CD Jewel Case Cover Design for Christian Devotional Songs Album

“All things are possible – with God” says Prince Solomon and Ummal Ahum – his solo Christian devotional songs album re-iterates that.

Here is my design memoir of his CD and jewel case artwork. It was an interesting project as I had never designed a CD jewel case graphic before. With no design brief or sample ideas, my dear friend gave me the best set of words to start work – “do whatever you want”. And I did whatever I liked.

From image search, artwork, content layout to spell check, it was great fun all along. My most happiest moment was when the CDs and jewel cases were ready. The results were excellent. And it meant a lot for me to get it right, the first time. The hidden lesson in this was to – keep following your heart.

Prince had toiled hard to put this album together. He wrote, composed and sang the holy songs in Tamil. I was more than happy to have him take the next step in his efforts. My lack of Tamil knowledge had me loggerheads with him for I could not understand the depth of the songs, nor could select the Tamil font for placing it appropriately. Thanks to his patience and perseverance, that hurdle was crossed.

The biggest challenge was to find or create an appropriate graphic for this album which could convey emotion. I wanted it devoid of symbols and the usual trappings that make it look like a typical hymn CD which is so prevalent in India. The album had to give the buyer a sense of peace and higher purpose. When I conveyed him my idea of a devotional album, he was not sure what to expect – but still kept his faith in me. Thank you for that, Prince.

Not many images came close to the theme of the album and we did not want it to look like a typical hymn CD.  The image had to convey serenity, peace, understanding, strenght and inner joy. Budgetary restrictions led us to a free image website where John Nyberg had a beautiful image – a portion of which was used to get that required look and feel. Thank you, John for this wonderful imagery.

Indeed it is hard to satisfy oneself before submitting self-approved work. Here are some of the swatches of the design options that I experimented with before settling for the sunset design.

Design Options for CD Jewel Case Design

Excitement@work paid off. After a brief waiting time the CDs and covers came through though I could not get to see them for a long time. Before Prince left India, he handed over to me a discreet cover. Those were the bunch of CDs and I could not have been happier. The outcome was beautiful. The CD case and the CDs came through as per the specs. The printing on case and CD was of good quality which made the image stand out well.

Jewel Case - Front, Back and CD with Sunset Design

A job well done. Pat on the back. And like he said – all things are possible with God.

Exotic Brass Plates - Fading into Zen Oblivion

I cant help but admire the zen-like simplicity of this fiery picture with brass plates. It does have an earthy feel to it though fire element would be a better suitor. Simple arrangement against a plain background brings out the simplicity of the piece, making this photo of the entire shoot, my favorite one.

Spectacular Natural Design Formations on Ceramic Pot

This sole pot is a beauty that needed to props or other pots to come into the picture. And I loved the shadows though they are a no-no when it comes to product photos.

Fashion the pot, painting it while letting the paint take course, fire it while letting the fire create its own fire-scape on the pot. Left to nature to take control, we will always be delighted with the results. These pottery accents show – what surrender to elements can do. These ceramics truly unique and ‘yours only’ as these natural patterns cannot be repeated.

Lone Pot - A Natural Stunner

Another pot but a bigger one. A natural stunner against a floral Sanganeri/ Gudari print backdrop. The black was used to break the overpowering printed backdrop and to focus more on the pot. The earthy colors of the pot and its rotund shape reminds one of childhood kitchen but is also high on contemporary glam quotient.

Ceramic Teapot with Calssy Bowl in Natural Earth Colors and Hues

This photo needed no props. But experimented with a bit of Gaussian Blur to give it a dazed background, while ensuring that the detail on the bowl is well highlighted.

These are simple pieces of pottery that seem more like poetry. It must be quite an effort to decide if these should stay on the dining glass-shelf or should be put to daily use. These photos are for an upcoming website for Aesthetics Boutique, Chennai.

Black & White Poster Designed for an Adventure Club - Trekking, Mountaineering, Rappling, and more...

The poster was essentially black and white for economical reasons and to facilitate printing on any mode.

I loved this poster for the sheer simplicity of it and how it manages to convey the message without reading it. This was made in PowerPoint, prior to the Photoshop days

Summer Camp Poster Design for Teens - sans images

Another one was to make for a summer camp for kids without the use of images but give an idea of the activites one can expect.

Its been a long time since these were made. But I guess I could re-use them again if need be.

And if you are thirsting for serene nature walks, exciting wilderness trails, bonfires and more, click here for more information on the adventure club activities, trekking schedules, and more.

