A photo diary of the Taj Mahal

Few places in the world have compelled me as much as the Taj Mahal. There have been so many words said, so many photos taken, that one can almost only be disappointed when visiting. That wasn’t the case for me. I absolutely loved the experience. This is without a doubt one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had. I don’t even mind that I have to share the place with thousands of others. Just being there is absolutely worth it. First time I visited I was all about getting the regular tourist photos. However on my second visit I wanted to try and capture the complex in a different way.
In this post, I’m going to share my favorite photos of the Taj Mahal that I have taken over my two visits there.

I took this photo of my sister looking out over the river during my second visit. I actually got the inspiration from Emmett Sparling, and absolutely love how it turned out. We witnessed an incredible sunrise this morning, and with the fog constantly rolling, we had absolutely stunning conditions. The photo is taken just in front of the mosque, at the left side of the complex.

I had heard from other travelers that it was possible to head down to the river, and jump on a boat, to catch the sunset from the river. So after sunrise my sister and I headed down to the river and met this man. We agreed on meeting again as the sun was about to set, and I managed to capture some amazing moments from the river. This is one of them.

Something I was eager to portrait during my second visit, was the magnitude of the people visiting the Taj Mahal.

This photo is one of my favourite moments from the entire trip, as it shows some of the first people of the day walking towards the complex. The sun was about to rise from the rise, and the fog slowly started rolling in again. I love how the people actually work as a perfect leading line, towards my focal point.
This photo is taken on the path leading up to Taj Mahal. I waited for the perfect moment, as I wanted to have the locals in their beautiful dresses as my foreground, rather than the western tourists.

These two people happened to be walking into my frame at the exact right moment, so I was able to capture the sun, sneaking up behind the Taj. I would have loved to have the two girls to the right in my frame, so I would be able to capture their shadows as well, but I still really like how this one turned out. This photo is also taken to the left side of the Taj Mahal, in front of the mosque.

This is probably one of the most famous spots, to photograph the Taj Mahal from. At least it should be. While everyone else queued in order to get their reflection photo I walked past them and continued down to the next pool where I was able to sit by myself and capture this stunning moment. After a while a few people arrived, but it was amazing to have this to myself, for this incredible moment.

This is one of my favorite photos ever. I must also say that it is two photos blended together - and a few extra stars, in order to create one perfect moment in time.
During my first visit my hostel manager took me to this incredible spot. As you walk towards the Taj Mahal, you have to pass it and continue down a dirt path on your right side. You will walk through a tiny village, towards a gate that is locked. In order to get in, you have to pay a woman, who will open the gate for you, and let you walk up to this incredible viewpoint.
We stayed until darkness arrived, and captured some stunning moments.

When leaving the complex I walked from the mosque towards the exit, and noticed this beautiful green area, where nobody else was taking photos from. I love how the bushes create a frame, and I actually really like the change in color, from my other photos. I think that I was here for 5-10 minutes before someone else noticed the spot. It’s amazing how we all only seem to notice the popular spot, and completely forget to look beyond what we have already seen.

This photo is taken from the mosque, to the left side of the Taj, and you have to be really fast, if you want to get here before everyone else. As I had already photographed from this location during my previous visit, I wanted to try and capture something a bit different. I love how this person walks into the frame at the perfect moment, to allow me to capture the sun bursts.

This is again a moment I had to wait for, and once again it’s taken just in front of the mosque. It’s amazing how many different photos one can get from the same location, just by sitting and waiting.
There is a reason that this is one of my favorite places in the world to photograph from, and I’m certain that I will be able to capture some even better moments during my next visit.

9 different photos from one location. I’m quite satisfied with that to be honest. When photographing I often hope to get away with just one photo that I can use, so to have 9 is amazing. I can’t wait to go back here and photograph this incredible places again. Look out for a similar post to this one in the future, but with completely different photos.

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