Best classic places spots hotspots sites sights views photo locations to photograph for photography with maps tips ideas composition postcard photos cool beautiful pictures
Grand Prize in the National Self-Published Book Awards
Benjamin Franklin Award for Best First Book
Best Travel Guide, Benjamin Franklin Awards finalist
“Impressive in its presentation and abundance of material.”
— National Geographic Traveler
“PhotoSecrets books are an invaluable resource for photographers.”
— Nikon School of Photography
“One of the best travel photography books we’ve ever seen.”
— Minolta
“Guides you to the most visually distinctive places to explore with your camera.”
— Outdoor Photographer
“This could be one of the most needed travel books ever published!”
— San Francisco Bay Guardian
“The most useful travel guides for anyone with a camera.”
— Shutterbug’s Outdoor and Nature Photography
“Takes the guesswork out of shooting.”
— American Way (American Airlines magazine)
PhotoSecrets Taj Mahal, first published November 23, 2017. This version output April 21, 2018.
Curated, coded and designed by Andrew Hudson. Copyright © Andrew Hudson for PhotoSecrets (Photo Tour Books, Inc.). Photos, text and maps copyrights are listed in the credits section.
“‘And what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice ‘without pictures or conversations?’”
— Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Thank you to the many talented photographers that generously made their photos available. Photos distributed by the following:
Text copyright of Wikipedia editors and contributors. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA).
Map data from OpenStreetMap and its contributors. Open data licensed under the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL).
Cover image by Waj/Shutterstock.
Back cover image by .
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any way without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner(s) and the publisher of this book.
The information provided within this book is for general informational purposes only. Some information may be inadvertently incorrect, or may be incorrect in the source material, or may have changed since publication, this includes GPS coordinates, addresses, location titles, descriptions, Web links, and photo credits. Use with caution; do not photograph from roads or other dangerous places or when trespassing, even if GPS coordinates and/or maps indicate so; beware of moving vehicles; obey laws. The publisher and author cannot accept responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of this book. There are no representations or warranties, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information, products, services, images, or graphics contained in this book for any purpose. Any use of this information is at your own risk.
For corrections, please send an email.
A great travel photograph, like a great news photograph, requires you to be in the right place at the right time to capture that special moment. Professional photographers have a short-hand phrase for this: “F8 and be there.”
There are countless books that can help you with photographic technique, the “F8” portion of that equation. But until now, there’s been little help for the other, more critical portion of that equation, the “be there” part. To find the right spot, you had to expend lots of time and shoe leather to wander around, track down every potential viewpoint, and essentially re-invent the wheel.
In my career as a professional travel photographer, well over half my time on location is spent seeking out the good angles. Andrew Hudson’s PhotoSecrets does all that legwork for you, so you can spend your time photographing instead of wandering about. It’s like having a professional location scout in your camera bag. I wish I had one of these books for every city I photograph on assignment.
PhotoSecrets can help you capture the most beautiful sights with a minimum of hassle and a maximum of enjoyment. So grab your camera, find your favorite PhotoSecrets spots, and “be there!”
Bob Krist has photographed assignments for National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, Travel/Holiday, Smithsonian, and Islands. He won “Travel photographer of the Year” from the Society of American Travel Writers in 1994, 2007, and 2008.
For National Geographic, Bob has led round-the-world tours and a traveling lecture series. His book In Tuscany with Frances Mayes spent a month on The New York Times’ bestseller list and his how-to book Spirit of Place was hailed by American Photographer magazine as “the best book about travel photography we’ve ever read.”
The parents of three sons, Bob and his wife live in New Hope, Pennsylvania.
Thank you for reading PhotoSecrets. As a fellow fan of travel and photography, I hope this guide will help you quickly find the most visually stunning places, and come home with equally stunning photographs.
PhotoSecrets is designed to show you all the best sights. Flick through, see the classic shots, and use them as a departure point for your own creations. Get ideas for composition and interesting viewpoints. See what piques your interest. Know what to shoot, where to stand, when to go, and why it’s interesting. Now you can spend less time researching and more time photographing.
