An image focused and varied 14 night Morocco photo tour for scenes and people
With direct flights into Casablanca, Morocco from many US cities, it’s never been a better time to explore the exotic. Indulge a bucket list location alongside a working photographer on the ground with 14 days of prime location shooting for all levels and all interests, There are subjects for everyone including landscape views, astro-photography, dunes, street photography, classic portraits and increasingly popular amongst enthusiasts, environmental portraits. This Morocco photo tour is designed for you to get the best images by an English photographer who specialises in Morocco and knows the terrain and its people, having built up contacts over many years. I use authorised transport vehicles and accredited guides in cities. Moreover the tour mixes encounters with local people and scenes to create a unique photo tour of variety and stimulation.
KEY LOCATIONS VISITED DURING YOUR TOUR
* Essaouira | Artisanal workers and fisherman.
* Marrakesh | Jemaa el-Fna Square and historical sites.
* Ait Benhaddou | Kasbahs and families.
* Dades Valley & Todra Gorge | Mountain views, village families and nomads.
* Desert Ksars.
* Dunes and camels.
* Fez | Chefchaouen | Meknes.
This Morocco photo tour takes a circular route beginning and ending in Casablanca, visiting many of the key photographic sites in the north and southern parts of Morocco. It’s exclusively geared towards making good quality images that work for light and composition. Many past clients are looking to portfolio build or use the tour as a basis for competition entries. Nonetheless, there’s no pressure to do so, the tour allows each individual to select their level of commitment. The tour also works as a cultural experience, with photography our tool to explore places and lives. The camera is a way of seeing things in more detail.
Photographing people creates a lot of discussions prior to arriving in Morocco. Let me say that, it’s as easy or difficult as you make it. Moroccan people are varied in their responses. They are generally less welcoming of being photographed in the tourist areas of Marrakesh than in Meknes or Fez for example where they are far more relaxed. In rural areas, they are warm and friendly but also aware of the camera, so proximity, empathy and engagement are the keys to success. Part of the guiding process covers this to make your trip as enjoyable and rewarding as possible.
This a small group tour of up to 6 people which allows comfortable group photography in homes. We use high-quality authentic accommodation in cities and towns and the best available for rural areas that facilitate staying close to the photographic sites. All rooms are non-sharing with private bathrooms. These are our hotels:
Day One – Arrival day (Saturday)
After being collected from the airport, you’ll have time to check in and relax with the late afternoon option of visiting the Hassan II Mosque, the start of your photographic journey in Morocco.
Day Two – Essaouira
After breakfast, you’ll take the road to Essaouira., stopping en route to photograph interiors in the wonderfully atmospheric Portuguese cistern in the coastal town of El Jadida. You’ll arrive in Essaouira in time for a sunset workshop on the ramparts, a location used by many movies including Kingdom of Heaven and Game of Thrones.
Day Three – Essaouira
The day is filled with two workshops covering architecture and photographing the medina for more abstract shots as well as environmental portraits of artisanal workers.
Day Four – Marrakesh
Before breakfast, you’ll make a visit to the port to catch the fisherman landing their haul in the soft warm light. After breakfast, you’ll depart for Marrakesh, check-in with some downtime before heading out into the Jemaa el-Fna square and the setting sun backlighting the vibe.
Day Five – Marrakesh & Ait Benhaddou
Promptly after breakfast, you’ll take a medina tour of historic sites before an early lunch and departure towards Ait Benhaddou. En route you’ll pass over the High Atlas mountains before turning off the main road to descend towards your destination, the mid-afternoon light is ideal for the crumbling kasbahs and mud-brick villages. We arrive at Ait Benhaddou in time for an iconic wide view of the village set against the rocks in the last light.
Day Six – Ait Benhaddou & Dades Valley
In the morning you’ll visit two families for environmental portraits in their homes, before leaving for Ouarzazate where we take lunch before our drive to Dades valley. Arriving here in the late afternoon, you’ll make use of the light to capture the geological wonders in the rock formations as well as crumbling kasbahs against distant mountains. Here there is the opportunity for some nighttime shooting of car trails and river valleys.
Day Seven – Gorges
After breakfast, we’ll drive the route further up the mountain to 2250 metres and to views that look down on the cultivated fields and vast expense of mountainside rock. Returning down the valley, we’ll call in at a Berber family where you can photograph three generations at home. After lunch, you’ll depart for Todra Gorge and our first visit to a nomad family living in a cave.
Day Eight – Todra Gorge & Village Ksar
A visit to a second nomad family is before breakfast photographing them on the mountainside preparing for the day and feeding their goats. It’s an opportunity to record both a mix of portraits and actuality; the spirit of the place. After breakfast, you’ll travel to your next location, a magical tunnelled Ksar, off the beaten tourist path where you can capture atmospheric imagery of light and darkness. In the late afternoon, you’ll take a portrait session with one of the Ksar’s residents in their home.
