The Foggy Taj Mahal

Lumix G9 + Leica 8-16mm f/2.8 lens, f/2.8 @ 1/400s, 16mm (ffe), ISO 800, no tripod

The Taj Mahal has always been big on my personal to-visit list as one of the greatest buildings gracing our planet. It’s undoubtedly a tourist magnet, as evidenced by millions of photos online. This makes it almost impossible to have an intimate experience with the Taj Mahal. Undaunted by this realization I decided to be the first person admitted to the Taj Mahal complex on the day of my visit. For this to happen I had to be the first one in line. This of course meant getting up well before sunrise as the opening hours are from dawn till dusk. My mission was accomplished in full as I gleefully entered the complex as the first visitor of the day. What I hadn’t expected was the treat that was awaiting me there. The Yamuna river decided to spout a massive amount of fog exactly the moment I reached the terraces of the Taj Mahal and perfectly enveloped the building for mere ten minutes. This was enough for me to take a tourist-free and atmospheric photo of the majestic Taj Mahal.

Phototips:

• be there as one of the first visitors in the morning

• tripods are not allowed so equip yourself with a mini-tripod already attached to your camera and be ready to shoot handheld

• wide lens is best to capture the whole building in one go and allows a faster shutter speed