Travel Photography Guide to photographing the Taj Mahal. 5 photo locations, tips and tricks to help you capture the best photographs of the Taj Mahal.
Photographing the Taj Mahal is easy. You buy a ticket, enter the grounds, pull out your phone and snap a photo. Done. You end up with the same photo approximately 8 million people take of the Taj Mahal every year.
Wanna say: it is incredibly hard to find unique angles of world-famous destinations like the Taj Mahal. Especially if you’re short on time and only have a few days to explore potential photo locations.
So this guide to photographing the Taj Mahal lists 5 locations from where to shoot this breathtaking Wonder of the World. From the very obvious spots to some more hidden ones. It seeks to inspire photographers and all other visitors to dig a little deeper. Don’t be satisfied with the one shot everybody else takes. Roam around, explore and hopefully you’ll end up with your own unique shot of what’s supposed to be the most beautiful building in the world – the Taj Mahal.
A Guide to Photographing the Taj Mahal-5 Photo Locations for getting the best shots of the Taj Mahal
General Tips for Photographing the Taj Mahal
1. Try to be at the Gates of the Taj Mahal as early as possible (1 hour before sunrise)
The eastern and western gates open 30 minutes before sunrise and close 30 minutes before sunset. The southern gate is currently closed and can only be used to exit. One can buy tickets either right in front of the gates (45minutes before sunrise) or online. The entrance fee for foreign tourists is 1100 Rs and there’s a 50 Rs discount when buying the ticket online. The eastern gate is supposed to be a little less crowded, so try your luck over here in order to make sure you are amongst the first people to enter the Taj Mahal grounds.
Keep in mind, that the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays. Hence, Friday is the perfect day to visit the Mehtab Bagh on the opposite side of the river and capture some photos of the Taj Mahal without hordes of tourists populating the terrace right in front of it.
2. No Tripods allowed inside the Taj Mahal
Actually almost nothing is allowed inside and around the Taj Mahal. So leave your backpack at home, don’t bother bringing food or drinks (apart from the 500 ml water bottle that comes with the entrance ticket) and don’t even think about showing up with your drone. Basically try to keep a low-profile since this will significantly reduce the time you’ll have to spend at the security checkpoint. In order to circumvent the tripod restriction, I used this little tool instead, and it certainly got the job done.
3. Look out for Frames, Reflections and introduce a Sense of Scale
Besides the signature shot one can discover many more interesting angles inside the Taj Mahal ground’s. Make sure to budget at least 3 – 4 hours within the complex to capture how the light seems to change the colors or the Taj Mahal. Keep an eye out for reflections in the water pools and for opportunities to frame this magnificent piece of architecture. Don’t forget to include some people in your shots to introduce a sense of scale and put this massive building into perspective.
4. Pay attention to Details
The Taj Mahal is certainly an impressive building from afar. But this doesn’t mean there’s nothing to explore from up close. The Pietra Dura (marble with inlays of semi precious stones) is absolutely worth photographing and so is the calligraphy consisting mainly of passages from the holy book of Quran.
5.Explore the Taj Mahal’s Surroundings
Although it might be hard to tear your eyes away from the overwhelming beauty of the Taj Mahal, don’t forget to explore the surroundings for more potential photographs and unique angles. It’s definitely worth checking out the buildings on the left and right hand side of the Taj Mahal. Those structures (the left one being an operating mosque) boast some stunningly detailed work and intense shades of red. And the best thing is, most visitors only pay attention to the Taj Mahal while ignoring most of the rest. This means these areas see significantly fewer people and thus are way easier to photograph.
Gear to Photograph the Taj Mahal
As I mentioned before, restrictions on what you’re allowed to bring inside the Taj Mahal complex are pretty tight. So don’t bring two camera bodies and 7 lenses. This will only cause problems. It is forbidden to bring tripods and drones. Rather try to reduce your gear and bring only the essentials.
In terms of lenses, sth as versatile as a travel-zoom lens might not produce the absolute best results, but definitely provides a lot of flexibility. A wide-angle lens certainly comes in handy since it really helps to emphasize the sheer size of the Taj Mahal.
A polarizing filter is useful to either enhance or reduce the Taj Mahal’s reflections in the water basins.