Day Nine – Dunes
Departing after some more morning tunnel shots, you’ll arrive at the desert town market of Rissini, en route enjoying some old Ksar entrances in the approach. In the vibrant market, you’ll focus on two locations; one for portraits of metal workers and the second, a smaller covered area with extraordinary lighting. After lunch there, you’ll travel towards Merzouga stopping first at a village for some portraits of locals before arriving at your hotel close to the dunes. Here you’ll have the choice of an overnight stay in a luxury camp or basing yourself in a hotel. This is very much dependent on the kinds of shots you are looking for and we can chat about what you’d prefer.
Day Ten – Fez
This is a full travel day to Fez with a stop for lunch.
Day Eleven – Fez
This is a full day exploring Fez both inside the walled-in city including the covered market and tanneries where you can capture people going about their business and beyond, including near the King’s Palace, gardens and Jewish quarter.
Day Twelve – Chefchaouen
You’ll depart for the ‘Blue-City’ in the morning giving you the afternoon to explore the small medina and its myriad of alleyways. Chefchaouen is great for street photography and the rare glimpses of locals set against a reduced color palette.
Day Thirteen – Chefchaouen, Volubilis & Meknes
In the morning you’ll take another workshop in the medina before departing for the Roman ruins at Volubilis after lunch. Arriving in Meknes in the late afternoon, you’ll have time to capture some of the main square activities in the best light.
Day Fourteen – Meknes
The morning is set aside for covering the old medina on foot, the backstreets proving opportunities for street photography. In the afternoon you’ll travel to Casablanca to check-in followed by a twilight and night shooting workshop.
Day Fifteen – Casablanca
After breakfast, and at the appropriate time, your driver will take you to the airport in good time for departure.
Equipment & fitness:
DSLR or mirrorless camera with a standard and telephoto zoom (or prime)lens.
Plenty of cards.
We reach photo spots by vehicle in the rural parts, but there are short hikes to the nomads which require moderate fitness levels. Otherwise, we take a steady pace in the medinas.
With direct flights into Casablanca, Morocco from many US cities, it’s never been a better time to explore the exotic. Indulge a bucket list location alongside a working photographer on the ground with 14 days of prime location shooting for all levels and all interests, There are subjects for everyone including landscape views, astro-photography, dunes, street photography, classic portraits and increasingly popular amongst enthusiasts, environmental portraits. This Morocco photo tour is designed for you to get the best images by an English photographer who specialises in Morocco and knows the terrain and its people, having built up contacts over many years. I use authorised transport vehicles and accredited guides in cities. Moreover the tour mixes encounters with local people and scenes to create a unique photo tour of variety and stimulation.
KEY LOCATIONS VISITED DURING YOUR TOUR
* Essaouira | Artisanal workers and fisherman.
* Marrakesh | Jemaa el-Fna Square and historical sites.
* Ait Benhaddou | Kasbahs and families.
* Dades Valley & Todra Gorge | Mountain views, village families and nomads.
* Desert Ksars.
* Dunes and camels.
* Fez | Chefchaouen | Meknes.
This Morocco photo tour takes a circular route beginning and ending in Casablanca, visiting many of the key photographic sites in the north and southern parts of Morocco. It’s exclusively geared towards making good quality images that work for light and composition. Many past clients are looking to portfolio build or use the tour as a basis for competition entries. Nonetheless, there’s no pressure to do so, the tour allows each individual to select their level of commitment. The tour also works as a cultural experience, with photography our tool to explore places and lives. The camera is a way of seeing things in more detail.
Photographing people creates a lot of discussions prior to arriving in Morocco. Let me say that, it’s as easy or difficult as you make it. Moroccan people are varied in their responses. They are generally less welcoming of being photographed in the tourist areas of Marrakesh than in Meknes or Fez for example where they are far more relaxed. In rural areas, they are warm and friendly but also aware of the camera, so proximity, empathy and engagement are the keys to success. Part of the guiding process covers this to make your trip as enjoyable and rewarding as possible.
This a small group Morocco photo tour of up to 6 people which allows comfortable group photography in homes. We use high-quality authentic accommodation in cities and towns and the best available for rural areas that facilitate staying close to the photographic sites. All rooms are non-sharing with private bathrooms. These are our hotels:
Day One – Arrival day (Saturday)
After being collected from the airport, you’ll have time to check in and relax with the late afternoon option of visiting the Hassan II Mosque, the start of your photographic journey in Morocco.
