Hello from Morocco! An update -

[joelio]

Hello all -

Our move to Morocco has gone very well - we are getting settled in, the markets are great and the people are incredibly nice. Aside from the horrible driving conditions (err - the drivers), all is well.

Photography here is funny. Most people are either shy or unwilling to have their photo taken, though are very excited to see you making pictures of other people. Young people LOVE seeing big cameras out and about. I have yet to get my large format gear out, though people are very interested in tiny format (digital) and know some of the current models. I brought enough chemistry for about 3 boxes of film, which was good planning - their is no infrastructure for digital or analog photography in this country. Big electronic stores stock old p&s cameras and little else. If anything goes wrong with my 4x5 I am going to have to find a great toolkit (and some technical know-how) or head to Paris for the big boys to fix (Le Gran Format or another great shop).

I encourage everyone to make a trip over - direct flights from JFK to Casablanca are pretty quick. Also, Paris is only three hours away on Air France.

Let me know if you have any questions. It really is incredible over here.

-Joel

[Hollis]

Joel, if you are in Fes the manger of Dar Roumana guest house has a small b/w darkroom and knows how and where to get chemistry. Her name is Vanessa and she also helps organize photo workshops with some pretty well known photographers (Roger Ballen, Antoine D'Agata, etc)

Hope that helps!