The Tea Factory - Image Intense

[Manfred M]

This series was (mostly) taken inside the tea factory. 100% existing, natural light that came through some rather dirty windows or through open windows. This means high ISO. low shutter speed shots in a crowded and operational environment (the tea production processes and machines were running). These images are not masterpieces by any stretch of the imagination, but to show a traditional or "orthodox" tea making operation. I expect little has changed since the factory was opened in 1935. I don't show the whole process, but most of it.


1. The tea factory building.





2. The wilting process - moisture must be removed from the tea leaves before they can be processed. Moisture content and relative humidity in the air determine the length of time of the wilting process. This can take up to 18 hours. The tea leaves are piled on tables which allow airflow through them.




3. Blowers - these blowers force the air through the tea leaves to dry them.





4. Curling machines - the tea leaves are put in these machines, through the hopper shown at the top of this machine. The machines have a complex rotary motion which mangles the tea leaves. They come out of the process bent and curled. This exposes some of the complex organic compounds to the oxygen in the air.




5. Screening - after curling, the stalks and stems and other parts of the tea plant that does not go into the tea itself are removed by running the output of the curling process through these vibrating screens. The desirable part of the tea falls though the screen, while the waste falls off the end.




6. Fermentation process - more properly, this actually an incorrect term, as there is no fermentation going on, but rather the tea leaves are oxidized (think of an apple going brown after you have bitten into it); the process is very much the same. The complex compounds in the tea leaves react with the oxygen in the air and turn brown. The familiar brown tea smell comes from this process.

The large squarish shape on the concrete floor of the fermenting room are the tea leaves.





7. Drying - a wood fired dryer is used to remove most of the remaining moisture from the tea. This is the nameplate on the dryer. Kind of shows us how old it is.





8. Grading process - after the tea is run through a wood fired dryer (not shown), the tea is broken into four different grades, that are size dependent. This is another screening process. The large and mild flowery orange pekoe are the largest product, the medium flavoured and sized broken orange pekoe, the fine and heavy fannings and finally the tea dust (which is destined for tea bags) are separated.




9. Storage - all the tea that has been processed is put into storage bins, by grade. BOP, stands for "broken orange pekoe"Later on it is bagged or packaged for sale, largely to the export market.




10. Building wall - I have to include and "artistic" shot somewhere....

[rpcrowe]

Very interesting essay with some very nice images. I never knew that the tea destined for tea bags is a lower grade.

I visited a tea plantation in Southern China one very rainy day. As the bus drove down the road with tea being picked on the slopes the pickers were wearing colorful plastic raincoats and conical hats. It would have made a great shot if the bus had stopped (which it did not). The factory area was not at all photogenic. The tea harvested was a form of green tea which I would not drink on a bet! Really not worth a stop but, the tour company obviously got a cut from what the tour members purchased.

[IzzieK]

Good reportage. It is walking with you there with all these shots.

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[Sergio M.]

Enjoyable read and visual experience.

Sergio

[Wavelength]

A well-illustrated tour for the viewers cums readers.... a very good example of applied photography. My salutations

[NorthernFocus]

Thanks for posting this, Manfred. I'm always interested in this sort of stuff. Never had any idea of how tea is processed. Well done.

[joebranko]

Very nice pictorial tour of the tea factory. Never knew tea bagr were filled with dust!🤔

[Ndukes]

Great series Manfred and excellently judged available light shooting.

Sitting having a cup of tea while looking at these and devastated to find I am actually drinking a cup of 'dust' and water. Think I might have to review our tea arrangements.