The winter months in Morocco have given way to the emergence of wild flowers in the countryside and the green shoots of consistant 20+ temperatures. To celebrate spring we’re offering some new Photo Holidays with summer photo workshops in Spain, teaming up with London based photographer and tutor, Rob Irving who will be offering week long courses with the emphasis on post production work with your computers.  You don’t need to be an advanced photographer but just having some basic knowledge of your camera will allow Rob to take you to the next stage of how to think ahead for getting the best out of your computer adjustments. So if you have software and don’t know how to use it properly or are thinking about buying some, then a week in sunny Spain complete with pool as left, during August may be an addition your photographic ambitions.  You can view the workshop information here.

February was a busy month with tours to the desert and photo holidays at our base in Essaouira. Morris, Ed & Alison joined Naima and myself for the High Atlas Tour. Ed is seen here photographing in the Dades Valley with our local guide and a lady who lives nearby in caves with her family.  Part of what we offer on the tours is the chance to meet and photograph the local people which may not be available with independent travel or with other tour companies.

Back in Essaouira, and an occasional glimpse into the tutor at work, perhaps getting too close for comfort, thanks Peter;-) with guest, Ian at the waterfalls near Essaouira.  Finding angles, compositional balance, controlling histograms all part of the enjoyment of photographing in one location and discovering what feels right.  You can read Ian’s review of his week’s photo holiday in Essaouira.

In other news Ryanair are back into the Moroccan holiday market with flights from both Luton and Stansted to Marrakesh and Agadir…

offering especially good value during the periods when the other carriers are hiking prices. Also Ryanair has announced direct flights to Essaouira from both Brussels and Marseille from May this year.  Both Morocco and Spain offer fabulous sunshine hours, culture and photographic delights.  We endeavour to keep our prices competitive whilst offering the best value for money.

A recent photo from the last tour ranked 5 on the list of the week’s best entires in the telegraph.

November’s two photography tours to the High Atlas and desert dunes offered some stunning views as always and some new discoveries.

The oasis at Fint is a small gem of a place located off the main tourist trail and beautifully untouched.  The unusual rock formations and reflections make it quite a treat for photographers.  On both occasions the winter light was clear.  One of the benefits of running photography tours from Sept to May is the advantage of less hazy light. Also the winter months offer snow capped peaks and occasional (dare I say it) cloud formations which can add a lot to landscape imagery.  The heights of some roads over the Atlas and indeed the nestled villages below provide fantastic opportunities for epic images.  We discovered one stunning viewpoint by chance after misreading the map.  In terms of other subjects available to the photographer here are souks, villages and dunes.  The magic of Merzouga where we base ourselves to photograph the dunes, never ceases to delight.  Guided by our own Gnawi  musician we ventured as far south as Taouz, some 15 km south of Merzouga and within touching distance of the Algerian border.  Nomads came to greet us and we gave the children pens.  Always bring pens! Tours usually run monthly from September to May.  Please go to the tours page to register for a detailed itinerary and check our gallery of images from recent trips here.

“Although not new to photography I was new to digital imaging. From refeshing our knowledge about the basics to learning how to improve by using those “hidden” camera controls that I would never have found even with a year studying the manual. Photography is only part of the week though, throw in great accommodation, stupendous food, fantastic fellow pupils, wonderful scenery and some great locals, never forgetting Darren our tutor, guide, surrogate dad and everything else required…This was my first trip alone but Darren and the other four pupils made this solo holidays such a joy, if you are feeling a bit nervous about venturing out on your own then cast aside your fears and go for it, you won’t regret it”  Andy.

“As this was my first solo holidays,  I was very nervous, but I had a wonderful time. Everyone was so friendly and I feel much more confident with my camera and my ability to get the shots I want”  Alison.

“Thank you again for everything – it was truly an adventure every day and a great learning experience – exactly what I wanted.  And Darren proved to be a great photographer and tour guide and infinitely patient teacher. He introduced us to unique places we wouldn’t have discovered on our own and helped us memorialize them in beautiful photographs.  I highly recommend the experience”  Kristin.