What precautions to take shooting LF in the desert? (Morocco)

[mortensen]

Hi everyone

Until now I've shot the impressive amount of 7 LF pictures - so we're in the league of a complete novice.

I'm off to Morocco in a week and I am thinking of bringing my Chamonix. That means shooting not only in Marrakech, but also in the Sahara, ie. in the dunes.

So, apart from the obvious threat of theft in the country, how do I deal with sand with regard to both bellows, lenses and film holders? Which precautions should I take?... or is what I am planning so plain stoopid that it is a secure way of ruining my equipment?

Any knowledge, recommendations or thought are much appreciated!

thanks,
lars

[r.e.]

I've used cameras in Jordan, Israel and Egypt, including in the deserts, and have not found it necessary to take any special precautions. Unless you are planning to photograph in a windstorm, the sand pretty much just sits there. Yes, there can be dust, but it isn't any worse than the particulate (aka grime) in the air in Paris or New York. If you're going to roam far from a vehicle, which is unlikely unless you're going on some kind of camel expedition, take along a few ziplock bags or big garbage bag and/or a rucksack just in case the wind kicks up.

Here's a snapshot of a couple of friends at Wadi Rum, on the Jordanian/Saudi border. If you've seen the film Lawrence of Arabia, which was shot in this desert, you'd think that we'd be gasping for air. As you can see, it was a pretty nice day :)

P.S. Yes, the sand at Wadi Rum really is this colour.
PP.S. A jeep, like the one in this snapshot, is a really good idea. This one was a gift from the King of Spain to the local Bedouin.
PPP.S. The gentleman on the extreme right - the one wearing a heavy coat in the mid-day sun - worked on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

[mortensen]

Thanks for the info - good to know, that it's ok

... great picture btw.

We'll be spending one day on a camel back and the rest in a Land Cruiser - sure will be nice.

/lars

[Tony Flora]

Lars,
I have been in Egypt for the last 3 months, and spent weeks in the Sinai and the Sahara. Don't underestimate the dust, the wind can be substantial, and your gear will get coated with a fine layer of dust. I would rather be safe then sorry in this situation. I did not bring LF gear on this trip (and I regret it) so I can't comment on protecting LF gear specifically, but I can tell you what I do to protect my DSLR. I keep my gear in the bag until I am ready to shoot. I use a Canon G10 for framing and only shoot with the DSLR if I feel it's worth it. In the white desert I chose not to shoot with the DSLR at all because the wind was bad and the dust is fine and powdery in that area. (Although, I did discover that even keeping the gear in the bag didn't completely protect it from the sand) A second layer of protection for your film holders might be a good idea. Don't know if you shoot quickloads, but they might also help. Either way be safe and have fun. The weather is perfect in this part of the Sahara right now.
Good Luck,
Tony

[Steve Gledhill]

Lars,
Dust is the obvious thing to try to protect against. I’ll describe one specific thing that I suffered from earlier this year after a hot, dry and dusty couple of weeks as it was something I never thought about until I found out about it too late. I was using 5x4 sheet film in film holders and changing the film in a calumet changing tent. All that worked fine. I stored my film in empty film boxes. On processing the film I found that some of the inevitable specks of dust caught between exposed film sheets in the box had caused severe abrasion and scratching. I then realised this was because the sheets were rubbing against each other in the box as the vehicle bounced along the dusty desert tracks. The worst instances of this abrasion were from the start of the trip whilst those at the end had far less abrasion, having had much less shaking and bouncing. Had I secured the sheets so that they could not move against each other (with elastic bands for example) then this problem would not have occurred or at least have been minimised. If it had been possible to eliminate totally the desert dust then this wouldn’t have been an issue. But I guess no one knows how to do that do they?

[r.e.]

I guess my perspective on this is that I'd rather photograph in good weather than try to fight the elements when the wind is kicking up and the air is full of sand and/or dust. I want to enjoy myself, not spend time worrying about my gear.

If you are going to shoot large format, I would suggest that you keep the holders in Ziplock bags, which is something that I do regardless of where I am shooting. Better yet, if your base hotel or whatever has a Foodsaver or equivalent, maybe they would be willing to vacuum seal your loaded holders. If you don't already have UV filters protecting your lenses, that would also be a good idea.

Hopefully, your biggest problem will be sand in your shoes :)

[chachi]

r.e. that is a great picture.