The idea for PhotoSecrets came during a trip to Thailand, when I tried to find the exotic beach used in the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun. None of the guidebooks I had showed a picture, so I thought a guidebook of postcard photos would be useful for us photographers. Twenty-plus years later, you have this guide. Thanks!
Now, start exploring — and take lots of photos!
Originally an engineer, Andrew Hudson started PhotoSecrets in 1995. His first book won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best First Book and his second won the Grand Prize in the National Self-Published Book Awards.
Andrew has published 38 nationally-distributed photography books. He has photographed assignments for Macy’s, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Men’s Health and Seventeen, and been a location scout for Nikon. His photos and articles have appeared in Alaska Airlines, National Geographic Traveler, Shutterbug Outdoor and Nature photography, Where, and Woman’s World.
Andrew has a degree in Computer Engineering from Manchester University and a certificate in copyright law from Harvard Law School. Born in Redditch, England, he lives with his wife, two kids, and two chocolate Labs, in San Diego, California.
At a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Taj Mahal (Arabic for “Crown of Palaces”) |
| GPS: | 27.17500, 78.04194 |
| Fame: | Masterpiece of world heritage, icon of India |
| Far: | 4.4 km (2.75 miles) from the center of Agra |
| Web: | tajmahal.gov.in |
| Opened: | 1653 |
| Height: | 73 m (240 feet) |
| Style: | Mughal |
| Architects: | Ustad Ahmad Lahouri, Ustad Isa |
| Built by: | Shah Jahan |
| Address: | Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India |
| Notes: | The Taj Mahal is an extensive complex of buildings and gardens that extends over 22 hectares (55 acres) |
The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra.
Photographer: Sumit Roy
Year: 2011.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Large sandstone gate.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.171073 78.041941 |
| What: | Gate | When: | Afternoon |
| Look: | North-northeast ↑ | Far: | 70 m (230 feet) |
| AKA: | Darwaza-i rauza | Wik: |
Photographer: Edmund Gall
Year: 2013.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.171085 78.042648 |
| When: | Morning | Look: | North-northwest ↑ |
| Far: | 70 m (220 feet) |
Photographer: Anoop Pushkar
Year: 2012.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.171685 78.042129 |
| What: | Ceiling | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Dennis Jarvis
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.171079 78.042859 |
| What: | Gate | When: | Anytime |
| Look: | East → | Far: | 80 m (260 feet) |
| AKA: | Fatehbad Gate |
Photographer: Dennis Jarvis
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
Photographer: Souravita
Year: 2013.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.171275 78.042934 |
| What: | Corridor | When: | Afternoon |
| Look: | East → | Far: | 50 m (180 feet) |
Photographer: Manikanta Allam
Year: 2013.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.170551 78.042203 |
| What: | Well | When: | Afternoon |
| Look: | Northeast ↗ | Far: | 12 m (39 feet) |
The symbolism of the Paradise garden (Charbagh) is derived from mystic Islamic texts describing paradise as a garden filled with abundant trees, flowers and plants, with water playing a key role: In Paradise, four rivers source at a central spring or mountain. In their ideal form they were laid out as a square subdivided into four equal parts. These rivers are often represented in the charbagh as shallow canals which separate the garden by flowing towards the cardinal points. The canals represent the promise of water, milk, wine and honey. The centre of the garden, at the intersection of the divisions is highly symbolically charged and is where, in the ideal form, a pavilion, pool or tomb would be situated.
