Written and Filmed by Sandeep Mathur

Artist

I am a passionate traveler and a photography enthusiast from New Delhi, India. My work allows me to travel to various parts of the world. Every year, I try and tick off my ever-increasing photography bucket list. I love shooting natural landscapes and cityscapes and particularly love mixing ambient light with artificial light. I currently use a Nikon D850, Nikon D750, and Nikon Z6 full-frame cameras. To find more of my work, please feel free to check out my Website, Instagram, Facebook, or 1x.

About the Timelapse

The pristine purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, the use of precious gemstones, and its picturesque location all make the Taj Mahal a marvel of art. Standing majestically at the southern bank on the Yamuna River, it is synonymous with eternal love and beauty.

Eternal – This Taj Mahal timelapse captures the incredible beauty of the Taj Mahal under a monsoon sky over beautiful sunset.

History of the Taj

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum complex in Agra, western Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. It is situated in the eastern part of the city on the southern bank of the Yamuna River. 

The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahān to immortalize his wife Mumtaz Mahal. She died in childbirth in 1631, after having been the emperor’s inseparable companion since their marriage in 1612.  Constructed over a 20-year period on the southern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, India, the famed complex is one of the most outstanding examples of Mughal architecture, which combined Indian, Persian, and Islamic influences. At its center is the Taj Mahal itself, built of shimmering white marble that seems to change color depending on the daylight. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983, it remains one of the world’s most celebrated structures and a stunning symbol of India’s rich history.

Process

After being cooped up inside for over 4 months due to the COVID 19 lockdown, on 5th September 2020, a photographer friend and I took a three-hour road trip from Delhi to Agra to shoot the Taj under the monsoon skies. The monsoon season is known to provide dramatic skies and colorful sunsets. We knew the Taj Mahal complex was closed due to COVID restrictions but were aware of this location a little further down the river which provided breathtaking views of the Taj and the River Yamuna. The weather, sunset, and location did not disappoint. We witnessed an awe-inspiring sunset! Although my prime objective was to capture some still landscape images of the sunset over the Taj with my Nikon D850, I did set up my backup camera, a Nikon Z6, to capture a timelapse more with a view to capturing some still frames with minimal inputs and adjustments from me. Later, when I was reviewing the images, to my pleasant surprise the camera had done a fabulous job of capturing a dramatic sunset sequence over the Taj Mahal. The timelapse sequence has been edited in LRTimelapse and finished off in Adobe After Effects.

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