[mortensen]

Thanks, all of you - valuable! If it wasn't for this forum and your detailed answers, I simply wouldn't be shooting LF :)

UV filters are probably a very good idea, regardless of the desert.
/lars

[77seriesiii]

ok a bit of military experience and deserts. You will not be able to protect yourself from the sand/dust...It will get in everything. In some places the sand is so fine it is like talcum powder or finer than talcum powder. I have had stuff in zip lock bags have dust in them, they werent opened, used etc. Stuff is magic. Use multiple bags, ziplocks, garbage bags, etc. Whatever you bring will have that sand in it for the rest of its life. I had sleeping bags that I took to a desert that 15 years on, multiple professional cleanings...sand still falls out of them.

Have fun. good luck. multiple bags.

Erick

[Steven Tribe]

Morocco is one of those countries which doesn't have a state charge on check-out plastic bags - they are provided free with the smallest of purchases. And the vast majority of these are black. So about 10 miles downwind of any settlement almost everything that sticks up in the landscape has its own collection of plastic black bags stuck on branches and thorns (of which there are a lot). It is the thorney bushes that survive because of the grazing goats that really do climb trees! They make a single great image (the black plastic bag "fruits") but it gets a bit tedious in the long run. So search upwind. Remember that culture may make people who appear in the frame either angry or mercenary. Public transport between towns works well - every town is own central bus square. Be careful when standing in crowded buses etc. - there are professional pick-pockets who ply the popular routes.

[kkeller]

The other thing to consider is after coming home from the desert. I spent 2 weeks in New Mexico many moons ago and had a minolta SRT 101. After returning home every dial, botton, and lever would grind when it was moved. The camera had to be cleaned by a proffesional repair person. If the sand is not cleaned out from the mechanics of your equipment it will act like a grinder and just chew your stuff up from the inside.

[paulr]

I've used cameras in Jordan, Israel and Egypt, including in the deserts, and have not found it necessary to take any special precautions.

You must be a much more fastidious housekeeper than me ... after a week in the deserts in the American southwest everything I had was covered with sand, including my film. I brought a changing tent and tried to keep it clean, but no luck. I came home with the dustiest negs I've ever seen. At least my shutters weren't too badly brutalized.

I'd recommend readyloads or the equivalent to anyone photographing in the desert (though I've never used them myself)

[goamules]

The wind and weather make all the difference. I've lived in New Mexico and Arizona for 18 years. On a calm day, you won't have a dust problem in a desert. The problems come from wind, which can be strong and almost constant here. Don't know about where you are going.

Bring some canned air if you can, and some makeup brushes. Keep the delicate stuff in ziplocks, and hope the wind stays down.

[mortensen]

Thanks a lot, all of you!

I'll only spend one day in the dunes on camel back, the remaining time is in a 4x4 or in Marrakech. I will wrap it all up in multiple bags and only take pictures if the wind is calm... never really considered shooting in windy conditions.

@ Steven: Thanks for your advice. I was in Morocco five years ago and know from very personal experience how angry/money hungry people can get, if photographed. As far as I remember, the berber people believe, that their soul is taken, when photographed... so I guess it's understandable, that they get a little picky :) We will be traveling with a local berber guide in a rented vehicle, so thankfully no hassle with public transport. I carry my gear in a crumpler backpack that can only be opened from the back, when taken off - bought deliberately because of that anti-theft feature.
Thought I was the only Dane in here, but good to know I am not alone :)

[Jim Ewins]

Getting home without your film being fogged by Homeland insecurity.

[mortensen]

LOL - I only bring iso100/125... did read the threads about IR fogging with iso 400 and multiple scans.

[Stephane]

Going to Maroco (Marrakech and Essaouira, a week each) for xmas and new year eve and will bring 8x10 sinar, some range finders and other things. When I go shoot on sandy grounds, like beaches, I carry paper plates to stop the tripod from sinking.
I would also carry umbrella to shelter from the wind, and most probably bring barrel lenses so I dont have dust-in-shutter problems.
Please when you get back, tell us the situation, like LF in the streets...

[mortensen]

... got back a month ago - wonderful trip, I even brought all of the gear to the top of Erg Chebbi (highest point in the dunes around Merzouga.. didn't shoot, though, cause it was a bit windy up there).

Well, generally people aren't really fond of cameras. Marrakech and Essaouira depend solely on tourists, so they are used to have a Canon logo smacked in the face 24-7 - cause you know, 'it's just SOO exotic down there!'