Photographer: Seb2583
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.173342 78.042149 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | North ↑ |
| Far: | 180 m (600 feet) |
Photographer: Dmitry Strizhakov
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.173357 78.0421412 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | North ↑ |
| Far: | 180 m (600 feet) |
Photographer: Olena Tur
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
Photographer: Waj
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.173099 78.042143 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | North ↑ |
| Far: | 210 m (690 feet) |
Photographer: Marttaelib
Year: 2015.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 4.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.173357 78.0421413 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | North ↑ |
| Far: | 180 m (600 feet) |
Photographer: RuthChoi
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.173357 78.0421414 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | North ↑ |
| Far: | 180 m (600 feet) |
Photographer: Ramesh Ng
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.173997 78.041383 |
| When: | Afternoon | Look: | Northeast ↗ |
| Far: | 140 m (440 feet) |
Photographer: Herojit Waikhom
Year: 2012.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Photographer: Aiwok
Year: 2010.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.173942 78.042885 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | North-northwest ↑ |
| Far: | 140 m (450 feet) |
Photographer: Biswarup Ganguly
Year: 2014.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.1731766 78.0424104 |
| What: | Pavilion | When: | Afternoon |
| Look: | East → | Far: | 120 m (380 feet) |
| AKA: | Naubat Khana |
Photographer: Francisco Anzola
Year: 2005.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.173018 78.042155 |
| When: | Afternoon | Look: | South ↓ |
| Far: | 150 m (490 feet) |
Photographer: Wiki-Uk
Year: 2011.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Photographer: Francisco Anzola
Year: 2005.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.173239 78.042746 |
| When: | Morning | Look: | Northwest ↖ |
| Far: | 280 m (920 feet) |
Photographer: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
Year: 012.
Source: Wikipedia
License: GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.175032 78.043278 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | West ← |
| Far: | 110 m (360 feet) |
Photographer: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen
Year: 2010.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.175441 78.043297 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | West-southwest ← |
| Far: | 120 m (400 feet) |
Photographer: Tanweer Morshed
Year: 2015.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 4.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.174517 78.043193 |
| When: | Morning | Look: | West-northwest ← |
| Far: | 120 m (380 feet) |
Photographer: Narendra577502
Year: 2011.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Photographer: Archishilpi14
Year: 2011.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Photographer: Umesh Namdeo
Year: 2008.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.174645 78.042543 |
| When: | Morning | Look: | Northwest ↖ |
| Far: | 60 m (180 feet) |
Photographer: Rusticus80
Source: Flickr
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.174647 78.041645 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | Northeast ↗ |
| Far: | 60 m (210 feet) |
Photographer: Anoop Pushkar
Year: 2012.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.174682 78.042183 |
| When: | Morning | Look: | North ↑ |
| Far: | 40 m (110 feet) |
Photographer: Guptaele
Year: 2012.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 4.
Photographer: Guptaele
Year: 2012.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 4.
Photographer: Arpit Jawa
Year: 2010.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Photographer: Piyush Kumar
Source: Flickr
License: CC-BY 2.
Photographer: Biswarup Ganguly
Year: 2014.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.1738846 78.041611 |
| When: | Afternoon | Look: | North-northeast ↑ |
| Far: | 140 m (440 feet) |
Photographer: Tor
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
Photographer: Jool-yan
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.174983 78.040789 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | East → |
| Far: | 130 m (440 feet) |
Photographer: Achim Baque
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.174985 78.040752 |
| When: | Sunset | Look: | East → |
| Far: | 140 m (450 feet) |
Photographer: Diego Delso
Year: 2009.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 4.
Photographer: Labrasevic
Year: 2012.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Photographer: Clément Bardot
Year: 2016.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 4.
Photographer: Ankushsharma2002
Year: 2009.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.174990 78.040720 |
| When: | Afternoon | Look: | East → |
| Far: | 140 m (460 feet) |
Photographer: Airknight
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.174578 78.042046 |
| When: | Afternoon | Look: | South ↓ |
| Far: | 320 m (1060 feet) |
Photographer: Diego Delso
Year: 2009.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 4.
