Today seems to be the day when my 'to-do' list is negligible and I don't see any herculean tasks in the horizon that need my immediate attention.
So I put the kettle on and open the lid of my favourite new tea blend.
The aromatic infusion of citrus, cardamom, lemongrass refresh my senses to a state of immense happiness.
…and I sit down with my freshly brewed cup of tea to tell you all my lovely Rang Decor readers, the story of how 'A Cup of Chai…' A Tea Table book came into being.
I started pursuing my passion for photography in 2006 on flickr, an online platform and community for photographers to share their work and get inspired. Over a period of time I realised I delighted in capturing the steam emanating from my cup of chai, or the compositions and the mood associated with tea time. Soon I had a set full of chai photographs! Do take a quick look here~
Caustics and pattern play...
Morning chai in Jaisalmer…
Chai in our terrace...
Chai and sunflowers from the farmers market…
A Cup of Chai… A photoblog about the many cups of chai in my life came into being in 2008 as a space to share photographs dedicated to my love of tea.
Better Photography Magazine one of India's leading photography magazine ran an article about my work. This was an interesting turning point since my passion for tea and photography was recognised and covered as a unique personal project.
I wanted to capture the moments of having tea in the most spontaneous manner possible. I believe that spontaneity is the key to personal projects. So while a daily ritual of a cup of tea may seem monotonous, with spontaneity and creativity you can break the monotony. For me, creative compositions are important as they can bring the mundane to life.
Being a graphic designer, I am instinctively drawn to unique and creative patterns, frames and compositions in whatever I come across in everyday life, even when I shoot my everyday cups of tea. So whenever there is an occasion for a cup of chai, I ensure that my camera is always nearby. You never know when an interesting composition may come up.
While I continue to shoot my daily vignettes of chai everyday, I share it on Instagram, Facebook and also on 'A Cup of Chai...' photoblog dedicated to tea. This has resulted in a beautiful confluence of photography and tea, two things that I am so passionate about.
The most natural culmination of a project like this is a book that has the finest collection of photographs that celebrates the eternal cup of tea. A Tea Table book, very unique in it's concept and a great memoir to gift and pass on to chai-lovers, tea-drinkers and fine art photography admirers.
I took the leap and self-published the photo book on Blurb.com in March, 2015.
Glimpses into the book, it also has our family Masala Chai recipe:-)
I am also working on looking for publishers in India, to make it a cost effective option.
If you have suggestions on which publisher would be a great fit for 'A Cup of Chai…' do let me know in the comment section. It would be greatly appreciated!
Hope you liked reading about my 'A Cup if Chai… with your cup of tea in your hands;-)
Have a great weekend everyone!
(Images by Archana Srinivas and are copyrighted)
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