In the Turkey category, the “people’s choice” winner was Vanessa Able’s shot of an Istanbul tea maker:

In the International category, the public voted for Melanie Mehrer’s picture of noodlemakers in Shanghai:

Our own choice for a Turkey winner was Bora Kim’s portrait of Pando, the lovable kaymak maker in Besiktas:

In the international category, we chose Chris Strickland’s shot of an Afghan baker:

Congratulations to the winner and thank you again to all our contestants — each shot sent in was a winner.

To do that, we’ve set up two Flickr photostreams where you can see the finalists:
International Portraits
www.flickr.com/photos/istanbul_eats
Turkey Portraits
www.flickr.com/photos/istanbuleats

After you’ve taken a look at the photos, decide which one you like best from each group and send your vote to istanbuleats3@gmail.com (please only vote once). Voting will be open for one week, so you have until Tuesday, May 18 to vote.We will announce the winners soon after.

Good luck to all the contestants and let the voting begin!

Congratulations Piotr!

This week’s winning shot, of a kebab maker behind the grill, is by Jason Jones of Istanbul. Congratulations Jason!

This week’s winning shot, by Vanessa Able, is of a cayci (tea maker) in Istanbul. Congratulations Vanessa!

This week’s winning shot, by Bora Ann Kim of the US, is of the lovable Pando, owner of perhaps the best kaymak shop in Istanbul. Congratulations Bora!

We were absolutely delighted with both the entries and the enthusiasm with which everyone approached our last competition, so we felt that with a new year it’s time we organized another opportunity for you to compete once more.

This time we’re looking for a portrait of someone who is associated with food, whether preparing, serving, cooking or waiting – it matters not. From the chef at the finest of restaurants to the guys on the street selling peeled carrots, from the waiter in a kofte shop to the sous chef, it’s up to you, take your pick!  It just has to be someone associated directly with food (not the garbage man for instance).

We’re going to have two competitions this time:

1. Turkey – for those of you based in Turkey or who have photos from your time in Turkey, with a prize of a meal for two with the Istanbul Eats team in one of our reviewed restaurants

2. Rest of the World – yes anywhere else! Submit a photo that fits the guidelines from any country at all – feel free to take your pick wherever you are. The prize is the same, so look at it as an incentive to come and visit us in this glorious city!

Entries
The competition is going to run for 6 weeks from 15th March to 30th April; every week choosing the best photograph that we’ve had submitted that week and publishing that as our choice of the week.  This means you have the chance of submitting up to 6 entries in our competition; feel free to enter at least one photo per week.

Either post your entry up on our Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/IstanbulEats?v=photos&ref=ts or email us at istanbuleats@gmail.com where we’ll place them on our website on your behalf…..

Judging
After the 6 weeks we’re going to choose our “top-ten” images and then it’s over to the popular vote, where we will ask our readers to choose the winner.

(photo by Jonathan Lewis)