Day Two – Essaouira
After breakfast, you’ll take the road to Essaouira., stopping en route to photograph interiors in the wonderfully atmospheric Portuguese cistern in the coastal town of El Jadida. You’ll arrive in Essaouira in time for a sunset workshop on the ramparts, a location used by many movies including Kingdom of Heaven and Game of Thrones.
Day Three – Essaouira
The day is filled with two workshops covering architecture and photographing the medina for more abstract shots as well as environmental portraits of artisanal workers.
Day Four – Marrakesh
Before breakfast, you’ll make a visit to the port to catch the fisherman landing their haul in the soft warm light. After breakfast, you’ll depart for Marrakesh, check-in with some downtime before heading out into the Jemaa el-Fna square and the setting sun backlighting the vibe.
Day Five – Marrakesh & Ait Benhaddou
Promptly after breakfast, you’ll take a medina tour of historic sites before an early lunch and departure towards Ait Benhaddou. En route you’ll pass over the High Atlas mountains before turning off the main road to descend towards your destination, the mid-afternoon light is ideal for the crumbling kasbahs and mud-brick villages. We arrive at Ait Benhaddou in time for an iconic wide view of the village set against the rocks in the last light.
Day Six – Ait Benhaddou & Dades Valley
In the morning you’ll visit two families for environmental portraits in their homes, before leaving for Ouarzazate where we take lunch before our drive to Dades valley. Arriving here in the late afternoon, you’ll make use of the light to capture the geological wonders in the rock formations as well as crumbling kasbahs against distant mountains. Here there is the opportunity for some nighttime shooting of car trails and river valleys.
Day Seven – Gorges
After breakfast, we’ll drive the route further up the mountain to 2250 metres and to views that look down on the cultivated fields and vast expense of mountainside rock. Returning down the valley, we’ll call in at a Berber family where you can photograph three generations at home. After lunch, you’ll depart for Todra Gorge and our first visit to a nomad family living in a cave.
Day Eight – Todra Gorge & Village Ksar
A visit to a second nomad family is before breakfast photographing them on the mountainside preparing for the day and feeding their goats. It’s an opportunity to record both a mix of portraits and actuality; the spirit of the place. After breakfast, you’ll travel to your next location, a magical tunnelled Ksar, off the beaten tourist path where you can capture atmospheric imagery of light and darkness. In the late afternoon, you’ll take a portrait session with one of the Ksar’s residents in their home.
Day Nine – Dunes
Departing after some more morning tunnel shots, you’ll arrive at the desert town market of Rissini, en route enjoying some old Ksar entrances in the approach. In the vibrant market, you’ll focus on two locations; one for portraits of metal workers and the second, a smaller covered area with extraordinary lighting. After lunch there, you’ll travel towards Merzouga stopping first at a village for some portraits of locals before arriving at your hotel close to the dunes. Here you’ll have the choice of an overnight stay in a luxury camp or basing yourself in a hotel. This is very much dependent on the kinds of shots you are looking for and we can chat about what you’d prefer.
Day Ten – Fez
This is a full travel day to Fez with a stop for lunch.
Day Eleven – Fez
This is a full day exploring Fez both inside the walled-in city including the covered market and tanneries where you can capture people going about their business and beyond, including near the King’s Palace, gardens and Jewish quarter.
Day Twelve – Chefchaouen
You’ll depart for the ‘Blue-City’ in the morning giving you the afternoon to explore the small medina and its myriad of alleyways. Chefchaouen is great for street photography and the rare glimpses of locals set against a reduced color palette.
Day Thirteen – Chefchaouen, Volubilis & Meknes
In the morning you’ll take another workshop in the medina before departing for the Roman ruins at Volubilis after lunch. Arriving in Meknes in the late afternoon, you’ll have time to capture some of the main square activities in the best light.
Day Fourteen – Meknes
The morning is set aside for covering the old medina on foot, the backstreets proving opportunities for street photography. In the afternoon you’ll travel to Casablanca to check-in followed by a twilight and night shooting workshop.
Day Fifteen – Casablanca
After breakfast, and at the appropriate time, your driver will take you to the airport in good time for departure.
Equipment & fitness:
DSLR or mirrorless camera with a standard and telephoto zoom (or prime)lens.
Plenty of cards.
We reach photo spots by vehicle in the rural parts, but there are short hikes to the nomads which require moderate fitness levels. Otherwise, we take a steady pace in the medinas.
Click for some tips on street photography
The Morocco Photo Tour runs from:
April 13th – 27th 2024
Sept. 28th – Oct. 12th 2024
Sept. 29th – Oct. 13th 2025 *limited places
FEE: USD 6750 | Inclusive of hotels, meals and guiding.