The Soundtrack; Morocco

 

The first obnoxious earworm was Graham Nash’s Marrakech Express: 

Take the train from Casablanca going south
Blowing smoke rings from the corners of my mouth my mouth, my mouth
Colored cottons hang in the air
Charming cobras in the square
Striped jallabas we can wear at home
Well, let me hear ya now

Would you know we're riding on the Marrakesh Express?
Would you know we're riding on the Marrakesh Express?
They're taking me to Marrakesh

Snake Charmer, Marrakech Souk

We jumped right in, under the haze of jet lag. Essentially the first thing we saw was the Souk (Market) and one of its snake charmers.  Ismael, our guide, gave him a tip on our behalf as we took pictures. 

 

Herbals, Marrakech Souk

There are colors and the enticing odor of spices everywhere.  I’ve been to several international street markets, and this is the first one that smells good. 

 

Friendly Chef, Marrakech Souk

Street portraits here and in the Medina (old city) are difficult, as most folks either don’t want their photos taken, or demand cash.  I don’t mind paying, but the aggression is intimidating, and the best street portraits are more candid than posed.  In the end, with 12 days to try, I ended up with a few portraits I’m happy with.

We had our first of many Moroccan teas that day.  The tea is served with mint and sugar in a small tumbler. The joke is that Moroccans like some tea with their sugar.

On the road we passed through Ouarzazate, a surreal desert outpost with movie studios and businesses to support them.  "Ouallywood" movie studios have built quite a resume providing convincing backdrops for movies supposedly set in Tibet, ancient Rome, Somalia and Egypt. You might recognize it from Lawrence of Arabia, The Man Who Would Be King, The Mummy, and Gladiator.  The liquor section in the huge grocery was gargantuan.

 

Kasbahs, old and new, Skoura

Next stop was among the ruins of and restored Kasbahs (fortresses) in Skoura.  We stayed in one of the former, with lovely grounds and opportunities for shooting from the roof.

Berber weaver, Tinghir

On the road we stopped at a Berber rug store in Tinghir, met some lovely folks, and shopped.  At this writing, we’re waiting for the rug we had shipped to arrive.

Dromedary Train, Erb Chebbi

The Dunes were not exactly what I had expected.  I’m accustomed to having little or no company at our dunes in the American Southwest.  The Erg Chebbi at the edge of the Sahara is not that.  There are hotels and encampments, and many, many dromedaries (one hump) and the sand is rife with tracks of them, people, and vehicles.  Our silver lining, sort of, was a windstorm on our second day.  In the morning the tracks were covered.

Delicious sunset light, Erg Chebbi

The blowing sand made for astonishing light as well, and I was so pleased to have something landscape-y to shoot.  I felt back in my element.

Marco in out glamping tent, Erg Chebbi

Lest I complain too much, we had our first glamping experience.  Our tent had electricity and hot & cold running water.  We were astonished that the blowing sand didn’t penetrate.

Hassan, Erg Chebbi

One of my favorite portraits, admittedly not candid, was of our driver Hassan.  He’s 29, wants to be in the movies, and has eyelashes for miles.  He was very gracious about posing.

Here’s earworm number two:

Midnight at the oasis
Send your camel to bed
Shadows painting our faces
Traces of romance in our heads
Heaven's holding a half moon
Shining just for us
Let's slip off to
A sand dune, real soon
And kick up a little dust

 

On the road we saw macaques in the forest as we crossed the Middle Atlas Mountains.

Locals negotiating the Medina in Fes

Fes is distinct in visuals and flavors. I have a pretty good sense of direction, but I’m sure our guide was correct – I could easily have gotten lost in its narrow, meandering alleys.  I was grateful for his help.  I was also grateful that, unlike Marrakech, motorbikes are not allowed, which was much less harrowing.

Chouara Tannery, Fes

The Chouara Tannery in Fes has likely been operating in the same way since the 9th century. I expect it smelled as bad then, too. Shopkeepers hand out fresh mint to hold under your nose. It’s a big help.

 

Riad Myrna, Fes

Mosaics are everywhere and the food somehow manages to be both lavish and subtly seasoned. Our Riad was incredible, with mosaic art and a retractable roof.

