Need a great hostess gift for an upcoming dinner party? KDHamptons has the perfect suggestion: Veteran photographer Tria Giovan’s Sand Sea Sky: The Beaches of Sagaponack [March 2012], a breathtaking book of photographs capturing the 3 miles of famed 11962 coastline.

The project spanned 10 years, and 10,000 photographs were captured to create the 63 selected images that make up this coffee table work of art. The book transports viewers to Sagaponack’s pristine shores ranging from threatening storms and crashing waves to foggy days, and beams of shimmering sunlight. Tria shares her inspiration for this breathtaking book with KDHamptons readers below:

KDHamptons:  Why did you choose the beaches of Sagaponack vs. other East End towns?

Tria Giovan: Years of photographing afar have brought me back to the beach where I was first inspired to take pictures, and where I spent my formative years. I am never away for long, and I go as often as I can, as the beach has always been my sanctuary, and my playground. From the sharp turquoise, and brilliant white of the Caribbean to the subtle hues of a foggy Atlantic, my visual sensibilities were shaped at an early age by sand, sea, and sky.

KDH:  Sagaponack’s beaches have been described as having magical qualities~ agree?

TG: I was once told that the Shinnecock Indians conducted spiritual ceremonies on the beaches of Sagaponack. They believed it to be a vortex where energies converged. Looking out to its expansive horizon, endless ocean, and luminous  “East End” light, it is not necessary to believe this to feel a magnetic pull. Here, where so many have been captivated, inspired, and enlivened, the energy is palpable. At times subtle and soft, other times vibrant and surging, the natural forces in constant play are capable of invoking peacefulness and calm, or incredible strength and awe.

KDH:  Is there a common thread through all of the photographs?

TG: These photographs are a meditation paying homage to a place where the spirit is enlivened, primordial forces resonate, and impermanence reigns.

Sand Sea Sky: The Beaches of Sagaponack by Tria Giovan is available now through Amazon.com.

*For more info and works: www.triagiovan.com