Russell Brown, the former Michelin-starred chef and restauranteur turned food writer and photographer, was selected as a Finalist in the prestigious Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2017 competition. His seasonal shot of Braeburn apples was named as Highly Commended in the “Food in the Field” category of the annual awards celebrating the very best in food photography, picked out by the panel of industry expert judges, including journalist Jay Rayner and chair of the James Beard Foundation Emily Luchetti, from over 8400 images entered this year from over 60 countries.
This accolade follows the recent announcement of Russell’s upcoming debut food book “Well Seasoned”, which will be co-authored by Jon Haley and published by Head of Zeus in March 2018. The new book will be an expert guide to seasonal living; a month by month insight into the best seasonal ingredients, what to cook, seasonal activities and, of course, what to eat in order to make the most of Britain’s finest produce at every stage of the year. All of the book’s photography is being produced by Russell as well as the majority of the recipes.
Russell also continues to provide food articles and images for a range of regional and national publications, through his Dorset-based consultancy business Creative About Cuisine. Ranging from ingredient masterclasses and seasonal produce pieces to reviews of cookbooks and restaurants and profiles of fellow chefs and culinary destinations, Russell’s food writing reflects the expertise of his 20-year career in the catering industry. Photography is a particular passion of Russell’s, and his deep understanding of food, cooking techniques and different presentation styles teamed with a natural creative flair results in stunning images.
Commenting on his Highly Commended photograph, which was showcased as one of 140 images at the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2017 exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London, Russell Brown said:
“I took this shot at the Four Elms fruit farm in Devon whilst working on an article for The Caterer magazine. The orchard was shrouded in mist and all the Braeburns were covered in water droplets - they looked perfect with an absolutely even colour, and the glisten of the water droplets just added to the impact.”
He added: “Generally my photography is closely linked to my cooking, the seasons drive what is going in the pan and subsequently what is in front of the camera. As a chef, cooking is about preparation and a high degree of precision - this does cross over into my photography, but I do really like to keep things feeling natural and honest. For me, it is about trying to make the food in a photograph as closely linked as possible to how you would serve it as a chef, or sit and enjoy it as a diner.”
