India Taj Mahal
Both beautiful and spectacular the ivory-white marble mausoleum is a must-see in India.
Photography Tips
Due to the size of the gardens, gatehouse, mosque, and Taj Mahal, there are plenty of compositions. Take time to walk the paths at the edge of the grounds - as well as right up the middle. No photography is allowed inside the Taj Mahal building itself.
Tripods are not permitted in most Agra sites and here LED head torches (if you have a couple in your camera bag) are not permitted either.
if you want images before the swarms of visitors arrive, you need to be there well before dawn. Buy your ticket online to avoid the long ticket queue and get a good tour guide, they are well worth the money: they can buy your ticket online, arrange storage of anything you are not permitted to take inside, get you in ahead of the hundreds at the entrance queue (think about being the 6th person in there) and they can get you to spots before the crowd. After years at this, they know spots you're very unlikely to find by yourself. Being ahead of the swarm means working and walking at speed and knowing where to go.
Wide-angle lenses are more useful.
Many spots at the location offer opportunities to add symetry to an image, for example aligning a dome with the top of an arch or a pattern in the paving or a pool. An example of this has been intentionally included to make the point. Check before you click.
Tripods are not permitted in most Agra sites and here LED head torches (if you have a couple in your camera bag) are not permitted either.
if you want images before the swarms of visitors arrive, you need to be there well before dawn. Buy your ticket online to avoid the long ticket queue and get a good tour guide, they are well worth the money: they can buy your ticket online, arrange storage of anything you are not permitted to take inside, get you in ahead of the hundreds at the entrance queue (think about being the 6th person in there) and they can get you to spots before the crowd. After years at this, they know spots you're very unlikely to find by yourself. Being ahead of the swarm means working and walking at speed and knowing where to go.
Wide-angle lenses are more useful.
Many spots at the location offer opportunities to add symetry to an image, for example aligning a dome with the top of an arch or a pattern in the paving or a pool. An example of this has been intentionally included to make the point. Check before you click.
Travel Information
3-4 hour drive from Delhi plenty of parking. The weekends are very busy, however, the morning at opening is very quiet. Tripods are not allowed. If you can plan to be there on a full moon pay for a night time access before you arrive.
If you're staying in Agra, consider hiring a tuktuk to get you through the congestion faster than a car. These days, most of them are either electric or powered by CNG; the days of smelly exhaust fumes are gone. If you're visiting several sites, it works out cheaper to hire one for the day. Exchange mobile phone numbers to help locate each other in the mayhem outside the entrances to sites.
If you're staying in Agra, consider hiring a tuktuk to get you through the congestion faster than a car. These days, most of them are either electric or powered by CNG; the days of smelly exhaust fumes are gone. If you're visiting several sites, it works out cheaper to hire one for the day. Exchange mobile phone numbers to help locate each other in the mayhem outside the entrances to sites.
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