Caramel Sauce Doughnut by Rodrigo Aliaga

Captured as a creative exercise for a Diploma in Food Photography, this image explores the power of perspective in culinary storytelling. By utilizing a deliberate downward angleβ€”the most natural way to observe a dishβ€”the photographer highlights the intricate textures and appeal of the caramel sauce doughnut. The technical decision to use a 135mm focal length allows for a tight, intimate composition that draws the viewer directly into the subject. This photograph is award-worthy for its clean execution and its ability to transform a simple dessert into a visually compelling study of light, form, and appetite.

Caramel Sauce Doughnut by Rodrigo Aliaga
Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Exposure 1/40sec @ f/8 | ISO 400 | Focal Length 135mm
Copyright Β© Rodrigo Aliaga
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Rodrigo Aliaga

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in La Paz, Bolivia, Rodrigo Tato Aliaga is a dedicated visual storyteller who has built a distinguished career as a director of photography for television advertisements. His deep expertise in film informs his transition into digital photography, where he specializes in the nuanced world of food imagery. By blending technical precision with a creative eye, Aliaga consistently produces exquisite photographs that balance artistic vision with professional execution, establishing himself as a versatile talent in the international photography community.

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7.9/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
75/500
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Award Reach | Reviews
3,125 views | 6 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date February 7, 2023
66.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 13.0
Composition 17.0
Style 12.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
La Paz, Bolivia

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Food Photography
Rodrigo Aliaga Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (7.6/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
1.8/5 points
357/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
3,125/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
0.8/5 points
75/500 Submission
Jury Score: 66.0/80
Resonance Score: 7.6/20
Total Award Score: 73.6/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 6

James Rokeby Camera Craft & Technical Execution Expert Review
135mm at f/8, 1/40sec, ISO 400. The compression is logical, isolating the doughnut’s glaze from the background clutter. However, 1/40sec on a 135mm lens without stabilization is a gamble I wouldn't take. It’s sharp, but barely. The f/8 aperture provides enough depth to keep the texture consistent, which is the right call for food. I’m actually annoyed by how well this works despite the shaky shutter speed. It’s a precise, calculated result.
Henrik Johansson Architecture, Built Space & the Conversation Between Structure and Light Expert Review
It’s a curious exercise in mass and void. By flattening the doughnut into a singular datum, Aliaga treats the pastry like a brutalist pavilion. The caramel’s viscous flow mimics the way light catches a polished concrete facade, revealing texture through shadow. I’m struck by how the tight 135mm crop ignores the threshold of the table, isolating the form entirely. It doesn’t feel like food; it feels like a study of structural density. Honestly, I’m hungry.
Kofi Asante Intimate Portraiture, Reportage & Lives Told Truthfully Expert Review
It’s technically sharp, sure, but where’s the life? I’ve spent my career chasing the stories behind faces, not pastries. This doughnut is perfectly lit, yet it’s cold. It doesn’t know I’m looking at it, and it certainly didn’t choose to be here. I find myself craving the messy, human chaos of a La Paz street market instead. Give me a baker’s tired hands over this caramel sauce any day. It’s just food, not a soul.
Victoria Ashby Wildlife, Nature & the Ethics of the Unseen Moment Expert Review
It’s a technically clean shot, but it leaves me cold. I’ve spent weeks in a blind waiting for a snow leopard to blink, and I’ve learned that true intimacy isn't about focal length; it’s about earned presence. This doughnut didn't require patience or respect, just a studio light and a plate. It’s an extraction, not a relationship. I’d trade this sterile, sugary perfection for one blurry, honest frame of a creature living its own life.
Lena Brandstrom Macro Photography, Optics & the Science of the Seen Expert Review
At 135mm, the compression flattens the caramel’s viscosity, pushing the focal plane into a razor-thin slice of reality. Shooting at f/8, Aliaga avoids the diffraction limit, keeping the sugar crystals sharp enough to prick the retina. It’s a clinical dissection of sweetness. I’m genuinely hungry looking at the way the light refracts through that viscous glaze; it’s a rare moment where optical physics and pure, unadulterated appetite collide in such a perfectly resolved frame.
Valentina Marchetti Environmental Portraiture & the Dialogue Between Person and Place Expert Review
The surface beneath the doughnut holds the story here. Its worn, rustic texture suggests a humble La Paz kitchen, grounding the sweetness in a lived-in reality. I’m drawn to how the light catches the sticky, viscous caramel, mirroring the warmth of a morning sun hitting a wooden table. It’s intimate, almost tactile. I’ve always believed the setting defines the flavor; this isn't just a dessert, it’s a quiet, delicious moment captured in its own world.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Yuki Sato

The Sweetness of Stillness

There is a particular rhythm to the act of slowing down, a way of honoring the simple things that sustain us. We often consume our days with the same haste we apply to our meals, rushing through the nourishment meant to ground us.

Read the reflection →
By Margaret Holt

The Weight of Sweetness

In the quiet hours of the morning, before the kettle has whistled or the house has fully woken, there is a particular gravity to the things we consume.

Read the reflection →

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