Street Photography in Agra, India – the Home of the Taj Mahal

The city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh, India is a well know destination for travel photographers. The main attractions for photographers in Agra are the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.

Overloaded Tuk Tuk

The Taj Mahal is a beautiful white marble mausoleum that is also one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Agra Fort is a huge red fort that is a great example of Mughal architecture. The fort contains many arches and doorways that provide some terrific photo ops.

The Produce Stand

The city of Agra is also a terrific place for street photography. Visiting Agra is like going back in time.

Deliveries are still make by bicycle
There is a variety of roadside stands and shops
Laundry is hanging on lines outside of windows,
There is a variety of animals on and along the streets.

The traffic in Agra also provides some terrific photo opportunities. There are all types of vehicles on the road like buffalo drawn carts, overloaded scooters and motorcycles, bicycles, and of course plenty of Tuk Tuks.

Buffalo in the Truck

With the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and the variety in street photography, Agra is a gold mine for travel photographers.

In this blog, I selected 11 photos taken in Agra that show the variety of street photography compositions available in Agra. Click on the image or caption to see a larger version of the photo.

Agra Police Taking a Break

Photography Equipment for Street Photography

I travel light to India as there are baggage restrictions on many domestic flights. For street photography in Agra I used the following camera and small, inexpensive lenses.

Olympus OM-D E-M1
Olympus M.12-50mm f3.5 – 6.3
Olympus M.40-150mm f4.0 – 5.6 (for longer shots)
Lowepro Event Messenger 100 Camera Bag

Mobile Band, Agra India

Street Photography Tips

Be careful when walking along the streets in Agra. Like many tourist destinations there are pickpockets and others interested in your valuables. Make sure you stay with your group.

An articulated LCD screen can help you from alerting your subjects when taking street photography. The photo of the Agra police was taking while looking down at the articulating LCD.

Carrying Cow Patties

It is also possible to take street photography from a moving vehicle. Here are a few tips when taking street photography from a vehicle:

Watch out for glare on the window. You may have to roll down the window to avoid the glare.
Pan with the camera from the front to the back of the car.
Use continuous fast shutter mode. There will often be obstacles between you and your subject. This will help to improve your keeper count.
Watch your shutter speed. As you move out of the sunlight and into shadows, your shutter speed may drop – open your aperture or increase the ISO.

Doors, Windows, and Laundry

5 on a Scooter

Making it up the Hill

Carrying the Goods

Taking a Nap at the Shoe Store

Written by Martin Belan

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