From Shoot to Sip
How Making Hibiscus Tea Turned Into a 4-Hour Photo Shoot
It all started so innocently: go to the market, buy some fresh flor de jamaica, make a cup of tea, move on with my day. But then I was lured in by the alien loveliness of the hibiscus (sorrel) flowers—it was my first time seeing it fresh, not dried—and that plan unraveled fast.
One minute I was Googling how to brew it. The next, I was playing food stylist, lighting director, and photographer, all while my water waited patiently for its petals. What began as a quick photo moment spiraled into full-blown creative detour — with red-stained fingers and more than a hundred photos to show for it.
A Little Taste 📸
This is what I love about staying curious—you never know when an ordinary moment will turn into something magical. I started out just wanting tea. I ended with a full heart, a packed camera roll, and a gentle reminder that the best stories are often the ones you don’t plan.
Here’s just a taste of the photo frenzy that unfolded. Turns out fresh flor de jamaica is ridiculously photogenic—and once I started snapping, I couldn’t stop.
What I Learned From This Accidental Photo Shoot
This wasn’t a planned shoot. No perfect backdrop, no elaborate setup, no DSLR with a fancy lens—just me, an iPhone, and a yummy pile of ruby-red petals begging for attention.
I’d made hibiscus tea before, always brewed from those dry, wrinkled petals you scoop from a bag. But standing in that kitchen, holding those velvety, ruby-red blooms, something clicked. Curiosity took the wheel, and before I knew it, I was deep in a tea experiment.
Every step turned into a tiny visual love letter—the curled petals, the unexpected fur on the seeds (who knew those were inside?!), the slow transformation from bloom to brew. It was all too good not to capture.
Four hours later, my tea was ready, my knees were ashy, my camera roll was an explosion of red… and I was happy.
This impromptu photo shoot reminded me why I fell in love with photography in the first place—for moments like this, when something ordinary reveals itself as extraordinary. When art and everyday life collide… if you just take the time to really look.
Have you ever lost track of time chasing light and color through your own kitchen?