Photographer: Manav
Year: 2013.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.174588 78.041568 |
| When: | Morning | Look: | West-northwest ← |
| Far: | 100 m (310 feet) |
Photographer: Teufel1987
Year: 2009.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.174729 78.041835 |
| What: | Detail | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Anoop Pushkar
Year: 2012.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.174883 78.041810 |
| What: | Detail | When: | Anytime |
Photographer: Rajacommonswiki
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
Photographer: Maahmaah
Year: 2011.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Photographer: Biswarup Ganguly
Year: 2014.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.175035 78.0426998 |
| When: | Afternoon | Look: | East-northeast → |
| Far: | 100 m (320 feet) |
Photographer: Rawpixel
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.177748 78.044262 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | Southwest ↙ |
| Far: | 370 m (1210 feet) |
Photographer: Pius Lee
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
Photographer: Travel & Shit
Year: 2014.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.177748 78.0442622 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | Southwest ↙ |
| Far: | 370 m (1210 feet) |
Photographer: Saidur
Year: 2013.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.176884 78.043913 |
| When: | Morning | Look: | Southwest ↙ |
| Far: | 270 m (890 feet) |
Photographer: Leigh Harries
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.177352 78.042626 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | South ↓ |
| Far: | 270 m (870 feet) |
Photographer: Leigh Harries
Year: 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 2.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.177214 78.042068 |
| When: | Afternoon | Look: | South ↓ |
| Far: | 250 m (810 feet) |
Photographer: Koshy Koshy
Year: 2011.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 2.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.178159 78.039912 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | South-southeast ↓ |
| Far: | 420 m (1360 feet) |
Photographer: Someone
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.177155 78.040770 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | South-southeast ↓ |
| Far: | 280 m (900 feet) |
Photographer: E
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
Photographer: Tor
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
Photographer: Boris Stroujko
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.177147 78.040647 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | South-southeast ↓ |
| Far: | 280 m (920 feet) |
Photographer: Boris Stroujko
Source: Shutterstock
License: Shutterstock standard license.
| Addr: | Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India | Where: | 27.177147 78.0406471 |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | South-southeast ↓ |
| Far: | 280 m (920 feet) |
Photographer: Kewal Somani
Year: 2012.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY 3.
Photographer: Khandelwal
Source: Wikipedia
License: Released by author into the public domain.
Mughal-era gardens.
| Addr: | Where: | 27.180092 78.042026 | |
| What: | Garden | When: | Anytime |
| AKA: | Mehtab Bagh | Wik: |
Photographer: Narender9
Year: 2011.
Source: Wikipedia
License: CC-BY-SA 3.
Mughal-era gardens.
| Addr: | Where: | 27.180064 78.042028 | |
| When: | Anytime | Look: | South ↓ |
| Far: | 0.56 km (0.35 miles) |
Thank you to the many wonderful people and companies that made their work available to use in this guide.
Photo key: Tap the camera icon to see the photo. The two letters reference the distributor and license. Key for distributors: f:Flickr; s:Shutterstock; w:Wikipedia. Key for license: a:CC-BY-SA; b:CC-BY; g:GNU; h:Shutterstock standard; m:public domain.
Cover image by .Airknight ( wa); Aiwok ( wa); Manikanta Allam ( wa); Ankushsharma2002 ( wb); Francisco Anzola ( wa); Archishilpi14 ( sh); Achim Baque ( wa); Clément Bardot ( wa); Diego Delso ( wm); E ( wa); Edmund Gall ( wb); Biswarup Ganguly ( wa); Guptaele ( wa); Leigh Harries ( wa); Dennis Jarvis ( wa); Arpit Jawa ( sh); Jool-yan ( wg); Muhammad Mahdi Karim ( wm); Khandelwal ( wb); Koshy Koshy ( fb); Piyush Kumar ( wa); Labrasevic ( sh); Pius Lee ( wa); Maahmaah ( wa); Manav ( wa); Marttaelib ( wa); Tanweer Morshed ( wa); Umesh Namdeo ( wa); Narender9 ( wa); Narendra577502 ( wa); Ramesh Ng ( wa); Anoop Pushkar ( wm); Rajacommonswiki ( sh); Rawpixel ( wa); Sumit Roy ( fa); Rusticus80 ( sh); RuthChoi ( wa); Saidur ( sh); Seb2583 ( wb); Kewal Somani ( wm); Someone ( wa); Souravita ( sh); Dmitry Strizhakov ( sh); Boris Stroujko ( wa); Teufel1987 ( wm); Tor ( wa); Bjørn Christian Tørrissen ( wa); Travel & Shit ( sh); Olena Tur ( wa); Herojit Waikhom ( sh); Waj ( wa); Wiki-Uk ( wa). Some text adapted from Wikipedia and its contributors where noted by the URL path in the “Wik” table field, used and modified under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC-BY-SA) license. Map data from OpenStreetMap and its contributors, used under the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL).