This was published 7 years ago
Most photogenic destinations: Six of the best places to take photos
By Andrew Bain
WINEGLASS BAY (Tasmania)
It's an easy stroll up to the Wineglass Bay lookout in Tasmania, but most of the best photos you see of this curvaceous natural icon were taken higher up, from the summit of Mt Amos. For the best shots, set out early because it's about a 90-minute climb on the short, steep track, and you'll want to be here for early morning light, when the sun angles into the bay. On the summit you'll find boulders scattered about like knuckles, providing the perfect foreground feature to complement the beach far below.
TAJ MAHAL (India)
Wine Glass Bay Freycinet National Park, Freycinet Peninsula.
Sure, there's the so-called Princess Diana seat, where she was famously photographed during a visit in 1992, but the prime spot for photos is from across the river. Directly opposite the Taj are the public gardens of Mehtab Bagh, with a great view across the Yamuna River to the marble monument. There's rarely a crowd in the gardens, but often a few colourful locals to photograph. Hope for decent water levels in the river, and if you want postcard-worthy reflections (who doesn't?) try to come on a breathless morning or evening.
EIFFEL TOWER (France)
There are angles aplenty on the Eiffel Tower, but for arguably the finest shot, head across the Seine to Trocadero. Lining the two wings of the Palais de Chaillot are golden statues that, framed beside the tower, can provide a perfect complement to your shot. For the straight-up view, step to the edge of the Trocadero Gardens, where the fountains point away towards the tower. You'll want to beat the crowds, so try to get here early in the morning; if you return after dark, forget the statues and look for the reflections of the lit tower in the fountain pool.
YOSEMITE (The US)
Yosemite National Park is a natural supermodel – it's hard to find a bad angle here – but still Glacier Point stands out as the spot to set up the tripod. Poised at the cliff edge, around 1000 metres above Yosemite Village, it peers straight along the Yosemite Valley, with the national park's most photogenic feature, Half Dome, front and centre. From this angle the sun rises directly behind Half Dome, so come at the end of the day and stay for sunset in hope of a gorgeously pink, cloud-streaked sky.
CAMINITO (Argentina)
There's no need to worry about any additional colour saturation when you're photographing Argentina's most vibrant street. In the knockabout Buenos Aires' neighbourhood of La Boca, the mishmash of buildings along this street are painted in shockingly bright colours. Pick a spot, any spot, and there's something to frame, though the balconied buildings beside the park bench partway along the street make a particularly fine spot to encapsulate Caminito. Evening is best here once the crowds filter away, though La Boca has a reputation (well earned or otherwise) as a dangerous spot to be alone.
SOSSUSVLEI (Namibia)
What photographer doesn't love sand dunes? And there are few that photograph quite as spectacularly as Sossusvlei. The pin-up shot comes at the base of Big Daddy, the tallest of the dunes, where a few camel thorn trees provide foreground, and the snaking ridge on the dune looks as sharp as the crease in a pair of well-ironed trousers. Timing is everything – when the sun is low in the morning and evening, one side of the dune sits deep in shadow, while the other side beams orange. The contrast is exceptional.
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