Image 73561480 by AL

AL | all galleries >> the traveller >> episode two >


	Agra India

symbol of love no. 3

Someone asked if I got any color picture of Taj Mahal and I decided to post this one.
It may be cliché and not perfect as it lacks the human element that I always try to look for.
But it’s the reflection that truly attracted me. It’s as if the light and the color
were trying to find their way into the dark, the unknown... Perhaps it means
opening one’s heart and letting in love, hope, warmth, peace, ... Agree?

(Specially dedicated to the one who taught me and made me see a new light, a new color
and a new reflection in life... Hope everything works out for you and
your days are bright and warm soon. Take care and chin up!)

Nikon D50

other sizes: small medium large auto

previous | next

an nguyen		02-Oct-2007 01:27
A stunning frame of Taj Mahal.

GeneWard		01-Oct-2007 03:37
beautiful image, love the framing and the soft light in front

Guest		04-Sep-2007 20:26
perfect frame, great color.. i love the reflection on the stone

Guest		20-Mar-2007 11:10
Wonderful perspective

Guest		10-Feb-2007 14:14
I am fascinated by the dimensionality of this photo. The light reaches out in all directions - the beatiful glow on the doors, the reflection on the floor, and the archway above. As a result we are pulled into the image, and the Taj Mahal is drawn nearer to us. The human element with this photo is us. It would not work in the same way with someone standing in the archway. v.

Ali Majdfar		10-Feb-2007 09:24
Superb view selection, (V) I have a picture which might be interesting for you: http://www.pbase.com/k_amj/image/69334591

Guest		04-Feb-2007 00:22
you have a way with words and images

Eric Carrère		02-Feb-2007 22:20
Superb :o) V.

Guest		02-Feb-2007 15:43
Wow! Absolutely good light, compo and light!!!

Guest		30-Jan-2007 02:13
Stunning colorful reflection,Ai Li. I love it.

Liz Bickel		29-Jan-2007 17:30
Just lovely.

Guest		29-Jan-2007 06:00
Hard to add too much more - technically, perfect. Cliche? Maybe, but it still rocks!

Galina Stepanova		28-Jan-2007 21:56
Well framed, well taken.

Sue Robertson		28-Jan-2007 10:35
Wow. What a beauty! v

Phil Douglis		28-Jan-2007 03:49
I had to come back for another look, Ai Li, and I want to mention two additional factors that add to the power of this image. The tiny people walking at the base of the Taj, so small they can hardly been seen in your relatively small image, are significant in that they add scale incongruity to the scene and they express the transient nature of man contrasted to your enduring symbol of timeless love. And the doors on each side of the arch, each subtley reflecting the color of the Taj, give the image an additional illusion of depth. This image succeeds largely because of how you use reflective light on both stones and the wall. It adds greatly to the mood of this image. (I also recently made an image in Morocco largely by reflected light -- it demonstrates the same evocative atmosphere of Old Fez as you produce here in Agra:http://www.pbase.com/pnd1/image/72905519

Richard Calmes		28-Jan-2007 02:28
Beautiful framing! A wonderful image! V

Guest		28-Jan-2007 01:17
Truly great and your words are special. V

Martha Albuquerque		27-Jan-2007 17:18
So beautiful Ai Li! Well framed.. magic, my vote.

Abescat Charles		27-Jan-2007 17:18
Superbe

Guest		27-Jan-2007 07:30
The n° 3 is amazing too ! The colours, the serenity. Nobody there ! Love it. Get my vote. Vincent.

Dave Wixx		27-Jan-2007 05:52
Fantastic. Love the glow within the shadows.

Guest		27-Jan-2007 05:51
Has it been taken millions of times? Yes. Should you avoid the shot because somebody else has done it? No. The reflection adds a second symmetry in the image. The point of view is perfectly choosen, to frame the building without sqeezing it, and to have the full reflection. And, this is definitely about opening to the outside. A reflection in an eye globe!

Dan Chusid		27-Jan-2007 05:22
Hit the mark just right! Stunning black to light across the frame. ~ V ~

Mindy McNaugher		27-Jan-2007 03:23
Absolutely stunning!!! Vote!

Guest		27-Jan-2007 02:56
Stunning indeed! I agree with Stu.

jude		27-Jan-2007 02:09
And I agree with Stu.. (thank god he typed it cuz I'm tired tonight..LOL) Seriously, Ai Li.. you know the reflection is what grabs me to.. I like to think of it as a sunrise because of the colors. Therefore, it is the sunrise on love, is it not?

