Majestic Taj Photo

Photographer’s Note

When I visited the Taj Mahal in Agra at the beginning of the year I made many photos to try and capture its majestic splendour. This one was taken at a large distance from the lawn on the right side and is one of my favourites. Obscuring part of the Taj somehow adds to the mystique.

Contrast and color correction, slightly skewed, sharpened and cropped (5%)in PSE.

migtey, travelyurt, ChristianS, robiuk, Ebow has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

scalerman (25787) 2004-10-26 16:43

It's always interesting to see a picture of a place that's been overphotographed, taken in a new way. Great point of view here. the tree works well for a frame.

t_wullems (292) 2004-10-26 16:49

Zeer fraai en mystiek Raymond! Met deze foto geef je een beeld van hoe indrukwekkend gebouwen kunnen zijn. India staat op mijn verlanglijstje voor volgend jaar! Cheers. T.

Katsudon (47) 2004-10-26 16:59

Nice idea your point of view! It changes from other pictures of this beautyful monument. The point I like especially, is the people down the wall animating but specifically giving a real idea about the scale of the building... and it seems to be huge!!!
Interesting picture.

Pompey (1117) 2004-10-26 17:30

Wonderful picture Raymond.
The scale of this building is well shown in this picture. I love the framing with the tree but feel a proper frame is needed.
The picture is a bit soft though.

[workshop] [compare]

annaeva (162) 2004-10-26 17:34

wonderful! i especially like the almost black and white feel with the white monument and the black leaves as a frame. when u then notice the colorful people it's almost like a shock - they should be there but they shouldn't...
hard to explain what i mean, anyway, i like it a lot! new views are always refreshing. cheers /ae

sandpiper (1635) 2004-10-26 20:02

Quite an interesting shot. I think the POV is good, I like the leaves at the top, but I don't like the branch on the right. Nevertheless, this shot shows the dimensions of the Taj very well, using the people to scale its size. The scene is also tilted to the left slightly. Not bad though.

kinginexile (2440) 2004-10-27 3:12

The best shots of the Taj on TE have been done from different perspectives than the usual frontal one, and yours is one of them.

The gray subdued tone is really marvelous, and we get a real sense of how majestic indeed, it is. To think it was built in honor of someone looking as small as these ants, oops, visitors....

Really nice, different and revealing.

oochappan (22032) 2004-10-27 5:41

I like the misty mystification towards an excelleant counterlighted frame contrast of the leaves adding a strong personal and unusual view on the Taj, revealing indeed all the strength this majestic building got.
Truly a view that merrits to be here on TE. (in spite of minor things to be improved, but what is perfection ?)
Gewoon prachtig Raymond.
Henk

pamastro (7213) 2004-10-27 8:43

This view definitely makes it look extra majestic. This point of view is refreshing, also. The size of the building really comes out in this photograph with the people dotting the walkway and the way it fills the frame. Their colorful clothing adds an extra touch against the white marble. And the trees on bottom and branch on top frame the scene perfectly. Perhaps it could get a boost in contrast. You got yourself a great point of view here and took full advantage of it. Well done.

kaychambers (1196) 2004-11-02 23:22

Hi Raymond.

Great imagery, and good that you include people in the image indicating a scale of the building.

It's diffucult to portray the beauty of this building in a photograph, and I have yet to see one image that gives it the justice that it deserves, but you have done it credit here for sure!

Well done,

Regards,

Vic, Singapore.

P.S. Did you apply an unsharp filter PP?

clodreno (0) 2004-11-06 8:27

very nice image Raymond..
It's a different perspective on a beautiful monument.
Here, we can feel the greatness of the Taj.
Well done

travelyurt (276) 2004-11-07 22:03

I really love many things about this picture. It is one of very few pictures I have seen that approach the Taj Mahal from an angle other than that which every person on Earth has probably seen a thousand times. For my own part, I had never before known it was so large, because I had never seen it from anywhere but the distance. I learned a lot about the Taj from this, and respect it all the more.

I think the leaves and small twigs silhouetted against the white were an inspired decision, because they create a depth of field that would otherwise be seriously lacking with such a scale, and they also throw into sharp relief just how massive the wall of white is. However, I agree with other posts noting that the thick, black branch to the left is too intrustive and disruptive for the shot...it might have been better to find a place where the silhouettes were more of a uniform delicate thickness.

Excellent job capturing the people in all their color...this too helps add a great sense of scale to this photo, not to mention some interesting colors.

ChristianS (2997) 2004-11-12 16:48

Wow, it's really beautiful and an unusual shot of Taj Mahal. Nice perspective and good to see some details of this magnificent monument. The people really show the scale of hte buildning. I took a look at your portfolio and you have some impressive photos. Well done!

nilolabrador (1469) 2004-11-19 16:41

I've only seen the Taj in photographs but for the first time I realize how magnificent this
monument is.

Praetzer (1657) 2005-01-11 18:24

Very un-earth atmosphere.
Without the branch to the right this would be a reference. But still: very very very good.

I took 10 minutes to get rid of the branch: see workshop

[workshop] [compare] +

randompics (913) 2006-12-03 20:19

Truely an unique shot of Taj. It does show the grandeur of the Taj. I felt it is bit tilted towards left. And it might be better to crop off the tree at the top left corner.

Stepan (27175) 2006-12-05 0:50

I really enjoy your idea, producing originality about the Taj, which is a performance !
I just regret you couldn't get more contrast and didn't correct the tilt. It seems to be a little tilted too.
Stéphane

robiuk (10763) 2008-02-10 14:16

Hi Wolbo,
indeed a majestic view and I have to admit I've never
seen Taj Mahal from that angle! Seems that there's a
small amount of haze present around Taj, that makes its
white walls somehow even whiter and mellow...
Great job with this one,
Robi

Photo Information

Copyright: Raymond Oude Wolbers (Wolbo) (464)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-01-31
Categories: Architecture
Camera: Sony Cybershot V1
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/250 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): World Heritage Sites Part VII, Taj Mahal, India, India [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-10-26 16:39
Favorites: 3 [view]