Taj Mahal (also “the Taj”) is one of the seven wonders of the world, and established historians have noted that its architectural beauty has never been surpassed. And is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles.  The Taj is the most beautiful monument built by the Mughals, the Muslim rulers of India. Its stunning architectural beauty is beyond any kind of description in words, particularly when seen at dawn and sunset. The Taj wears different looks in different weather conditions of all seasons and the time of the day, like a married woman looks in different colours of her dresses and jewelry – there is mesmerising glow on it in the light of the full moon, on a foggy morning, the Taj looks as if suspended, especially when viewed from across the Yamuna river, at sunset and sunrise it entices all the photographers as the glow of the last and first light transforms it into a big jewel.

In 1983, the Taj, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.”

Like any other photographer, I was fascinated to photograph the Taj. The day I bought my first digital SLR Canon 20D at Delhi, I drove straight to Agra and spent a week around the marvel. With everyday spent around the Taj, it fired up the intensity of my love to photograph it, which I have never had with any other subject. During all the winter photo sessions, I stood shivering behind the Taj at 0515 hours in winters (used to get get up at 0430 hours), I could not touch my camera tripod with bare hands, it was chilling. Also, I have scorched myself  under the Sun of June, I have stood chest deep in the muck of Yamuna, which doesn’t have much of water content, I have slipped and banged my bums on human excreta many times (lost count now), sometimes the level of the muck flow increases and when it recedes leaves an evenly thin coating of muck behind on ground, which is nothing other than the sewerage flow of whole Agra city. But my passion always took over me and I could not see all that.

In June 2007, I went to photograph people congregating behind the Taj for the celebration of Ganga Dussehra. It is a local fair to Uttra Pradesh (one of the states of India). On my first such shoot, while I was shooting large congregation bathing in that murky Yamuna River, composing the Taj in the background, I had to be in my underwear, as I was not prepared for the kind of shots I was being offered by the festival. On my previous shoots, I used to avoid touching the water flowing in Yamuna, with my feet even. I was moving around very carefully, while holding two cameras up in air in my both hands, scared of slipping and hitting the cameras on ground first. But then the inevitable happened, I slipped on the thin layer of muck and then discovered that it changed my life and my view of the shoot. I was sitting on ground comfortably all over to shoot and regain those lost shots, which I had missed in last one hour, it was like losing virginity – thereafter no worries. I sat all over without any hesitation and was rewarded with some excellent photos. All this gets eclipsed when your passion makes you blind for as a while.

Now, I love going behind the Taj Mahal, on Yamuna side, on my each visit to Agra and the kids of Kacchpura village love to tag along with me on each shoot. After the shoot, its a ritual to have tea at the `cart mounted tea stall’, with the whole gang and my driver. My driver has never been able to understand why I visit this area again and again, why I am not tired of photographing  Taj. After this ritual, I take my driver to `Ram Babu Pratha Walla’ at Belan Ganj in Agra. You have to visit this place to believe and enjoy the best `prathas’ you can ever taste in India. This routine has been evolved to keep my drivers in good humour and motivated to bring me in the morning hours when he loves to sleep. I get up at 0430 hours to reach the entry point on the road near the village Kacchpura village at 0515 hours and be in Yamuna riverbed at around 0530 hours. And the driver has no charm to get up in the morning and then wait indefinitely in the jeep for me, while I am shooting. So, I pamper my drivers at `Ram Babu Parantha’ shop.

Why I reach there so early? Most of you may wonder about me being there with my cameras, behind the Taj so early in the darkness, much before the sunrise. I am sure some readers may ridicule me being there so early. I like to scout around the right spot in the river bed for the day-break and then have enough time to deploy my camera tripod, lens cleaning, filter mounting rings, etc. I do a stock check of each pocket of my photographer’s jacket, to ensure that I know where is what and in case I need anything suddenly, I can pull out things without any confusion. By being there right in the nick of time, I do not want to be caught running around by the first light of the day and then the rising Sun, likelihood is that one may trip over something as well. I am always there at the right spot and be ready in advance to catch the royal structure making shapes in front of the crimson light, at first light of the day-break. And when fog adds to its beauty, its like newly married lady shows her face through the veil slowly. Its simply mesmerising, ecstasy!