Cindi Smith		27-Jan-2007 00:31
gorgeous! I really like this shot through the archway! V

Craig Persel		27-Jan-2007 00:08
Stunning, stunning ... stunning. Vote.

Bill Harris		27-Jan-2007 00:00
You've captured the light falling on this iconic building, in pastel shades. A sense of place, of reverence almost. It is beautiful image.

Sheila		26-Jan-2007 22:59
Took my breathe away. A wonderful shot Ai Li, such a treat to see it for once without people. v

Roy Birger Nilsen		26-Jan-2007 22:03
The symmetry of the composition and the wonderful light gives this picture a peaceful,almost serene mood that makes it so good to look at.It`s just great!:-)

Sharon Rogers		26-Jan-2007 21:30
beautiful framing, love that reflection too v>

Phil Douglis		26-Jan-2007 20:31
A cliche, Ai Li, is an image that is repeated so many times that it loses its meaning. This is not a cliche. This is an expressive image because of the reflection on the paving blocks. The arch is thereby defined twice, once as a frame for the Taj, and again, as a echo of the Taj itself, in the stones. The more we look into this image, the more we feel its presence and its symbolism as a memorial to a loved one. You allow your viewers to use their imaginations. If some feel what you felt -- absorbing a sense of love and peace -- more power to them, and to you.

Tomasz Dziubinski - Photography		26-Jan-2007 19:46
Good shot :)

Victoria		26-Jan-2007 19:43
Beautiful image..

JSWaters		26-Jan-2007 16:28
I am drawn to the doors as well. The building is beautifully lit and the shimmering reflection is cast clear through them. But the doors serve as the portal to the offered warmth, love and safety - we have to decide to walk through them. Jenene

Guest		26-Jan-2007 16:27
Very nicely framed,great shot..

J. Scott Coile		26-Jan-2007 16:26
Each image is so unique and interesting. I am so jealous of this journey!

Guenter Eh		26-Jan-2007 15:45
..take my breath away again..beautiful shot!

fred_il		26-Jan-2007 15:15
Superb! Everything is great here! The light, the composition, the opened doors! Bravo and VOte!

Jen Bixler		26-Jan-2007 15:03
Nice dedication....From the thumbnail the reflection looked like it was sitting on water.

Kal Khogali		26-Jan-2007 13:13
For me it is about those doors...like open arms of embrace...step forward...it will be warm and safe. Fantastic. K

david procter		26-Jan-2007 12:34
What colour. The Taj Mahal is so beautiful in this light. I'd love to see a portrait of you from where you are stood with the Taj's light upon your gaze.

Ray Rebortira		26-Jan-2007 11:25
Cliché is banal, ordinary, commonplace. There is nothing banal, ordinary or commonplace with this stunning picture. Arresting, yes, but not cliché.

Leo Charette		26-Jan-2007 11:23
Beautifully framed and lit

Rob Rosetti		26-Jan-2007 10:27
A very sweet image. Agree with you, light and colors move into the shadow, the unknown.

Stu		26-Jan-2007 09:32
I find people's ideas of what is cliched travel photography such an interesting topic...sorry about this long post... You say it may be a cliché...but I think you are being hard on yourself. You've already made an often-photographed landmark look even more interesting than it usually does with a couple of other photos by including a human element, as you've mentioned above. And when you're taking photos of a place that has been photographed millions and millions of times for the first time yourself, do those millions and millions of other photos really matter, purely on a 'personal enjoyment' level? I don't think so. Also, for me, there's little wrong with simply admiring the building once in a while when it's a building as stunning as this, and the colour here is great. I know from taking photos in busy places like Angkor Wat how difficult it can be to get a photo without any people in it, so that's to be admired here too. In fact I can't see how anyone, however good a photographer they are, could look at this and think only "it's a clichéd photograph". I know everyone's tastes are different, but...it's a GOOD photo. I've never been to India myself, but every time I see a good photo of the Taj Mahal it makes me want to go and see it for real, and I'm sure I'm not the only person out there. This has that effect on me. OK enough I ought to actually do some work now!

Adalberto Tiburzi		26-Jan-2007 09:31
"quite", not "quit" ;-))) A

Adalberto Tiburzi		26-Jan-2007 09:30
Sublime natural (man-made) framing, a play of positive and negative quit dizzying! And yes, the metaphor works very well... ;-) Adal

Latifa Messaoudi		26-Jan-2007 09:06
very beautiful!!

Mike Dunbar		26-Jan-2007 08:52
Beautifully framed and lovely tones.

Type your message and click Add Comment

It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest. Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help	private comment

Type your message and click Add Comment

It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest. Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help	private comment