A view of the Yamuna river right next to the Taj Mahal

This is a view of the Yamuna river right next to the Taj Mahal. The river has moved over the centuries, but still remains close to the Taj. However, with industrialization, the river has got more polluted and shrunk in size.

Tip (Landscape): When you are trying to take a photo of a landscape with a distant horizon, place the horizon a third of the way down from the top or bottom of the frame rather than at the center of the photo. Doing this normally presents a much better composition effect to the photo.

Sunlight twinkling around the edge of the Taj Mahal

This is another photo of the twinkle of the sun around the side of the structure of the Taj Mahal. In this case, it was more difficult to take the photo since the portion in front of me was dark, and there was no way to get a good clear view, while also getting the twinkle. Ultimately I sacrificed getting a clear view in order to capture the twinkle.

Tip (Taking photos in the glare of the sun): Taking a photo when you are shooting a subject that is in the full glare of the sun, and your camera is also pointed in such a way that the sun is directly visible from the lens means that you are taking a huge risk that the light of the sun would cast a shadow over everything else, and features of the other objects may not be visible. See whether you can take the photo from an angle.

View of one of the minarets of the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal has 4 minarets on all 4 corners. These minarets are beautiful like the Taj Mahal, and are designed to lean slightly outside so that in the event of a severe earthquake, they do not fall on the structure of the Taj Mahal but fall out. In this photo, you can see the minaret in light and shadow.

Tip (Letting an object fit the frame fully): When taking a photo of a striking object, sometimes it makes sense to let the object fill the frame, seemingly appearing as a massive object. Such a photo can make the object look even more grander.

Twinkle of the sun around the structure of the Taj Mahal

I have always liked taking photos where there is a twinkling of the sun around buildings, through fences, through trees. This one is one that I particularly like, where the sun appears to twinkle around the edge of the Taj Mahal. You also get to see a minaret.

Tip (Capturing the twinkle of the sun): Getting a photo of the sun twinkling through a structure (through a tree, around the side of a building, over the edge of a hill, etc) can give a very good effect. However, getting a good view of an exact twinkle requires precise positioning.

Side view of the Taj Mahal compound gives an idea of the size

This side view of the walkway in front of the Taj Mahal gives an idea of the size of the Taj compound; it is a fairly large compound and is very well maintained. Even with these number of tourists, most of them do not walk on the grass, otherwise it would get trampled under-foot.

Tip (Lighting in a landscape): Getting the quality of lighting right in a landscape photo can make the difference between whether it is a great photo or a good photo (or even a poor photo). To repeat, lighting is perhaps the most influential attribute of a successful landscape. If you have the patience or the sense of timing to wait for lighting that is soft, or dramatic, or slightly diffused, or very sharp, it usually pays off in a memorable photograph.

Section of the Taj Mahal and a minaret

This is a photo of a section of the Taj Mahal with a minaret in the background. The Taj Mahal has 4 marble minarets in all the 4 corners, but with this small sectional photo, you can just see. What you can see is a sample of the huge number of tourists who visit the place.

Tip: When taking a photo where there are a number of tourists, be sure to take a number of photos at separate time intervals. Some softwares give the feature of tourist remover, for which you need a number of photos. A person in one photo may not be there in another photo, and comparing these 2 photos, you can get rid of the tourist.

View of the garden right in front of the Taj

This is a view of the long walkway in front of the Taj Mahal. The walkway has water fountains and gardens, and looks very beautiful. The actual platform of the Taj Mahal is raised, and hence the view looks like it is taken from a height.

Tip (Symmetry while taking a photo): When taking a view of a structure, be sure to maintain a proper symmetry in the framing of the photo. If the photo comes out unsymmetrical without a compelling reason, it can look awkward.

Angular view of the Taj from a corner

This is a photo of the Taj when taken from just near one of the minarets. The Taj has 4 minarets at all 4 corners of the compound, and the photo was taken from just next to the minaret. This was taken with a normal camera, but somehow the photo seems to give the appearance of a wide angle.

Tip (Taking photos from different angles): Always explore the angles from which you can take a photo of beautiful structures. It is not always necessary that you take a regular photo like everyone else does, explore a bit, look at the various side including from the bottom, and see whether you can get a good (as well as a unique) view.

Tourists thronging the structure that is the gateway to the Taj Mahal

This is the red sandstone building (a material used by the Mughals to build a huge number of their structures) that forms the gateway to the white marble structure of the Taj Mahal. If you look closely, you can see the Taj from within the opening in the center of the gateway.

Tip: When taking a view of a structure, be sure to maintain a proper symmetry in the framing of the photo. If the photo comes out unsymmetrical without a compelling reason, it can look awkward.

Photo of sunlight coming through the trees in the Taj Mahal compound

This is a photo of a huge tree in the compound of the Taj Mahal in Agra. The sunlight is coming through the leaves of the tree, and you can also see a section of the building under repair. Taking photos of these different light effects is one of my favorite passions.