The name of the city has nothing to do with the hat, but I couldn’t escape earworm number 3:

No I'm never gonna do it without the fez on Oh no
No I'm never gonna do it without the fez on Oh no
That's what I am
Please understand
I wanna be your holy man

Mosaic (zellige) Artist at Naji, Fes

Speaking of mosaics, our highlight on the road was Naji Pottery, where we learned about the process of constructing the art.  Incredibly it’s done face-down!  I couldn’t justify shipping a mosaic-topped table home, but I did find a Moroccan Furniture store in West Hollywood.  Stay tuned

 

Chefchaouen, "The Blue Pearl"

I’d seen so many photographs of Chefchaouen, the “Blue City,” but was still surprised at the subtle spectacle of the hillside hamlet.  We just had one night there but made the best of the time with long walks and lots of images.

 

Roadside olive processing center

Our photo guide wanted olive oil to take home, so we stopped on the road at the roadside press.  What a spectacle!  Locals were having their own oil pressed or buying the owner’s product in multiple four-liter jugs. There were huge piles of fruit.

Finally, we landed in Casablanca.  The largest city in Morocco, it is comprised of about 4 million people.  From all over the city center, you can see the 700-foot minaret of Hassan II Mosque, for which “ornate” is not a sufficient descriptor.  Including outdoor space, 100,000 people can worship there at once. 

Rainbow at Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca

As if all that were not enough, there was a rainbow conveniently lurking behind the structure on our arrival.

I was surprised to enjoy the fish market in Casablanca just as much.  There were no smells and no flies, and it was oddly photogenic.

The fundamental things apply as time goes by.

In the end we covered 2000km of varied, culturally diverse, beautiful Morocco.

A joke on Ishmael. IYKYK

I’m grateful to Strabo Tours, our Local Guide Ishmael, driver Meadhe, and Photo Guide Ron Rosenstock for an unforgettable experience.

There’s more on the website.

More Cowboys

Kevin guides the remuda

I do seem to be fascinated with iconic western scenes:  Cowboys, horses, and the land and culture of ranch life.

I’ve just finished my third ranch-based workshop, similar to the first. Both were with Scott Baxter, who does brilliant work, specializes in ranch life, and sets up an opportunity for us to get to know the hands and what they do.  The second, called “The Magic of Cowboys” and presented by Lisa Langell, had a different flavor but was no less an opportunity to learn and stretch boundaries.

Scott was insistent that we consider authenticity, never asking one of the cowboy models to, for example, hold his rope in an unnatural way or pose with a bit of straw in his mouth.  Several of us laughed when we saw Brandon, one of our ranch hand models, chewing on a bit of straw.  I’m still not sure whether he overheard the original conversation, and no, I didn’t get the shot.

J Brad and Dunny at work

At one point, waiting for the weather to come around, some of my colleagues were talking about the cost of a good telephoto wildlife lens, which can be over $10,000.  Another of our cowboy-models, J Brad, took a moment to compose himself and said, “If I pay that kind of money for something, I need to be able to ride it.”

J Brad and Dunny in the hailstorm

We had the blessing and the curse of unsettled weather with snow and hail on Saturday.  The driving hail in particular was very photogenic, but I can’t say it was pleasant for the photographers, J Brad, or his horse, Dunny.  Our models were great sports. As we trudged back to our vehicles, J Brad leaned over and asked whether I thought the weather was going to get bad. More cowboy humor.

Cowboy models Brandon, J Brad, Kevin, and Everett

There were also lots of self-deprecating remarks about the risk of breaking our lenses photographing their faces.  In fact, as you can see, this was a good-looking bunch.

Nutty Duke

We had a chance to meet several of Brandon’s dogs.  I suppose this was a photographic tangent, but I got interested in shooting them.  I can’t resist a dog.  This is Duke, whose portrait fits well into my cowboy humor theme.  He was a clown, and also apparently an accomplished tracker.

Brandon with Zoe

We all fell in love with Zoe, who seems to be a Corgi-Jack Russell mix.  She does some ranch work, as much as her short legs allow.

 

Everett in a candid

Our youngest model was 17-year-old Everett, participating along with his dad, Kevin.  Kevin mentioned that Everett hated having his picture taken, but after several thousand shots with the six of us, he seemed remarkably comfortable and was doing a really great job.

Kevin behind the door screen of an abandoned cabin

Kevin was a terrific model as well.  He might have thought I was joking when I said his beard was photogenic.  I wasn’t.

Panning shot of the remuda

I also enjoyed the chance to capture action.  The technique I used here is called panning and involves photographing a moving subject at a relatively slow shutter speed while tracking it. It gives the feel of motion and a nice softness to the background.