But, that is the point, actually - I received a kind of positive interest, when setting up the LF gear. No hostility whatsoever - just plain curiosity. I shoot architecture and have a weak spot for run-down urban fabrics. So I walked quite a lot around in the outskirts of Marrakech shooting LF and had no problems at all. Sometimes I had 5-10 curious kids around me while setting up and framing with an open bag between my legs. I was certainly worried of having a lens or whatever stolen, but nothing happened. Sometimes the elderly told the kids to leave me alone and people were even willing to wait or move in order to clear my motive from people. I had no problems in the Mellah in Essaouira either (the run down northern part of the city). So I guess the bellows, dark cloth and a proper geek look do wonders! You might consider adding a monocle and some kind of artsy hat to improve cooperation from the locals :)

... enjoy your trip! I'm sure 8x10 opens twice the doors of 4x5 :)

[eddie]

great one!

really! even the kids know that LF is heavy, slow, and deliberate and they would not get caught handle LF gear.....

and the photos? come on! we know you got em....:)

[mortensen]

well, yep I have - in my fridge... still not developed :(

I shot 10 trannies, which I will scan on friday (they look pretty good though) but all the BW will take a while. I'm still a newbie to this and haven't yet developed anything myself... but the HP tank and Xtol powder is at the shelf - will hopefully have the time very soon.

... and when the scans eventually will be there... expect some flaws. I've shot mostly F8-11 and it seems, that my focusing abilities needs some polishing. But I WILL post them...eventually :)

[Steven Tribe]

I have been in area 4 times and my mamiya TLR raised eyebrows and caused smiles! The people are a quite harmonic mixture of berbers and arabs who are basically used to foreigners (Spain and French colonies) and tourists. You would have probably have had more problems with attempting to take photos of the French (pied noires some of them!) and German mobile homes encamped in monumental kilometer north of Agadir parallel with the coast for the winter season! I hope you had plenty of Fish - the sole is fantastic.

[Hollis]

Ill be on the Ore train between Nouidhibou and Zourate in Mauritania so, plenty of blowing dust there. Look for the guy with the giant black backpack sitting on top of an ore car.

[r.e.]

When do we get to see some of mortensen's and Stephane's photographs?

I was in Morocco myself two weeks ago, but spent more travelling than photographing, although I did take 6x7 photographs in Rabat/Sale and Essaouira.

The ability to speak French comes in really handy. The national train system and the buses run by the train system are good, and first class compartments are worth the additional cost.

It is a very inexpensive place to spend time. A return ticket for Marrakech-Rabat, a good distance at 4hrs 30min each way, costs about $50, standard class about $30. Coffee and a millefeuille on the terrace at a nice place in Rabat was $3. A kilo (2.2 lbs) of oranges, ripened on the vine with superb flavour, cost $1.20.

I liked Rabat and the Atlas Mountains and would now like to see Fes and Agadir, and maybe the extreme south. Was less keen on Marrakech and Essaouira.

The Moorish/Andalusian architecture, exterior and interior, is gorgeous. The old and beautiful medersas (residences for students) wet one's appetite to see the inside of the adjoining mosques, but unfortunately this is possible only if one is muslim.

[Arne Croell]

No information on precautions from my side, but a link to wet your appetite:
http://petergasser.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=284&Itemid=260
Peter Gasser is a Swiss LF photographer; his book on the Berbers of Morocco came out 21 years ago, but the images (made with an 8x10) are timeless.

[mortensen]

Love those images, Arne - thanks!

... after that I don't really feel like posting mine, but here we go:
http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/3617863/1/MAROK?h=0474c3

please have in mind, I switched from digital to LF a month before going to morocco and had taken... 5 shots, I think, before leaving. Click full-size to see 1600x1200. As you might even notice in these small reductions, many images suffer from not stopping enough down (mostly f8-11... but f22 really do give diffraction, so), poor tilts and - tadaa - the charmonix fresnel focusing error, which really becomes obvious at those apertures.

BW developed by myself in a HP tank, all of it scanned on an imacom FT848

[r.e.]

mortensen,

I really like these. You won't be selling them to any travel magazines, but they are a frank reflection of the country. You've really caught the flat geography and the sort of in-between, semi-developed state of the country when you get outside the downtown cores. I especially like numbers 13 and 23. The latter - the most basic of soccer pitches and nearby dense housing - is an image that is emblematic of the place, and certainly of Marrakech, where I gather you made most of these. You should be very happy with them.