Contemporary Black Lava Earring with Silver Hook

This piece is a simple stunner. I was amazed to learn that the model was wearing a piece of volcanic remains – Lava. Can you imagine the kind of energy that was pumped in because of these astonishing discoveries during the shoot.

Huge Amethyst Rocks set in Sterling Silver - Pendant, Bracelet & Ring

This amethyst set was the first collection to be shot. A lot of care has been taken to balance the huge semi-precious rocks with right degree of silver. The pendats have been made keeping in mind the color, texture, shape and size of the rock. I could not help but focus on the fine silver detail in the pendant itself.

Contemporary Tribal Theme Jewels - Lava Stones interspersed with Silver Twigs

Another stunner from the Lava gang by Sylvia. Absolute collectors delight and looks all the more stunning on the person. Lava rocks with silver wavy thins that break the heavy-weight look of the necklace. The kind of aggressive energy that this necklace radiates… I can still feel it in my hands. I wonder what it does to the person sporting it…

Model for Jewellery Photo Shoot wearing Lava Necklace

Gorgeous. And so apt for a cocktail evening wear.

Clusters of Tigers Eye Beads with a Chunky Silver Clasp

There is something about Sylvia’s designs that makes them stand apart.  In the above necklace, there is so much drama with hundreds of Tiger’s Eye beads of varied sizes. And only a huge chunky hook could balance it so well. It does take a fine eye to bring in the best balance of elements and I find that here. I fell in love with that hook and wanted more of it in the picture.

Soulscapes in Green and Brown - Classy Pendant with Silver Chain

The nature design in this agate pendant scape is unbelievable. A true sole beauty perfectly complimented by a bunch of delicate silver chains. The awesome palette, muted hues and the way one color blends into the other is quite a pendant to behold. There is so much one can write about this piece that I rather stop for loss of words.

Drama on Cactus with Green Beige Beads and Huge Silver Hook Clasp

I would give anything to get the colors of these dirty green colored stones right. There was no background that could justify this exquisite colors of the beads. The closest of hues were found in friendly neighborhood cactus whereon the beauty willingly perched. Well, no wildlife was harmed during this photo shot

This is first of the photo shoot series. More to come soon.

About Sylvia Stark Raghunathan’s Jewellery:

Sylvia is the gems expert and the soul behind this gorgeous jewellery. Her jewellery is but an extension of nature which she loves and worships. And this is quite obvious in the various collections of stones, metal and its design. Unlike many jewellery designers, she not only sells these exquisite pieces but also shares the story behind each jewel piece – be it scientific, mythological, or aesthetic. Her in depth knowledge of the gemstones is beautifully matched by her unique aesthetic sense. And combination makes her jewels all the more appealing, never-like-before, totally tangent, and fascinating to the bohemian soul. Here is where you can reach her:

Aesthetics Boutique
86, Radhakrishnan Road, Mylapore,
Chennai
Phone- 044 28111973

Celebrating Diwali with Pedatha's Andhra Recipies - Here is a cookbook made with love

This was perhaps one of the brightest events in my otherwise low-key September 2009. Clicking photos for Pritya for their two famous and happening cookbooks – Cooking at Home with Pedatha and Sukham Ayu, for the upcoming Diwali Season, lit up my spirit. Cooking at Home with Pedatha was awarded the “Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the World-2006” by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

It all started with a chance meeting on web, exchange of emails, led to a brief meeting, to finally capturing the beauty of the Andhra cuisine cookbook. The specs for the photo shoot were simple – for Diwali. Here is the outcome of a late night sojourn with Pratibha Jain and Jigyasa Giri’s labour of love. 

About Cooking at Home with Pedatha

Cooking at Home with Pedatha is a wonderful book detailing vegetarian recipes from a traditional Andhra kitchen. The heart and soul of this book are the traditional heirloom recipes that have been passed onto Pratibha and Jigyasa by Subhadra Krishna Rau Parigi, who is better known to all of us now as Pedatha.

Pedatha passed away this year, but she has left behind a treasure trove of recipies that have been, for generations, made and served with love.  This cookbook has been noted and admired by culinary experts like Tarla Dalal, Rashmi Uday Singh, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, et al  and has taken the online food blogging community by fire. I shall write about the cook book some day but for now, please find more details on this book here

Simple and Elegant Gift of Good Health and Wholistic Wisdom

This simple and elegant composition was done for to be used on the web. Keeping in mind the color of the book cover, the additional details were restricted to white and green.

