This is the third and final installment in the Taj Mahal sequence.
The Taj is seen at its refulgent best in the moments immediately after sunrise and preceding sundown when the marble glows in the honeyed light of the sun. Outside of these two fleeting windows, the exterior of the monument takes on a flat, white patina that is less interesting to the photographer. A monochromatic treatment is appropriate to the first image below, taken mid-morning from the balcony of the Amarvilas hotel.
Taj Mahal
5D, 300L f/4 IS
Thou shalt not clean or spellcheck the sign outside the entrance to the mausoleum.
Photography Prohibted (sic)
5D, 17-40L
The b/w treatment really brings out the texture of the marble. I found it very interesting to observe how the hue of the Taj would change at different times of the day, and I agree that it is best to photograph it during the golden hours when the sun is low in the sky and the light warm.