Peter Gasser's photographs suggest that not a lot has changed in the mountains, at least visually, except that the young people have adopted western style dress. I could be wrong but I suspect, looking at the dress, the vegetation and the state of the stream in one of his photographs, that he made them in winter. Yann Arthus-Bertrand has done aerial photographs in the Atlas Mountains that show areas of pronounced greenery, something that I did not see when I was in the mountains two weeks ago: http://www.yannarthusbertrand2.org/index.php?option=com_datsogallery&Itemid=27&func=detail&catid=64&id=1529&p=1&l=1680

[mortensen]

Thanks! that saved the day :)

If it isn't already apparent from the images, I guess it should be mentioned, that I'm educated as an architect and not a photographer and that I'm very fond of the Düsseldorfer school of photography.

... will check the aerials soon...

[r.e.]

Arthus-Bertrand has a number of aerial images of Morocco in La Terre vue du ciel (Earth from Above in the English version) which is available both as a book and DVD. He has also done an entire book on Algeria, and recently released a film called Home that has been made freely available on YouTube, where the English version alone has had 5 million views and has elicited 27,000 comments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU .

One of the things that struck me about Morocco is that there are architects there who seem to have a talent for intelligent and aesthetically pleasing use of concrete as a building material. In North America, an awful lot of concrete buildings look hideous :)

[Stephane]

r.e.
Thank you for the link! Gobbed smacked by the visuals and nice story, or rather well told...

[r.e.]

mortensen,

I should also have singled out photograph number 2. I know what choices you had, and I really like the choices that you made.

Stephane,

Glad that you like Arthus-Bertrand's work. I found out about him because I need one and maybe two photographs of Salé for an exhibition that I'm putting together. I took some photographs there a couple of weeks ago, but an aerial photograph may be very useful for my purposes. I am embarrassed to say that I had never heard of Arthus-Bertrand before this question of photographs of Salé arose. Oddly, I saw his book La Terre du vue ciel for the first time in Morocco and then, a few days later, in the bookstore of the Museum of Natural History in London, where they are selling a new, signed, limited editon for quite a lot of money.

If you go back to Marrakech, there is a very good bookstore called Chaptr (yes, the spelling is right - Chaptr) three or four blocks north of Place du 16 novembre, on the left hand side as you walk north. It is where I first saw La Terre du vue ciel. The store also sells artists' supplies.

I'm interested in going back to Morocco, and maybe Algeria, in about April/May or next fall. If anyone is interested in getting together to do this, let me know. I want to rent a vehicle, either in Morocco, or Spain/France that would be taken across on the ferry (there are lots of European Union camper vans in Morroco), and trip around.

[Stephane]

r.e.
Always nice to travel, but this year it will be Svalbard in April and summer, and maybe Ellesmere Island in Arctic Canada (all work related). For holidays, it will be Israel in March, and I leave June open (probably northern Norway again, for the endless days, excellent fishing and breath-taking scenery).
As for pictures from Morocco, I would recommend very strongly this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Orientalist-Photographs-1870-1950-Eric-Milet/dp/208030089X
It is not just old photos, its excellent pictures on one side and on the other its the different aspects of life of Moroccans. A must have.

[r.e.]

Thanks for the reference to Eric Milet's book.

There is a privately owned photography museum, Maison de la Photographie, in the medina in Marrakech that specializes in historical photographs. It is quite good: http://www.ecomuseeberbere.com/

[Stephane]

Back to Morroco for the Xmas hollidays, and this time alone with few cameras. Got the tickets and car. I am in need for adventure! I guess it is that time in my life when need to do things I did 15-20 years ago...
Thought about taking the sinar norma 5x7 and wista 4x5 (besides two zeiss ikon). Not sure about 8x10 yet, probably not this time. I'll avoid cities as much as I can, except smaller settlements. So much need to be cut off that I'll keep my phone off!
2 LF cameras to shoot simultaneously: between the 18th to 26th, there should be enough moon light for long exposures. Straight south from Agadir along the coast. The "shipwreck collection" (kml goolge earth) shows a lot of shipwrecks along the shore, less than 1km from the road. I plan on roughing it up and camp while the cameras work.

No worries about dust, I wont have any shutter (mostly I will take meniscii lenses).
But for the night shots, I dont know if the softness of the meniscus would turn the whole picture into a grey mush. I guess I'll have to try different lenses and write it all down.

This post is not about boasting, but rather shows that I am in a turn in my life where I need to reflect on life and take pictures before its too late.

[Steven Tribe]

A very good project! Let's hope the moon/sun is in the right position, otherwise you will need waders or an inflatable!

