Photographing the Taj Mahal

Monumental Fame brings great name. Great name makes you a star, the public cynosure. This popularity and with the advent of smartphones, there are hundreds of classy Taj Mahal frames all over. To recreate even the Taj Mahal photos seen on the internet is a daunting task forget trying to create something new . This is true for the first time visitor. This post of mine is therefore themed on Photographing the Taj Mahal and clicking memorable Taj Mahal photos for the first time visitor.

Awe-inspiring, ethereally beautiful and timeliness – words can never be sufficient to describe the beauty of this landmark of eternal Love. Taj Mahal in Agra, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz still stands firm in the 21^st century. While a lot has been written on the Taj Mahal, this blog post of mine will focus on Photographing the Taj Mahal and my tips for clicking memorable Taj Mahal photos, for the first time visitor.

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Photographing the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal definitely deserves to be on the list of the most beautiful monuments built in India. A landmark achievement of the Mughal Architecture. It is said that architecture is a blend of various cultures. There is Persian influence in the Dome while contemporary Hindu ideas can be seen in the lotus motif as well.

The entire complex consists of an ornamental gateway, stunningly designed landscaped garden with water ponds in between and a mosque.

The ideal times to visit the Taj Mahal is dawn as well as dusk. In fact, I would say that the Taj Mahal should be visited both during dawn as well as during sunset. It should be visited in all the four different seasons as well to frame the essence of its timeless beauty against the elements of nature. The dawn makes the Taj bloom like a flower against the sunkissed rays while the dusk gives the pleasure of seeing its silhouette against a backdrop of fiery shades of the evening twilight with the Yamuna flowing nearby.

For the exquisite experience, one should plan a visit on a full moon night to experience the mid summer dream of seeing the Taj alongside a glistening moonlit Yamuna. Few things can be more surreal than this. Everyone should get his/her memorable Taj Mahal photo that is a connect with the monument on a personal level.

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Tips for Visiting the Taj Mahal

• Do not carry excess luggage. The security is tight, and the scanners will scan everything.
• Carry essentials only. By essentials, I am talking about camera gear. No, tripods, please.
• No eatables are allowed.
• Avoid metal as much as possible so that one can breeze through the security checks.
• Book tickets online, everyone is out to enter early to catch the dawn shot.
• Take a guide, it is worth it.

Tips for Visiting the Taj Mahal

• Try entering through the Eastern Gate. An else second option is the Main Gate itself. Fewer crowds are on Eastern Gate.
• 3 hours is the time allowed per visit, so make the most of it.
• Use the Ban Mosque as well as the Mehmaan Kahana to click the splendid portraits using the Taj as background.
• No spare batteries are allowed.
• Visit Dussehra ghat to get a unique feature frame fo the Taj.
• Boat rides on the Yamuna are not easily allowed. One can try and make an attempt.
• Taj opens in the morning at 6 and closes at 5 in the evening except for Friday.
• Wear clothes that allow you to walk comfortably but carry some add on for certain specific frame that you would have seen in the social media.

I would like to take this post to talk about camera gears and the various lenses. Read here in case you are interested in lenses. If one has multiple lenses, then one needs a good photography bag which is sturdy enough to carry them all . Read my review here of the Lowepro 450AW.

Photographing the Taj Mahal

• As stated, the Kau Ban Mosque on the left is ideal for photographing the mosque. Use the arches and the carvings on the doors in the frame along with the human subject.
• Get a wide-angle lens as well as a medium zoom lens. Both will give you frames of Taj Mahal which you would love to see later.
• Get a lens ball if you have one. Your unique Taj Mahal Photo can come from this as well.
• As tripods are not allowed, one has to think creatively what can be used in its place in case you need some long exposure shot.
• There is this bench on the right side of  Taj just near periphery wall, use this as a prop with a human subject to get some fantastic frame of the Taj Mahal in the background.
• Don’t Miss out on the small details like for eg use the corners of the ponds for pattern as well as reflection. Use the latticed work on the Taj for some tight close up frames.

Photography tips

• Use the garden and the benches to take a shot through the foliage to get a unique frame.
• There is this close up shot of the Mausoleum as well which can be clicked using the Wide-angle. Hence I said, get the broadest wide-angle that you have. I used a 14 mm ultra-wide lens to get some unique perspective Taj Mahal photo.
• In case you have someone who can double up as a model, look at some ethnic wide print attires, they will go great in the frame.
• In winter the haze really is an issue, keep that in mind while planning a trip to Taj Mahal.
• If you wish to shoot the cliché frame of Taj with the water rows in front and garden on both sides, chances are you will lot of crowd in the frame. My suggestion is to use the smartphone for this particular shot.
• When you reach close to the Taj, try to photograph the Calligraphy, it is eye catching in detail.

Additional tips based on what i have heard.

• Try to visit Mehtab Garden sometime during the day to get a reflection shot of the Taj Mahal with the Yamuna in front. I have seen some Taj Mahal photos which are drool worthy.
• Try to visit the Hathi Ghat which is a secluded kind of a shallow water place where one can frame the Taj Mahal in the distance. I am told this is an excellent location for sunrise Taj Mahal photo.
• There is also known as Paradise Park , try visiting this place as recommended to get a sunrise shot of the Taj with the river in front.

Afterthoughts on Photographing the Taj Mahal

I have this urge to go back soon to frame the Taj in a much better way. Now that i have understood the layout of the Taj Mahal, I of course have a better understanding of the kind of lenses needed as well as the timings and locations which will best enhance the beauty of the Taj Mahal.

I hope this blog post of mine helped you to form your own preparation in case you visiting the Taj Mahal in 2021. Do use a google map to see the Taj Mahal and its surrounding area as you read this post of mine on Photographing the Taj Mahal. This will help you to grasp this post better.

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