Sukham Ayu - A Comprehensive Cookbook laced with Wisdom of Ayurveda

Sukham Ayu is the latest book from Pritya’s that contains authentic recipes seeped in Ayurvedic wisdom. This is the second baby of Pratibha Jain and Jigyasa Giri. Its hard cover is deep saffron in color and is fashioned on lines of Cooking at Home with Pedatha.

Pritya's Two-in-One Offering - shot in late morning diffused light

Pritya’s duo ship the books across the world in a variety of packages and surprise packs. The beautiful packaging comes with marble design handmade hard cardboard box. Needless to say that each box is unique and has beautiful patterns that compliment the book’s look and feel. The content of these boxes vary from season to occasion and can be customised too. Check out Amazon or their website for ordering information.

Simple and Classy - Cookbook with Marble Design Gifting Box in Diffused Light

As the night progressed, the lights were lit one after the other. This simple photograph was shot using one side light, candle and a light diffuser. To give it earthy feel, the brown shades were chosen in its composition. Rattan mat, terracotta pot, sepia tainted lampshade, etc, have contributed to the base warmth of the image.

Exotic Brown Marble Design Gift Box and Satin for the Cookbook - softlit and serene

This is another earthy composition with addition of satin to give it gloss (and to indicate that the book comes in a gift box) while retaining its earthy charm.

Authentic Recipe Cookbook - adding exotic flavour to your celebrations this Diwali - Photo prop with tealight diyas and babys breath flowers, on green satin

Step by step, the props and set up gained the festive mood. Simple addition of candles brings in the much needed festive cheer. The terracotta and ceramic diyas were filled with tea light candles for a fuss-free glow, though oil-lit diyas would have been wonderful to get the same effect.

Auspicious Gifting Solution for Diwali - Photo Setup with sweets, flowers, diyas, Ganesha and fragrance

The above photo represents all things cultural, traditional and ceremonial, and are part of the gift package that comes with the book. Lord Ganesha – symbol of prosperity, bangles, inscense sticks, diyas, etc are classic icons of Indian tradition and its usage here signifies the kind of tradition this book is rooted in. The sweets are, however, best made with your hand after reading this authentic recipe book

Plain, Simple, and Elegant - Chrysanthemums, Green Leaves, and the Perfect Gift

Above is an experiment without candles but diffused light. Chrysanthemums were placed to reflect the light and bring in glow at sporadic points. The black net-like cloth adds in a bit of drama to an otherwise plain background.

Traditional Indian gift adorned with soft candle light chimney, jasmine & chrysanthemum flowers, ausicious Ganesha & bangles

Another attempt to showcase the Indian-ness of the book. No fuss black background with classic Indian motifs, golden zari border, jasmine flowers and bangles.

On a bed of twinkling fairy lights - Diwali spirit is best conveyed here

Diwali or Deepavali- the festival of lights, is not complete with the golden glow. The fairy lights and diyas have been used to create a magical and ethreal bed on which the two gifts were placed with props. Shall we now say – Happy Diwali!

A very Diwali theme for the photoshoot with accent lighting, diyas, ladoos, agarbatti, candles and Ganesha

Now this may be going the Eastman color way but the moment Pratibha saw it – her only words were “its very diwali”. That phrase is stuck in my head. very diwali. very diwali. very diwali indeed!!! Can we now add the phooljadis please?

Sukaham Ayu Ayurvedic Recipes Cook Book - Bathing in soft candle light and fragrant jasmine

These jasmines were so fragrant that my photo shoot was seemed like a partial aromatherapy session. Everytime you handle the delicate flowers or change their position, they let out their mesmerising fragrance that one cant help but notice these little gifts of God. A single bud of Jasmine or the entire strand, you cannot miss its presence. I love the way these flowers have added that much needed earthy, ethnic, and ethreal look to this image.

Behind the Scenes – Alls well that ends well!!!

I loved and enjoyed the entire exercise. Tentative deadline was 12 hours. From collecting the prop materials to setting up the shoot layouts, it was an enjoyable session. Working single handedly on this was the best as I had the time and location to do things my way, at my own pace. Thanks to my husband who kept me going with strong cuppa tea.

All the pix have been shot, sans professional equipment. My point-n-shoot camera did not let me down either.Though it took a lot of time, burned midnight oil and ate up my sleep time, I loved and enjoyed the entire exercise. And I look forward to more such fun.

Pratibha and Jigyasa loved the Diwali theme photos. I am happy that the dynamic duo loved these pix and have started to use them. Nothing can beat the feeling of having ones work appreciated and used. It was worth the effort.

And I am still learning.