(Bloomberg) -- The joy of being a luxury photo editor is in the diversity of photography available to produce. From fierce vintage car collectors to dreamy, alluring cakes to notable change makers, there’s always a new way to capture the elegant world. 

What looks beautiful in outcome isn’t always easy in the set up. Photographers and subjects get sick at the last minute. There are critical delays in shipments of products. And as journalists, it’s important to be mindful of including a broad background of visual storytellers. But it’s these creative challenges of commissioning compelling images that keeps us motivated in doing what we love. 

Below are 11 of our favorite photos from the year, as well as explanations for what made them captivating, aspirational, uplifting and just plain fun. 

Virginia Ali of Ben’s Chili Bowl From “Chefs From Around America Share Their Juneteenth Cookout Menus”

Joy is the feeling that immediately comes to mind when I look at this portrait of Ben’s Chili Bowl founder Virginia Ali. We sent Nicholas Karlin and Clarissa Villondo to the Washington area to photograph a meaningful story about chefs’ Juneteenth celebrations. Ali’s restaurant is notable for its history. Revarand Dr. Marther Lutin King Jr. had offices nearby and would order a chili cheeseburger from Ben’s. Ali’s bright spirit comes through in the image, and our photographers helped honor it. —Evan Ortiz

Decorative Candles From “Fan the Flames of Dinner Party Excess With These Candles and Holders”

Frank Frances’s technical skills were the perfect match (I am sorry for the pun) for this roundup of high-end candles, candleholders and accessories. This moody shot brought the drama and elegance and made me want to level up my dinner parties. —Leonor Mamanna

King of Hammers Race From “Mad Max Meets Burning Man at This Car Race in the Desert”

I don’t own a car. In fact, I don’t even have a driver’s license. Seeing Larry Chen’s off-roading photos both exhilarates and terrifies me. We sent Chen to document the King of Hammers races in February outside Los Angeles. Having years of automobile photography experience, he knew exactly how to capture the energy of this crazed event. —E.O.

A Delicious Cake Display From “ Why Bake? The Best Cakes for a Festive Dinner Are Available by Mail”

Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh are a dynamic duo who I knew would make a joyful and playful photo of this delicious strawberry crunch cake from Good Cakes & Bakes for our Holiday Entertaining issue. Along with prop stylist Marina Bevilacqua, they created a festive tabletop setting where we’d all like to have a seat. —L.M.

Dry-Aged Fish From “Dry-Aging Fish: Why ‘Fresh’ Is No Longer Seafood’s Key Virtue”

When I asked Joyce Lee to re-create Dutch master lighting with a mobile setup in the back of a restaurant to shoot a bunch of fish, I knew she would be up to the challenge. Her versatile skill set and artistic eye made her the perfect fit for this painterly shot, and she made my photo editor dreams come true. —L.M.

Joe Tolbert Jr. From “An Appalachian Group Is Forging a More Community-Led Approach to Giving”

At Pursuits, we’ve started a series called “Industry Shakers” celebrating entrepreneurs of color who are shaking up their perspective fields. It warms me to see Black joy, and I was grateful to send photographer Joseph Ross to capture Joe Tolbert Jr. of the Waymakers Collective. Tolbert’s work involves community-oriented grant-giving, and we wanted his portrait to capture this spirit of togetherness. —E.O.

Green Gifts Galore From “85 Decadent Gifts to Spoil Your Whole List”

Our annual gift guide is always a visual delight, and when we tasked photographer Sarah Anne Ward and prop stylist Paola Andrea to create sets with natural themes like flowers, wood and snow, I knew that they would rise to the occasion. It’s hard to pick favorites, but this lush, mossy green shot featuring a necklace with 1,250 round brilliant diamonds certainly rises to the top. —L.M.

Mr. Brainwash From  “Mr. Brainwash Puts Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari in New LA Art Show”

I love a character, and it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to photograph artist Mr. Brainwash for his upcoming pop-up exhibition. Gabriel Nivera came through capturing both the playfulness of the exhibit and the expressive sides of Mr. Brainwash, and I particularly enjoyed this contemplative photo of him surrounded by his work. —E.O.

African Restaurants From  “There Has Never Been a Better Time to Eat African Food in London”

This fall, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to London to shoot a feature about the city’s esteemed African restaurant scene. But after a promising first shoot, my excitement quickly turned to crisis when I came down with Covid-19 two days into my trip. That’s where heroic photographer Francis Augusto quickly stepped in for the remaining locations. Not only did he take on this last-minute assignment with grace, but he delivered a powerful set of dining images that caught my taste buds and my heart. I wanted a way to honor how we both  participated in this, so it was a great to use a scrapbook-style collage format to enhance his assets while still being able to include some of my own images. —E.O.

Stunt Driver Sera Trimble From “Stunt Driver Sera Trimble on How She Got Her Start (and Her Porsche 911)”

Our esteemed car columnist Hannah Elliot and I have been working on an energizing series about vintage auto collectors called “How’d You Get That Car?” and I was thrilled when we picked stunt driver Sera Trimble as a subject. She checked all the boxes for what we want from this type of story: a dynamic personality, a captivating story and a striking vehicle. Photographer Gabriel Nivera was able to marry all of that in a fierce set of images of this notable driver and collector with her bright red 1986 Porsche 911. —E.O.

Scenic Wales From “With Food and Drinks in the Spotlight, Now’s the Perfect Time to Visit Wales”

Photographer Emli Bendixen traveled around the countryside of Wales to contribute to our piece on the best places to visit. She captured countless bucolic scenes, making it challenging to just highlight one, but this idyllic image from Fforest is so soothing it’s like a breath of fresh air in photo form.  —L.M.

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