Mesmerising beauty
Learn how to capture the beautiful Taj Mahal at its best, writes Izwan Ismail
IF one travels to India, one of the mustvisit sites is none other than the Taj Mahal. Every day, thousands visit this beautiful creation of Shah Jahan. The ivory-white marble mausoleum is located on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the city of Agra.
The Taj Mahal is also one of the most photographed buildings in India. If you do visit this majestic structure, make sure you capture its beauty from various angles from different parts of the venue. Know how to angle your shots and use the correct lenses, and Taj Mahal will reward you with spetacular pictures.
Here are some tips on how to get the best of Taj Mahal.
It’s the best time to capture this magnificent structure. You need to get there as early as possible. The gates open at 6.45am. As the sun rises from the right side of the building, make sure you position your camera towards the left side where the mosque is located. You will get a beautiful sunrise photo of Taj Mahal with the colours of the sunrise. Use a wide angle lens for this kind of shot.
There is a long pool of fountains that lead to Taj Mahal from the entrance. The fountains will not be turned on immediately after the gates are opened, and this will give you a good opportunity to capture the reflection of the building. Try to be at the centre of the fountains and place your camera close to the ground until you get the perfect reflection. Use a wide angle lens to get all the building structure in one photo.
There are many beautiful arches at Taj Mahal. Try to use these as a frame to capture the beautiful building rather than capturing it straight forward. Your shots will be more interesting. A wide-angle lens works for this kind of photo.
Add subjects to your Taj Mahal photos by including people or animals like birds. This will add drama or scene to an already beautiful view. You can either use a zoom lens or a wide angle lens to capture the subjects.
Fisheye lens always works with buildings with domes and big interiors as it will give a sense of vastness and uniqueness. Here, the lens is used to capture the architectural wonder of the building.