Tea · Tingling
Photograph the Tingling tea bowl
Spend longer than the usual quick stop and photograph the curved rows of the Tingling and Sourenee gardens in low light, with pluckers, shade trees and mist as your subjects.
The best Tingling photographs come in low light, when the curved rows of tea throw shadows and the shape of the hills shows. Early morning and late afternoon in the dry season are ideal.
Walk a little way along the road in both directions to find different angles, always keeping off the road itself. A longer lens picks out pluckers and shade trees on the far slopes; a wide lens shows the whole bowl.
Ask before photographing people, and never fly a drone without permission. Mist, when it comes, often gives the best frames of the day.
Cost: Free
Questions people ask
Good to know
What is the best light for photographing Tingling?
Early morning, about 7.30–9.30 am, and late afternoon, about 3–4.30 pm, in the dry months from October to April. Low sun shows the curves of the tea rows. Midday light is flat, and the monsoon brings heavy cloud.
Can I fly a drone at Tingling?
Drone rules in India require registration and permission, and the area is close to the international border with Nepal. Do not fly without the required permissions, and respect people's privacy in the gardens. Check current rules before you travel.
Can I photograph tea pluckers?
Ask first, every time. Many pluckers do not mind, but they are at work and paid by the leaf they pick. Do not stop their work for a photo, and consider sharing pictures with them if they ask.
