On one of our Photography Holidays for beginners, there’s little doubt that a visit to one of the local souks is a feast for the eyes. Souk Had Draa offers quite a spectacle: camels reluctantly being loaded onto trucks for their journey south into the Moroccan Sahara, an assortment of meat sellers, vegetable stalls and the ubiquitous cooking dens spouting charcoal smoke. Taking photos is a challenge but one that really tests the senses and the 3 guys and 4 ladies who visited during December really enjoyed seeing something exceptionally vivid that will live long in the memory.  Photographically, Sarah’s abundance of high quality images of the regions’ menfolk takes some beating and is the best collection of photographs from the souk to date.  Her Nikon D700 and superb Nikon 24-70 offer an unrivaled clarity for the price.  A selection of her photos can be seen here.

Meanwhile December also offered a chance to explore the geology around Sidi M’Bark, part of our Photography Tour on Wednesdays. Successful landscape photography in these parts requires attention to texture and form. Foreground interest and the juxtaposition with distance scenes offers the viewer something more than a wide view where it’s difficult to pick out detail.  Wide angle lenses whilst seemingly ideal for landscape work can produce photos that look a little like snaps. If using one, it’s much better to get close to your first subject and create a large depth of field.  Above all seek out texture and form within your landscape and also think about using telephotos and shooting with the portrait format.  Stephen, Guy and Himal all capitialised on the abstract possibilities offered on the beach at M’ Bark.  Their complete galleries can be seen here. If you’re choosing from the vast range of photography holidays for beginners with any supplier always look to find examples of course participants work to give you some idea of what you can achieve with a week’s learning.