i am planning a trip to india in Jan and since i do lots of photography i am planning to stay one extra day in agra so i can see the sunset and the sunrise of taj mahal, any suggestion regarding other places to see in Agra as i heard is a very small city and not much to do or one afternoon is sufficient?

the chaos and what you see on the streets are amazing and the source of tons of fabulous pics....i also liked the views at the baby taj..

take pics from the filed across the river from the taj for a unique position....there were cows in the field the day i was there...

we went at mid morning to taj beacause our guide said the fog was too heavy in the AM..

Agra has a population of about 2 million which makes it larger than Washington DC and many other cities in the US, and about 4 times the population of a European “city” like Zurich. The Taj is of course obvious and can be photographed from across the river and other angles, including from the Agra fort where you can get some very interesting shots indeed it would seem. Besides the lovely Agra Fort which in itself is great for photographs, there is the Friday Mosque which is huge and generally full of worshippers (esp if you go on a Friday), and that area around the old town in which, as a photographer (which I am not), I would just park myself for hours and watch the parade of people going by of every religion and caste, and then wander the bazaar where bags of spices and other goods are on offer. There is also Sikandra which has a heard of feral deer wandering the grounds and the tomb itself is large and interesting. The train station is also a great spot to people watch. Find out if there is a religious festival going on (Agra has some great ones, esp for Durga) and go see and photograph that. IMO the street life of the old town of Agra is really interesting and well worth spending time in. In January you may well get morning and evening fogs which can be quite thick and really beautiful as well.

As you are planning to visit one of the most spectacular buildings of the world renowned for its architectural magnificence and aesthetic beauty in the month of January, be aware that dense morning fogs are not uncommon at that time of year and the river might well be narrower than you think which can make it tough to get a complete reflection in the water without including the near bank. I am sure photography during sunrise and sun set is captivating and photogenic as colors of Taj Mahal keep on changing at different hours of the day and during every change of seasons. Its worth getting close for photography because inside the detail is incredible. As you have planed to stay there, you will get an opportunity to visit Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Sikandra, Itmad- Ud – Daula, Jama Masjid, Chini-ka-rauza etc. It is far better if you navigate http://www.tajmahaltours.com for all information and hotel booking.

Plenty of photographic material. Get sunset shots from the river. There's a boatman there who will take you to the other side or to the island in the centre of the river. He charges about $1-$2. But pay him on your return, so he has a reason to come back and get you!

Be careful walking back to the Taj entrance afterwards. Because of theft and robberies the soldiers down the river end can, after dark settles, shoot and ask questions later!

Agra is dirty and smelly, but has oodles of character, and I found the people deightful. Photographic material abounds everywhere if you like people, market and "squalid" shots.

If you stay at the Oberoi, you will have a wonderful contrast. If not, whip in and take some shots anyway because it's simply gorgeous.

we did not return to the taj after i discovered that the entrance fee for foreigners is about $17, so the one visit had to be enough....in india that is more than many people earn in a month....

i was glad to pay it for preservation, but not to pay it more than once...

BTW, my Taj photos can be seen at http://jmprphotography.com

The old Roman Catholic cemetery close to the Taj has some interesting graves. The boat down the river, incase you do not mind the smell & pollution, could be interesting too for you would see some very old Mughal / colonial structures. In my family album we have a unique picture clicked by my father, of the Taj, from a fighter-bomber, way back in 1948. The river is full of water from bank to bank, not a soul in sight, accept a boat on the water & a transport aircraft circling over the monument!
Why only Agra? Incase your itinerary takes you through some remote villages & regions of Rajasthan, a photographer has a lot to choose for his objects.
Best wishes.