A busy January – Times winners & Pastilla par excellence.
Amongst 3 photography weeks during January and early February, Leigh arrived from Wales armed with some really decent kit. Both an experienced veteren of camera club and international competitions Leigh was extremely able with his a Canon 1DS and 17-40 and EF70-200 lenses, (the latter perhaps the sharpest lens Canon has produced to date). With people photography high on his list, Leigh had a ball both engaging with locals and shooting more covertly. His incisive crisp focusing and control of depth of field really marks his images out as the best people photography to date here in Essaouira. Leigh’s galleries can be seen here.
Cooking became a big feature in January and it’s part of an ongoing plan to offer more activities for couples and singles. Gerry and Lesley came for a week’s cooking holiday with my wife Naima. 
Each day there was a different combination of starter and main course and the results by lunch time were quite exceptional. I can vouch for that! Pastillas are in no way fast food but Lesley and Gerry really came to grips with the technique of this quintessential recipe. Courses in Moroccan cuisine start at £695 pp. for the week inclusive of evening meals, 4 lunches, accommodation and transfers. Enquire for a week’s rate for couples.
Finally Yvette and Peter claimed their prize of a week’s photography holiday winning the Times competition, spending 8 days in sunny Essaouria with me and here’s what Peter had to say about his creative photography holiday:
“…We were both absolute beginners and at the start of the course we knew absolutely nothing about DSLR photography. At the end of the week we left not only with knowledge of camera techniques but also with an awareness of composition…” Their galleries 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 
A Fantasia is a team of competing horses with groups of riders, wearing traditional clothes charging in line before firing their old gunpowder guns, the Moukahla into the sky. Fantasia is a perfect example Moroccan folklore and its well groomed Barb a show of pride amongst Moroccan’s wealthy village elders and landowners.
Holidays in Morocco have never been as enticing. With low cost airlines offering routes into Marrakesh and Agadir there’s a wealth of opportunities for a week of culture, adventure, sun and relaxation. We specialise in photography and cooking holidays in Morocco from our base in the historic port town of Essaouira. Unlike other holiday companies we’re located here so we like to think we can provide the best up to date information to make your holiday a fantastic experience.
In a diversion from the Essaouira based photography holidays the year’s first Morocco photography tour kicked off with Mike & Colin arriving in Morocco in early October to grab some great photos of Morocco’s Anti-Atlas. Both carrying Nikon kit Colin, Mike, Ali, Naima and myself set off in the Toyoto Prado 4×4 after a night in Marrakesh(and celebrations amongst the local ladies after Morocco’s victory in football) and headed for the Atlas mountains and Tiz’n’Test pass where we enjoyed a superb Berber omelette in one of the remotest but beautifully situated cafés you’ll ever find. Late afternoon we arrived in Taraoudant and quickly set to work in the setting afternoon sun hunting the light and finding it warmly glowing against the town’s impressive medina wall. 
Both Mike and Colin had some solid photographic holiday experience behind them but this photography tour Morocco bound was a chance to take advantage of the golden hour of light most landscape photographers set their clocks to. A few shots in the bag were supplemented by some very comfortable rooms at the guesthouse in Taraoudant. The next day after an excellent breakfast we drove about 4 hours to Tata stopping en-route at a village where we were befriended by a local chap who guided us via his moped at rapid speed around the village. It was hugely entertaining and both M & C got some portraits of local women. The route to Tata is impressive offering the emergence of Morocco’s desert. Tata itself made an impression on us for its remoteness and look of the people who are much darker than further north but it’s a town that could really do with a makeover. Still the landscape feels Saharan although there is not quite the dunes found in Merzouga further east. Rattling through the late afternoon light, down tracks in the 4×4 took us to a one wonderful spot overlooking a valley. M & C made great use of the fading light on a ridge looking down on to the desert.
