produce and art. Baretic elaborated: “In winter I can’t wait for the first flowers to poke out of the ground, carefully looking at first buds and patiently waiting for the trees to bloom. I then think about what cake or tart I could make and pair it with flowers that are in season. I love using edible flowers on my cakes like lavender, lilac, elderflowers or pansies. In summer I like baking with berries or juicy stone fruit. In autumn my favourite is to use local produce like butternut squash, pome fruits or photograph still lives.

In winter I focus on Christmas and some moody photography. You can clearly see these transitions in my gallery on Instagram. I also enjoy going to galleries and exploring Dutch masterpieces. Dark and moody paintings have so much character and emotion and I adore the chiaroscuro style. This style uses contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts, affecting a whole composition. I use this style in my work a lot. But sometimes my inspiration is a vintage prop that I find in a market. I get an idea of what food would go perfectly with it.”

The photographer kindly shared with us how the process for preparing and styling a dish for a photo shoot looks: “As I make all cakes and tarts I use in my photoshoots from scratch, it is very time-consuming. However, I enjoy every step of this process. While making a cake, I’m already thinking about a setup. I ask myself a few questions like: what mood would I like to create? What season would I like to celebrate? What backdrop to use? Backlight or side light? Can I try something different this time? Can I add a movement to my photo? Hands in frame?

Based on my answers, I start to visualise the setup. This saves me lots of time. Once my cake is baked and decorated I start setting up the scene. Sometimes it’s all built in my head already, sometimes I start putting props on the table and build the scene step by step.”

Baretic also added: “It’s difficult to answer this question as it all depends on the setup and my imagination.”

Barbora’s skills are versatile. We were wondering what challenges she usually faces when combining roles as a baker, stylist, and photographer… But then we found out that these are not all the things keeping her busy, as she’s a mum too! She told us more: “I try to think I’m a very organised person but sometimes I do wish I had more time. I prepare and bake all my tarts and cakes from scratch so it is very time-consuming. Then it’s the never-ending pile of dishes!

But now (from my own experience) I learned how to save time by being organised and prepared ahead. Sometimes I bake my cake one day and style the next day as I noticed I’m fresher. However, this means my family has to wait until the next day to eat the cake, which is not easy.”

Asked about some memorable moment from her career that had a significant impact on Barbora’s work, the 2024 Pink Lady® Food Photographer Of The Year answered: “This was definitely when I changed my career and joined a local French bakery. Here I learned from an amazing pastry chef all the basics about French desserts. I’m ever so grateful for that.”

Lastly, we were curious what advice Baretic would give to aspiring food stylists and photographers looking to break into the industry. She told us: “Be resilient. If you would like to photograph a certain food and you just don’t feel a connection with the image, try different things. Use a different angle, try a flat lay, or a different lens perhaps, and change your backdrop or a colour combination. If you are lacking inspiration, go for a walk in nature and observe the world around you. Do something that you enjoy. Try a creative retreat. Look at some still life paintings or photographs. Let your creativity lead you.”