5 useful tips for taking photos in Morocco
The born travellers carry a camera that accompanies them on every excursion. Whether professional, more modest or mobile (more and more tourists are opting for this option), whenever we travel we always tend to capture every moment so that we don’t forget anything.
We want to remember them, save them physically or virtually but, above all, preserve them so that we have those sensations at our disposal and relive them as many times as we want.
For this reason, Morocco is the perfect destination for a photographer’s eye. It is a place that invites you to take out your camera and capture a couple of moments, a spectacular landscape, the gaze of a local or a breathtaking sunset. This is why travellers don’t need excellent equipment or professional expertise. The beauty of Morocco alone makes for spectacular photos!
But before you set off on your visit and start collecting photos to remember, it is important to bear in mind five fundamental tips that will help you get the best, most incredible and, also, the most responsible photos.
- Consider the light: If you want to capture picturesque photos of the most emblematic places or if, on the other hand, you want to photograph a landscape or a portrait, it is important to look for the right light. Sunset is the best time of day to take a walk with our cameras. That orange light envelops every corner of Morocco. It is a very special time and you have to hurry if you want to use it as a filter for your photos.
- Respect: If during your trip you visit souks and rural areas and you want to photograph typical scenes and customs of their way of life, let your model know that you intend to capture a photograph. In this regard, you may find that, on more than one occasion, someone you are going to photograph will say “no photos” or cover their face directly. Why? The reason stems from the perception of privacy that the Moroccan population has had for over a thousand years. Taking a photo of them, for many of them, is like violating their space. This is why it is so important to know the culture of the country you are travelling to understand its traditions.
- Ask permission: If you are very interested in taking that photo that you have captured in your mind, don’t be shy and approach the person. Explain what you do, who you are, what photography means to you… and in this way, through patience, words and respect, you will achieve your goals. If, for example, she is making something, bread, painting henna, cooking… and she says no, keep trying, saying that you are not going to photograph her, but what she is doing, and that will make your model less reticent.
- Be cautious: You don’t have to photograph everything, the best photos are unique, unrepeatable and unexpected. So, when you are walking through a medina, the best thing to do is to leave the camera aside and go unnoticed.
- Photos on the road: From the car you also have the possibility of taking very good photos from a higher angle and with the touch of movement that offers a dynamic character to the image.
Most important of all, to enjoy authentic photos, you have to connect with your subject. Sometimes a smile, looking them in the eye and showing them your camera will get you the shot. But, if you maintain a closer relationship with your model by learning a few words in the language and breaking the ice, you will gain confidence with them, they will be much more natural and you will also enjoy such a nice meet.