1. The Signature Shot of the Taj Mahal
Let’s start with the aforementioned signature shot. This isn’t an insiders’ tip, not even a little bit. This angle is the most obvious and certainly the most photographed one. Nevertheless I’d like to include it in this list. If it has been shot to death, than for a good reason: It is a breathtakingly beautiful perspective of the Taj Mahal.
Although you won’t have the best light to photograph the Taj Mahal early in the morning from the southern side, (the sun rises behind it on the right side) it still is your only chance to capture a shot without any people in it. Without the help of a tripod, it’s all about improvising. Use a small bag or put your camera right on the ground. Whatever works to keep it stable for a few seconds.
2. The opposite Side of Yamuna River / Mehtab Bagh
On the opposite side of the Yamuna River, north of Taj Mahal one can find the garden complex of Mehtab Bagh. The perfect spot to snap some sunrise shots of the Taj Mahal. Make sure to check when the sun will rise and leave in time. It takes around 30 minutes from Taj-East-Gate-Road and a rickshaw costs around 100 Rs.
Created in 1652 this garden was planned to offer the perfect view of the Taj Mahal and thus makes for the perfect spot to capture some photographs. Unfortunately tripods are strictly prohibited within the Mehtab Bagh.
However, there’s a workaround to this restriction. From Mehtab Bagh’s entrance, follow the small road leading down to Yamuna River. Once you reach the end of the road, turn left and walk along the river banks (be aware that it can be pretty muddy down here) till you reach a small kind of concrete plateau. Right opposite the Taj Mahal, and in fact not inside the grounds of Mehtab Bagh, this is the perfect spot to set up a tripod. You may encounter self-appointed tour guides yelling at you from inside the gardens trying to shoo you away with ridiculous claims. It is best to politely ignore them.
This photo spot works best on Fridays, when the Taj Mahal is closed for regular visitors. You will be able to get some images without any people in it.
3. Sunset Photo Spot Taj Mahal / Yamuna River
A great place to shoot sunset and include the Taj Mahal in your composition is located a few hundred meters east of the Taj Mahal. Standing in front of the eastern gate, turn right and follow Dashehara Ghat Road towards Yamuna River. Upon reaching the first junction, turn right and follow the road for another 300 meter before turning left.
There are several sandy paths leading north towards the river. To your right you come across some ruins from where you have a pretty good view of the Taj Mahal. Sadly some business-minded dude made it his main occupation to charge an “entrance fee”. You can either try to negotiate, go down to the river and photograph from there, or try to sneak in. If you decide for the latter, don’t attempt it from the water-side. Rather go back to the road, walk a little further till you pass a mosque, and try it from there.
4. Yamuna River Boat Tour
Going for a short boat ride on the Yamuna river offers some unique perspectives and photo opportunities of the Taj Mahal. Depending on the weather (and on the level of haziness) it makes for a great sunset activity. From Taj-East-Gate-Road simply follow Dashehara Ghat Road all the way down to Yamuna River.
Look out for two guys with a wooden boat and negotiate a price. We payed sth. like 150 Rs. per person for a half an hour boat ride. If you happen to be on a very tight budget, you can look for people to share the boat with. However, if you make it a “private tour” you’re way more flexible when it comes to photographing the Taj Mahal since you can ask the boatman to navigate according to your compositional wishes and ideas.
5. Taj Mahal Sunrise Photo Spot
This is my absolute favorite photo location to take pictures of the Taj Mahal. Especially early in the morning this place offers some very unique views of this world-famous landmark. To get here, take a rickshaw to the Red Fort. Ask your driver to drop you opposite the Red Fort at a place Google knows as “Paradise Park”. This is essentially some fields bordering Yamuna River.
Try to make it all the way to the river but be careful, depending on rainfalls and water level of the river this can be a pretty muddy undertaking so bring appropriate shoes. It certainly isn’t easy to reach this place. Still it is absolutely worth it if you wanna capture a unique composition of the Taj Mahal.
I hope this guide to photographing the Taj Mahal inspires you a little and helps you to capture some stunning and unique images. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.
Have you been to Agra and did you visit the Taj Mahal? I’d really like to know what you would recommend and hear about your experiences and favorite photo spots to shoot the Taj Mahal. Just drop me a comment below. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
You can also connect with me on Instagram for more photos of the Taj Mahal, India and around the world.
Happy Travels
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