Convergence of Seasons, Apache National Forest

So much photographing people, though a great learning opportunity, is tiring for this introvert.  There were some landscapes for a change of pace, like aspen leaves and snow.

Scott at work

There’s more in the Autumn 2024 Gallery on the website.

Edges

Sunrise on Mary's Nipple, Fishlake National Forest Utah

I remembered something while on the road last week, a bit of conventional photographic wisdom which says that the best images are made at the edges.  Edges of storms, light, or seasons for example.

 There were lots of edges on this 12-day road trip.

Predawn pink over Death Hollow Drainage, Dixie National Forest Utah

We were on the edge of canyons, from the Grand to the ominously named Death Hollow Drainage in Utah.

Meadow's Edge, Kaibab National Forest Arizona

I’m often drawn to the edges of meadows (which is likewise the edge of a stand of trees) for forest photography. Stands of trees are chaotic by nature, and this is one way to simplify the composition.

Almost winter, Fishlake National Forest Utah

Metaphorically this trip was at the edge of seasons.  We didn’t see the drama of snow on yellow aspens that we caught last year, but the juxtaposition of bare and the buttery trees conveys the same concept.

Storm and aspens in a canyon, Dixie National Forest Utah

There was a small storm which provided brooding drama in the sky.  I’m happy to have been on the edge this time.

Bentonite Hills Utah.  MDRS at upper center

We were, at one point, on the edge of Mars.  Sort of.  On the way to photograph some bentonite hills in Utah, we passed the Mars Desert Research Center. Apparently this landscape is one of the most Mars-like in the country.

Hell's Backbone, Dixie National Forest Utah

 Drainages.  One of the most spectacular camps was along Hell’s Backbone Road in Utah, perched on the top of two drainages.

Sand Canyon and aspen studded hills, Dixie National Forest Utah

Here’s sunrise down one of the two, Sand Creek. This spot was lovely when we pulled up midday, but waxed spectacular at sunrise the next morning.  I confess that when light takes my breath away like this, my fear is that I’m on the edge of screwing something up.  Thank goodness it worked out fine this time.

Detail, Kaibab National Forest Arizona

Thanks for joining me on the edge.  There are more images in the Autumn 2024 Galley on the website.

Departures 2

Arizona State Fair

It’s been another month of non-landscape miscellaneous shooting.  I suppose I’d like to put a cap on that by sharing some images and a few thoughts. It’s about time to move on to the next project.

Why Departures 2?  Apparently, I wrote a similar blog last fall.  Pardon me repeating myself.

Osprey, Willow Springs Lake

Earlier in September, you’ll recall, I was testing a new wildlife lens on birds in flight on the Mogollon Rim.  It’s a humbling thing to learn, but fun when I get lucky with a good shot and also good to work on something challenging.

Full Military Honors, Yarnell

Our small town memorialized a local legend recently.  He was a decorated army helicopter pilot and so his widow arranged full military honors.  The ceremony was beautiful and shooting it for the family was a privilege.

"Circle of Honor," Yarnell AZ

I broke out the drone for part of the service as well.

Just a bunch of international clowns, AZ State Fair

Through Each Other’s Eyes, a nonprofit I work with, recently sponsored two photographers from Adelaide Australia to travel to Arizona.  I had several opportunities to spend time with them.  The best, or at least the quirkiest, was an evening at the AZ State Fair.  It says something about Brad and Grant that they chose this over a traditional farewell party. 

A Classic, the carousel in B & W, AZ State Fair

I’d not been to the Fair in 25 years, but it was delightful.  My only complaint was that I couldn’t find chocolate covered bacon.  Really. I did enjoy trying to explain what a twinkie was. Apparently they don’t have them in OZ.

Long Exposure, AZ State Fair

It was great fun to shoot long exposures as the light faded in the evening.

Less Glamorous wildlife, squirrels at Watson Lake

It seems like every fall I squeeze in a late-season kayaking morning at nearby Watson Lake.  This time I took a few shots of wildlife and enjoyed the solitude.

More Glamorous Wildlife; Pronghorn at Drake Grasslands, Arizona

I’ve been working a bit with a new wildlife group, Central Arizona Wildlife Alliance (CAWA).  Out on a pronghorn sighting expedition north of Prescott, I learned a whole lot about these delightful animals and took a few mediocre photos from far away.  It was a thrill despite the challenges.

 

What’s next?  The annual fall color loop, this year through northern Arizona and southern Utah.  I’m anticipating a great time.  Stay tuned for photos.