[mortensen]

wow, that sounds very ambitious - the best of luck!

talking shipwrecks... I'm currently in Ahmedabad, India, and tried to obtain permission to the Alang Shipbreaking yard a few hundred kilometers from here - it's the world's largest. Had to give it up since it required a recommendation from my embassy in Delhi (obtainable) and an endorsement from the Ministry of External Affairs (obtainable, though it would take some time and a trip to Delhi)... and even though I would get all that, NO PHOTO under any circumstances! but, well, it seems that even Edward Burtynsky gave up and went for Chittagong instead. But check the 10km strip on Google Earth - very interesting. (200km south west of Ahmedabad).

[Steven Tribe]

As photos and docufilms from the ship breaking coast in India have led to many prolonged public debates about environmental and worker safety issues - putting both the EU and Indian regional and national environmental agencies in the dock - A refusal is the only response available! As impossible as getting permission to take some portraits of Aung San Suu Kyi (spelling?) in her home detention.

[mortensen]

haha, well put, Steven - but I of course had to try!
They gave me a free DVD about Alang... wonder what kind of propaganda that is - will see in a few months.

[Peter De Smidt]

Did you get shaken down leaving Essaouira? A good number of years ago, some friends and I visited Morocco on our spring break at St. Andrews. The mother of one of my friends was a Swiss diplomat stationed in Rabat.

One day we visited Essaouira, a very nice coastal city. On our way out of town, we were driving on a divided road, what we'd call a "highway" here in the States. About a mile out of town, a gentleman in a uniform was standing in the middle of the road. Holding up his hand in the universal sign for "stop," which we did. "Passport." He said. After I handed him mine, he said, "You were going too fast." I had been going about 30 mph. "How fast should I have been going?" I asked, as there hadn't been any speed limit signs. "You were going too fast! You'll have to come back into Essaouira. You can see the judge tomorrow." He said. "Could I pay my fine now?" "How much could you pay for your fine?" "What would the fine be?" "What would you pay?" Sheesh. I had no idea what the going rate for highway extortion was, and so I offered the local equivalent of $10. "Oh! That will be fine." He said. "I do have to walk back into town."

When we got back to Rabat, we were informed that I should've offered $1.

[jeroldharter]

...
When we got back to Rabat, we were informed that I should've offered $1.

I would say that the marginal $9 was well spent.

[Stephane]

I speak French and that helps, or so I hope. I am not as young as my first time 15 years ago when I got ripped off as soon as the boat docked in Tangier. I also appreciate the immense kindness only Moroccan people have. So sleeping alone in a tent somewhere in the desert will be more exciting than stressful (and the moonlight will keep me busy), and I will probably have to turn down local who invited me to sleep in their home. I also have already been in the Kalahari for 2 weeks without seeing anyone, so deserts I know. 5 more weeks from now...

[Stephane]

But I am not prepared for this:
'Eleven dead' in clashes in Western Sahara camp"
which is near where I plan to go.
In a month, a lot can happen...

[Stephane]

Right, 7am tomorrow the plane will take me away, along with a 4x5 wista and 5x7 sinar norma. The moon is getting bigger, as my excitement!
Packed a 10" projection petzval, an early dagor 240mm, and a perigraphe 90mm and some of meniscii (150-250-300mm).
No shutter - shutters are for sissies.
No coated lens - coated lenses are for ...
gps loaded with shipwreck coordinates, which are also marked on the road map.

I think the shipwreck series will go very well and be complimentary to the portrait series. It follows my theme on youth, beauty, aging, decays, and death in solitude. More or less about life.

[Steven Tribe]

Good luck with the adventure!
It will nice to get away from the snow too.

[Stephane]

Dont you love skying and ice skating?
No risk for the airport in Oslo to be closed because of the snow. And not risk of snow in Agadir! And no one strikes in Norway!
7am is a set time, and tomorrow night will be the first pictures!

[Steven Tribe]

How are you getting south from Agadir?
Car hire, agreed price taxi or Bus?

[Stephane]

Care rental, one that has 2 front seats and a "bedroom" at the back. Remember, I'll be mostly shooting at night...