No words can express my joy of each day I spend behind the Taj. Though, I will try to do that through my photos of the Taj, posted here in its gallery.

Slideshow

12►

MISSION: SAVE INNOCENT SNAKES AND IGNORANT PEOPLE, WITH MY CAMERA

We all know that `an image is worth thousand words’!  I say that a good image is worth million words! Isn’t it?

So, I decided  to accomplish my mission by educating people about snakes and snakebite, basically to make them comfortable with the presence of snakes, through good quality photos. I strongly felt that good photos will project snakes as beautiful creatures and handsome, thus hoping that the hostile attitude of common man may get friendlier towards snakes after seeing their beauty through my photos.  So far, I have been encouraged by the remarks and comments of the viewers of every quality snake image I have shown to public through my websites, blogs and others forums on internet.

I am sure, this endeavour will save the snakes from being misunderstood, as most dreaded animals. There are reports that in pre-independence India, British government promoted extermination of venomous snake species from certain areas, though it turned out to be a futile effort. This indicates how hostile we can be against innocent creatures, without even making an attempt to understand our neighbours,  who cohabit this beautiful planet Earth. I do not blame the commoner squarely, as he struggles to muster for basics for his living. It’s the government agencies who have to organise the right type of educational material and effective strategy, which has had glaring failures in the field of  `nature conservation education’ so far. For the will to do quality work is missing at all levels in the government department of wildlife.

My endeavour will be to bridge the gap between  `INNOCENT SNAKES, IGNORANT PEOPLE’, through well written literature containing good information about snakes alongwith good quality images; common man needs it the most, to join hands to `SAVE OUR BEAUTIFUL PLANET’.

Finally, I said, “What the heck, why I can’t do photos of snakes, so what if I am poor at this stage, if I start now then one day I shall create good snake photos”. That was enough to motivate me. I started trying my hand with snake photography, while using rescued snakes,  and as the time passed by, with practice I started getting reasonably good photos, ever since I have been improving. I am happy with the results.

Here, I would like to advise you to be careful about buying any camera equipment `on line’, especially the one you have not used before, one must refer existing users of equipment, first. I bought Canon macro lens 180mm L series and a 2x converter to compliment it, alongwith a Canon Ring Flash MR 14-EX. Soon, after some photography with snakes, I discovered that ring flash had no role in snake photography for me. Also, I realised that snake photography can be done with other lenses i.e. tele lens, wide angle lens, etc. Most people think that snake photography means macro lenses.

Now, I love doing snake photography, though I have a long way to go, before I can make my snake photos stunning for quality. I am dreaming to do some quality shots for the `snakes & snakebite poster’, which should be able to attract and stop any onlooker with its quality of images and get them read the text.

In the past, whenever I posted my snake photos on my Flickr account, I used to get mails from viewers, who were curious to know how to go about snake photography. And I was quite surprised that there wasn’t much on the subject on the net. Therefore, I decided to publish about this subject on the internet, in stead of writing individual mails. Be rest assured that I have explained all about snake photography on my own blog and websites, as much as I know, nothing has been hidden. I love to share my experiences and knowledge with everyone. So, this will be a sincere  endeavour to disseminate knowledge about snakes through my Canon.

Snake photography is not at all difficult, provided you know the snakes well (like you are supposed to know your subject well, in any branch of good photography), one should have a competent snake handler for the snake shoot, follow the safety instructions, suitable camera equipment, etc.

Many Flickr viewers have commented on my snake photos there that I am gutsy, bold, brave and what not. I do not agree with all that. Fact remains, when you know about snakes well and about the consequences of snakebite, you are more scared and respect snakes more ! Its a matter of practice and knowing your subject, keeping in mind the safety.

Good discipline is the key to snake photography!

Slideshow

12►