Mezgarne Oasis - Photographic week-end

Key points :

Three days devoted to photography
professional support to help us improve your photos in the day, and group review in the evening
Places selected for shooting, which you can’t access in normal conditions
Studio gear available
Possible publishing authorization for people photographed

Why a photographic week-end ?

Morocco is a constant delight for the eyes, and a permanent temptation for the photographer, fascinated by its light and colours, after so many painters. But he has to face many obstacles, the very first one being this light that must be tamed, by being in the right place at the right time. Some landscapes can be shot at specific hours only, like deep canyons or valleys burnt with sun.

The second problem is the Muslim taboo on portraits, and many Moroccans, specially in the countryside, refuse, sometimes very strongly, to be portrayed, or will ask, aggressively, one euro for a few seconds of posing, for a photo that often will be difficult to exploit, with the face in the shade, …
Last but not least, some magical places are closed to any other kind of photo than a personal souvenir for a tourist. The “Direction du Patrimoine” has decided on an official tariff for shooting in most Moroccan monuments. Tripods are forbidden, because you could be a professional, and when you can discuss and obtain to use one, it’s for a few seconds only.

We, lovers of Morocco and photography, built our tours to remedy these problems and help you to bring back the best images from your trip.

For several years we have been through Morocco with our camera, tripods, GPS, have noted where we should be and at what time and what was the orientation of the valley… and organized such tours, fit to photographic constraints, with sometimes departures at dawn, long stops in the day, for the reward of a gorgeous sunset, somewhere….
Our trips generally cover shorter distances than normal ones, because we plan for longer stops to set up and take pictures.

Our guides will make it easy for you to take photos of people. It’s often a question of a short exchange in Berber, and the strong refusal transforms into a large smile, even with an invitation for tea after.

You prefer to shoot still-life? Quietly set up in a riad, you have all the time necessary to arrange local craft items borrowed for the occasion, and refine your lights. Or you can follow us in the remote alleys of a souq, and meet these same craftsmen in their workshop.

During the whole stay, you will be accompanied by a professional photographer, and if you use digital, you can look at your photos in the evening.

And if you want to travel with someone who does not share your passion for photography, we can organize different activities for her/him, visits, walks, while you shoot. You meet again in the evening, with different experiences of Morocco to share.

Our tours are organized around three different themes: generalist photo, landscape photo, and short week-ends. We make the detailed program, either on the basis of one of our existing tour, or just from scratch, based on your wishes, your dates, the existing moussems at that point of time, etc…
Administrative delays being quite long in Morocco, we have to be able to book them one month before departure the latest.

We offer these weekends with a departure from Casablanca (Azemmour and El Jadida), Fez, Marrakech, and Ouarzazate.

Lodged in a riad reserved for our needs, you will spend:

Half a day shooting in a Moroccan national monument, with a model and a make-up artist.
A day in the riad, of studio shooting, half a day with model, half a day still life
A day and a half of outdoors shooting, in places well known to us.

Our price includes :

Everything included in normal tours
A car specially prepared for photo material transportation
Two nights in a riad, on arrival and departure, and a day shooting
Half a day shooting in a national monument, depending on the tour
To be chosen, either in the riad or in the monument, a model shooting session, with one model, a male-up artist, flash, light box, accessories and clothes provided.
Guidance by a professional photographer
A daily review of the photos, for those shooting digital.

For an extra cost, we also offer:

Burning CDs with your images
Films, cards and small gear (cleaning, etc…)
Middle-format camera
Transfer to another city than the one we started from, if you want to continue your trip in Morocco.