Donne macellaie, macelleria Dario Cecchini, Panzano, ottobre 2020

The Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers – world first-ever winner announced

Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2021, the world’s leading awards for food photography, was delighted to announce, on Tuesday 27 April 2021, the first-ever winner of The CLAIRE AHO Award for Women Photographers in association with Aho & Soldan Photo and Film Foundation – Marina Spironetti, Italy, with her magnificent portrait, Female Butchers of Panzano – Martina, one of the women trained by Dario Cecchini, world-famous butcher of Panzano.

This new Award is in memory of Finland’s greatest woman photographer, Claire Aho, 1925-2015, who was born into one of Finland’s most eminent cultural and artistic dynasties. Given her first camera at the age of 10, she was a trailblazer in many ways – as a woman working as a commercial photographer from the late 1940s at a time when almost no women were working in this field, in her use of colour photography and in her unique photographic blend of style, wit and vitality.

“Her achievements and legacy are an inspiration to women everywhere to express themselves through the medium of photography and it made complete sense to us to commemorate her in this way,” says Caroline Kenyon, Director/Founder of the Awards.

”This image has so much strength, form and balance of colour as well as the beautiful directness of gaze from a young woman finding her way in what has been, for centuries, a wholly male industry. I hope and I believe that Claire Aho would have loved it.”

This year’s global judging panel, chaired by legendary food photographer, David Loftus. Judges for this Award included Vitalie Taittinger, President, Champagne Taittinger, Susan Bright, Writer and Curator, Alison Jacques, Founder, Alison Jacques Gallery and Angela Nicholson, Co-Founder & Director at Camera Jabber, Founder of SheClicks.

Jussi Brofeldt, Claire Aho’s son and Chairman of the AHO & SOLDAN Photo and Film Foundation, Helsinki, Finland, also joined the distinguished Judging Panel to be part of the judging process. “This is very meaningful for my family and me to have my mother celebrated in this way.”

Women photographers from around the world, of every age, whether amateur or professional, were invited to submit images to this special Award. Entries could show food and how it touches our lives in any setting, from studio shots to reportage. The CLAIRE AHO Award for Women Photographers is intended to both celebrate and encourage all women photographers.

More details is on the direct link.