FLIPP photographer-director, Rob Palmer, has won the National Photographic Portrait Prize for his image, The Mahi-Mahi. The image is one of Palmer’s photographs from The Whole Fish Cookbook series Palmer created with chef, Josh Niland. Niland has received acclaim for his pioneering approach to zero waste cuisine and sustainable seafood.

Although he began his career as a surf photographer in Hawaii, food, lifestyle and advertising photography are Palmer’s realms and he now lives in Sydney. In 2014, he co-authored, produced and photographed a Moroccan food and travel cookbook, Colour of Maroc, with his wife. It won the 2014 Australian Gourmand Award for Best Mediterranean Cookbook, was placed in the top three of the 2017 German cookbook awards and was shortlisted for the 2014 British Design and Production Awards. He has photographed books for a number of top Australian chefs and health authors, such as Matt Moran, Pete Evans, Manu Feildel, Silvia Colloca, Michelle Bridges, Justine Schofield and Magdalena Roze.

His advertising work covers photography for brands such as Qantas, AMEX, Netflix, UberEats, Woolworths, Coles, Arnott’s, Coles, Nestle, Cadbury’s, Sunbeam, Uncle Toby’s, White Wings and Devondale.

Palmer commented on his win, “I loved working with Josh because he’s focused and knows exactly what he wants. Even though the likes of Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson have all labelled Josh one of the most amazing chefs of his time and everyone wants a piece of him, none of this seems to interest him (maybe it does but he sure doesn’t show it!) as much as pursuing creativity and perfection within his food.”

The highly commended Photographic Portrait Prize commended award went to Hugh Stewart for his portrait of 105-year-old dancer, Eileen Kramer.

Here is some more of Palmer’s work from The Whole Fish Cookbook: