MIDDLE ATLAS AND RIF PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR
Revising our trip to the north, the Middle Atlas and Rif photography tour now includes more landscapes, rural markets and a secret medina, alongside the existing imperial locations of Fez, Meknes and of course Chefchaouen.
SUBJECTS COVERED DURING THE WEEK
* Sun scorched or lush green hills, depending on the season
* Semi-nomadic communities
* Shepherds and sheep!
* A blue medina and a green medina
* Environmental portraits of rural people
* Imperial cities for street photography
* A female cooperative salt mining community
* Magnificent mountain views
The arrival day is an opportunity to get ready for departure the next, as the Red City these days offers small returns for the photographer – the street intensity makes image making tricky. Instead, on day two, we head out, a route north out of Marrakesh along the old A-road covers a part of Morocco that tourists rarely see, with some stops for photos. Arriving close to Azrou in about 6 hours, we’ll spend time photographing shepherds as they return their flock home. The region is wild and hilly, and also home to semi-nomadic folk who we’ll meet the following morning, crafting images of them in their makeshift wood and plastic homesteads. We’ll spend the day exploring as many of the region’s people before dusk.
From Azrou, we’ll first visit a small rural market nearby before heading to Fez and its backstreets in the afternoon, followed by a tannery visit, early next morning, and the former Jewish Quarter, where we can bypass the crowds once again. The Friday morning sees shops empty, and its quietness allows us to frame our shots. Thereafter, we’ll head to Chefchaouen, stopping to spend an hour or so in the company of some fabulous scenes.
Enough is already known about Chefchoauen. Now a busy destination, we’ll both climb the medina steps to get away from the shops and buyers and head into the authentic streets. An early morning start the next day will also see tourist-free scenes, when we can extract subtle blue hues.
From Chefchaouen, we begin our return south, stopping to photograph a cooperative of women in the countryside hand harvesting salt, before overnighting close to Ouezzane. There, the following day we’ll explore two authentic locations off the tourist trail: the local medina, painted green and and a busy country market, festooned with women in local Atlas attire.
Our final two days are spent in the Meknes area, both viewing a landscape scene en route and in the backstreets of Meknes medina, another welcome low-key spot for tourists.
Day One
Arrival at Marrakesh airport and overnight.
Day Two
Depart for Azrou. 6 hrs. Photograph shepherds in the early evening light. Overnight AZROU
Day Three
Photography in the mountains – the semi-nomadic people in their homesteads. Overnight AZROU
Day Four
A country market near Azrou then depart for Fez. Fez Medina walkabout in the afternoon. Overnight FEZ
Day Five
Early morning tanneries and medina walkabout in Fez. Depart for Chefchaouen and afternoon light. Overnight CHEFCHAOUEN
Day Six
Early morning walkabout and depart for Ouezzane. Female salt cooperative. Overnight near OUEZZANE
Day Seven
Ouezzane medina in the morning, followed by a country market. Overnight near OUEZZANE
Day Eight
Depart for Meknes and landscapes en route. Lunch at Volubilis and on arrival in Meknes, street photography in medina. Overnight MEKNES
Day Nine
Depart for Marrakesh and early evening flights.
View recent images from the area.
Hotels:
Marrakesh: Dar 14 | Azrou: Perle Du Azrou | Fez: Riad Ahlam | Chefchaouen: Hotel Alkhalifa | Ouezzane: Guitar Palace | Meknes: Riad Lahboul