Tip: Getting a photo of the sun twinkling through a structure (through a tree, around the side of a building, over the edge of a hill, etc) can give a very good effect. However, getting a good view of an exact twinkle requires precise positioning.

A water fountain in front of the Taj

This water fountain in front of the Taj was a popular halting spot to the small walk to the Taj. There were many people sitting there on the benches, catching their breath, and overall enjoying the scene (even though the water fountain was not very splashy by itself). The waves created in the water by the falling of water drops seemed very interesting.

Tip: When taking a photo of water bodies that are stationary, see whether you can get some effects like waiting for the water surface to have a ripple on it. Capturing the interaction between falling water drops and a ripple on the water surface makes for a good photograph.

Photo of the Taj Mahal on a clear blue sky day

This is yet another photo of the Taj Mahal on a clear blue sky day. This photo was taken on Christmas Day, the 25th of December, when it was cold. Early in the morning, around 10 AM, there were few tourists, and hence it was a better situation for taking photos.

Tip: When taking a photo of a striking object, sometimes it makes sense to let the object fill the frame, seemingly appearing as a massive object. Such a photo can make the object look even more grander.

Tilted photo at the Taj with close up of water droplets

This is a photo that somehow got tilted when I was taking it. This photo was taken at the Taj, with my back to the Taj. It shows the monument that is the gateway to the Taj Complex, and also tries to capture individual water droplets.

Tip: If you find an image that has come off at a slight angle, do not discard the photo. You can take the photo to regular photo editing softwares such as Photoshop Elements or Picassa or GIMP, and then straighten over there.

The Taj against a clear blue sky

This is a photo of the Taj against a clear blue sky. This photo was taken at around 10 in the morning, when the sun is still dawdling about getting up, and the white marble of the Taj Mahal does not reflect so much light.

Tip: For taking a photo of a beautiful structure in areas where the sun can be very harsh, the best times to take a photo are early morning before the sun is up in the sky, and evening when the light from the sun does not seem so harsh. These conditions are best for overall light and getting a good color of the sky.

The Taj Mahal from a distance

This is a photo of the view of the Taj Mahal that you can see as soon as you cross the great red sandstone gate, and immediately you see this view. It is a grand view, and many times you have to wait since there is a big rush of people waiting to take their photos as well.

Tip: When taking a photo of a historical structure such as a photo of the Taj Mahal (where you have the luxury of no major buildings nearby and you can move around a bit), then try to take the photo such that the structure (and its associated gardens / paths, etc) come out symmetrical and in the horizontal structure of the photo. It looks much better that way.

Close up of the majestic gate in the Taj complex

This is a close up of the majestic red sandstone gate inside the Taj complex. Once you pass through this gate, you get a full front view of the Taj Mahal, shining with its whiteness in the distance. This photo does not show the grandeur of this entrance gate to its full beauty.

Tip: When taking a photo of a structure, take some time to look at the architecture of the structure; look at the lines of the building. Then compose the photo such that you get a photo that looks complete.

Tourists in front of the entrance to the Taj complex

This is the gate that stands between the entrance to the Taj complex, and the actual Taj Mahal. Build in red sandstone, it would be an imposing structure, but pales in comparison to the actual beauty of the Taj Mahal.

Tip: When you have a structure with many tourists in front, and you really desire a shot without so many tourists, take plenty of shots of the structure from the same location, and at different periods of time. Software (such as Adobe's Photoshop Elements) allows you to remove tourists (if they are present in one photo, and absent in another).

Sun shining through a tree in the Taj Complex

This is a photo of the scene as you enter the outer boundary of the Taj. There was this large tree, with the sun shining through, as well as some construction work happening nearby. The attempt was to capture both of them in the same photo.

Tip: Composition is everything in shooting a good photo. When trying to shoot a great looking photo, make sure that you are not trying to cramp too many things in the same photo (if it comes out well, then good; but many times you end up making compromises). Focus on getting a good composition in the photo, and you can always end up taking more photos with the other objects in the neighborhood.

Harsh sun in daytime over Agra Fort

This is actually a photo of the sun over Agra Fort. However, it is difficult to make out too much detail of the photo (you have to look hard to make out the detail in the photo) since the bright light of the sun seems to over-shadow every other detail in the photo.

Tip: Not easy to do, but in areas where the sun can be harsh, it is not easy to take photos without the sun burning everything in the photo. You can either try and recover details using external software such as Photoshop, or you can try and take photo when the sun is not high overhead.

Sun twinkling through the Agra Fort fence

This is a photo taken through the fence of the Agra Fort. I really like taking such photos, as I like the effect of the twinkling of the sun through a narrow portion (you get to see the sun in a star-like shape).
Tip: Taking a photo like this takes patience. You need to get into the precise position where the sun appears like this, and need to review the photo you have taken to see whether you are indeed getting the required effect.