[Stephane]

Just back from Berber country! Happy new year all!
Hunting for shipwrecks was more tricky than I thought. I drove down south to El Outia (after paying a fine for not stopping at a stop sign in Tan Tan). There was supposed to be 3 wrecks down some cliffs. Turns out they were cut up and brought up the cliff for metal recycling. I did not try further south (Tarfaya) where 4 wrecks were supposed to be lying on the beach (thought they would be gone too). Howzat for permamency?
So drove to a small place 10km north of Sidi Ifni. Place is called Legzira, and arrived there on the full moon.
Legzira is a fantastic place, with arches, cliffs, rocks, community of fishermen (very poor people), some of which live in caves in the cliffs. Legzira is built on the beach, and the tide comes up to the houses. Fish for lunch everyday! Grilled, tajine... Legzira have no electricity (except generators from sunset to 10pm), so no need for a changing tent! I had a room with the best view over the beach.
People were all impressed with the sinar (left 4x5 home). This year was landscape, next year will be portraits from the community, and documenting the life of fishermen there (the ones living on the cliffs). I stayed there 11 days, and got to be part of the community.
It would be nice to have a workshop there with other LF people. You just carry your gear 5-10mns to wherever you want. There's a surviving shipwreck 15km away and is right at the end of the road. There's a lot to take there, and one can just do whatever they want. Morocco is very cheap, I had a room with 5 beds and a terrasse for 250 dirhams (30 US$) with breakfast and dinner included. It can be cheaper if we take a house or two.
I'll start processing today. Will see what comes out, especially the 1/1000th shutter speed done with the wrist ;)

[Steven Tribe]

Legzira seems to escaped mass tourism as yet. Beaches look a lot cleaner than further north. No paragliders to spoil the view?
Car hire cost?

[Stephane]

Yes, tourist often come for the walk on the beach in a fantastic scenery. They usually stay in Sidi Ifni or Merleft (towns where 70s rock stars like jimmy Page still come and visit).
They are building bungaloes on top of the cliff, so more people will come. But I think the soil in unstable and they have problems already.
Car hire was expensive, 40 euros a day. I did not get the cheaper ones because I thought I would sleep inside. Cheaper option at 15-20 euros a day. Next time, I'll take a Grand taxi from the airport to Legzira (2h drive).
I have met great people there, ate excellent food, and smoked a lot ;)
Will be back next December.

[Steven Tribe]

We ( + "wifey") have had a shock as there are no direct winter flights to Mallorca from Copenhagen this year ( with a cheap hire car, there are thousands of things to do outside). Perhaps a return to Morocco is due? - there is just a single direct flight a week to Agadir. AirBerlin and "Norwegian" have really let us down because of their cost cutting.
The fish is wonderful- sole is a nice break from plaice and cod - but tajines can get monotonous.

[Stephane]

Yes, Steven, keep it in the corner of your mind, and save a bit this year for a wonderful time there.

[Stephane]

Legzira. Meniscus lens 210mm out of barrel, 10s exposure?

Just wake up, camera on the shoulder and go for a walk. You can see the first arch in the background. High tide obviously...
So? Anyone keen?
Nice and warm, good food...

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5285/5336612554_28c5fe03f8_b.jpg


One of the fisherman. This one, Brahim, goes everyday at 5pm till sunset. Met another fisherman at around midnight, he was 80 years old, climbing rocks with a lamp going fishing...

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/5336612246_b8eee15f60_b.jpg

[Stephane]

Besideds taking portraits of the people living there, I will follow Rachid, one of the fisherman who lives in a cave. People dont have much, and are very giving. Lessons to be learned here.

Rachid next to his home
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5009/5335995743_f7d1dfde09_b.jpg

Since he lives by the sea, he knows all the paths to go to particular views, and understand the sea. He discovered few times bodies of offshore sisherman washed out after a storm. These are the 2 arches closest to Legzira

dagor 240mm
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5168/5335997413_87abbb67f0_b.jpg

More to come, as I have about 50 5x7s to develop still...

[Stephane]

Legzira

You can see the first arch (which is the second on the previous photo).

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5284/5360622227_20f45cd687_b.jpg

I hope to bend the mind of a couple of guys here and show the "magic" of the place.

Of course, more to come as they get processed....

[Steven Tribe]

As Tunisia will be closed down for a couple of months now, at least, - the availability/price of February Agadir flights will become impossible. So no winter break this year.

[Stephane]

Winter is almost finished ;)
Next year things will be better, hopefully...

[Peter De Smidt]

Great pictures, Stephane!

I drove about Morocco in a tiny Fiat for a week in the Spring of 1989.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1ak47965m18q796/Fiat.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zes7a8sixwstix3/goats.jpg?raw=1

My friend Greg:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/u69fb9ze1uvwqnq/Greg_ruins.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9sgzwi4n4b48gsk/M_Farmer.jpg?raw=1