The best photos of the competition "Culinary Photographer of the Year 2014"

On the web, Instagram users alone post thousands of thousands of photos of a wide variety of dishes every day. But culinary photography is a special genre, high art, designed not only to arouse a very real appetite, but also to satisfy an aesthetic hunger.

The annual Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year competition aims to tell the world about the masters of food photography. The competition features a variety of categories open to professional and amateur photographers of all ages from around the world. Its jury includes professional photographers and celebrity chefs, including London-based chef Yotam Ottolenghi.

We present to your attention the best works from the competition, where more than 6,000 photos from all over the world were submitted this year.

(Total 16 photos)

1. Whoever eats an apple a day does not have a doctor. Juicy red and green apples lined up, corresponding to different days of the week. (Photo: William Hondokosumo)

2. The winner of the 2014 competition was Tessa Bunny from the UK, who took this impressive shot of hand-made noodle dough. The top prize this year was a fund of £5,000. (Photo: Tessa Bunney)

3. Steam rises from the stove in this picture by British photographer David Thompson, who captured a street vendor while preparing a traditional Chinese snack, Jian Bao. (Photo: David Thompson)

4. Frog crab on ice, ready to eat. (Photo: Louise Lister)

5. Winemaker Dominique Lafon tastes wine in his cellars. This shot is also the winner of the 2014 Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year. (Photo: Jon Wyand)

6. Winner in the category "Food and interior": the process of roasting coffee beans in Rwanda. (Photo: Jonathan Gregson)

7. Close-up: strawberry sauce drips onto the table from a metal whisk. (Photo: Aniko Meneghinine)

8. "Sweet Blue Cabbage Heart" drenched in rain. Nomination in the category "Food products in a natural setting". (Photo: Manuela Reuther)

9. The winner in the age group "11-14" Kathy Woodhouse successfully photographed Fab ice cream, just dropped into the grass. (Photo: Katie Woodhouse)

10. Two elderly Vietnamese women prepare traditional dishes for the celebration of the Lunar New Year. (Photo: Tuan Nguyen)

11. The seller of potatoes at his tray in Chile. (Photo: Emma Wood)

12. Still hungry? Nicole Branan definitely hit this shot of juicy ribs in the Ready Meals category. (Photo: Nicole Branan)

13. The winner in the age group "under 10" Eden Crossley photographed a bully monkey who stole an apple. (Photo: Eden Crossle)

14. The chef lovingly shapes the tortillas in this snapshot of Lyona Claire, a member of the 11-17 age group. (Photo: Lione Clare)

15. Classic still life or photo? The picture shows roast pigeon, garlic skeins, mushrooms and traditional rural kitchen utensils. (Photo: Caroline Martin)

16. This colorful photo of a mobile ice cream stand was taken with a mobile phone. (Photo: Peter Cassidy)