Deep in the bowels of a dark wine vat, Spanish photographer Juan Miguel Ortuño Martínez clicked the shutter, capturing the moment a winery worker, Pedro, cleaned the enormous apparatus from the inside.
The image went on to win the 2026 Louis Jadot Wine Photographer of the Year, regarded as the major wine photography contest worldwide, and which forms part of the World Food Photography Awards.
With the 2027 award now open for entries, Juan Miguel has shed light on how, while working in near-total darkness, he created his commended image.
“The light was extremely scarce and that was the greatest difficulty in getting the shot,” the photographer told the competition organizers.
Juan Miguel used a Canon R5 with a Canon 24mm lens at f/1.4, ISO 6000 and a shutter speed of 1/12sec, explaining that he pushed the equipment to its “absolute limit” to recreate the atmosphere.
“The atmosphere was entirely real,” said Juan Miguel, who deliberately chose to only rely on the scarce light filtering through the vat entrance from a lamp outside.
“It was the light falling on the central figure, and if he had moved a few centimeters he would have melted into the darkness and the image would have lost much of its interest,” Juan Miguel explained.
The judges agreed, with Decanter magazine's Patrick Grabham, a judge for the 2026 World Food Photography Awards, naming the image his favorite from that edition of the event.
"It's a beautifully observed photograph. I love the use of light and the way it draws in the viewer,” he said.
The 2027 Louis Jadot Wine Photographer of the Year competition is now open. Head to the official website to see all World Food Photography Awards contest categories and entry requirements.
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