Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides
*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, safety concerns, street tips, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!
Notebook. No photographer should be without one! – Ansel Adams
I’m a mix of the old and new. I love digital cameras, but I have love for analogs too. My iPhone is filled with music, but I have a collection of vinyl records at home. Technology and electronics are great, but there’s something special about mechanics that work with you without electricity.
Right now I’m writing this post on my Macbook, but many of my posts actually start in my paper bound notebooks.
Even some of my photography starts in a notebook. I love writing any photography related ideas down on paper.
When it comes to creativity, I still connect more with the old school. Putting the pen to paper gets my ideas flowing, while computer screens can put me in a daze. Notebooks also don’t come with internet access, which can be a very good thing when trying to limit distractions. But the best part is how I can take that notebook anywhere and have it when my next idea comes to me at the most random time, which is usually the case.
Plus computers don’t have that ribbon bookmark. I love that thing.
This Sunday’s Street Shot of the Week was taken in Chefchaouen, Morocco. One of the many attractions to this small city in the Rif Mountains is how everything is painted blue. It’s not my first “Blue City,” but it is the bluest one I’ve been to yet. Everything is painted a vivid blue, including the ground and steps you walk on.
I had just stepped outside in the morning to get some breakfast and start a day of street photography. As I was walking up the steps, thinking more about Moroccan breakfast than photography, I immediately saw this scene unfolding above. The man had just left his home and the children ran out behind calling to him, but he didn’t seem in the mood for responding.
So before the scene disappeared, I walked up the steps a little quicker so I could include them all in the frame. I tried to time and frame the shot so his head would be in the middle of the flower pots before the older woman closed the door above. The children kept waiting for him to turn around and respond, but he just gave me a look and continued on down the stairs without a care.
After Fes, I took a long bus ride up through the Rif mountains to spend a few days in Chefchaouen, Morocco. The small mountain town of Chefchaouen is famous for its rich history, architecture, beautiful surroundings and most of all, the blue rinse covering everything in sight.
While many of Morocco’s well-known cities are filled with chaos, Chefchaouen is a relaxing escape. It’s also one of the more unique and picturesque cities I’ve been to. So here’s 33 photos that I was able to capture during my time in Chefchaouen…
* “Master Profiles” is a series profiling all the great photographers of uncontrolled life. Unlike the rest of the blog, I’m doing these in a straight profile format to make it easy for quick access to facts, quotes and knowledge on all the masters. I’ll also group them together here every time I add a new one.
Robert Capa (1913-1954)
Hungarian war photographer famous for his images covering five wars, including World War II.
Chefchaouen is a small town up in the Rif Mountains of Morocco. It used to be controlled by Spain so it has more of a spanish influence than french, like much of Morocco. But this isn’t why people make the long trip up through the mountains to visit Chefchaouen today.
I’ll go into some of the reasons this small city has become a popular destination recently, but one is obvious once you see any photos. Much of Chechaouen’s buildings, houses, walls, stairs and even ground are painted blue. This helps give it a unique atmosphere for photography, but there’s plenty more that makes Chefchaouen a city to visit for some Street Photography, and relaxation.
So here are my first impressions of Chefchaouen, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…
This Sunday’s Street Shot of the Week was taken in Chefchaouen, Morocco. Chefchaouen is a special little city up in the Rif mountains of Morocco. If you’re looking in travel magazines, Chefchaouen is famous for being painted completely blue, its unique history, and the beauty of its surroundings. For many, though, it’s also known for being the hash capital of the world. Morocco produces nearly half of the world’s hashish, most of it here in the Rif mountains.
Once in the city, it doesn’t take long for someone to come up and offer you hash or a guided hash farm tour. While it technically isn’t legal, around 800,000 Moroccans work in the industry, mostly problem free from authorities. While exploring the narrow blue alleys of the old city, I climbed to the top where it opened up to a nice view of the city and mountains.
By the edge, there was a small den where I saw an older boy lighting up some homegrown hashish outside. With the mix of blues and orange in the scene, I decided to walk up and make the shot. I didn’t know how he’d react, but he just gave me a look, without showing any reaction at all. After taking the shot, I gave him a nod, but he just turned and kept puffing away, enjoying the view, and the hashish.
*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, safety concerns, street tips, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!
After Marrakech, I took a train over to Fes, Morocco. Fes is one of the most preserved old cities in the Arab world with a medina that’s as elaborate as you’ll find anywhere. There’s also a very local feeling with all the people who live inside its walls. While it does attract tourism, it’s nothing compared to the chaos of Marrakech.
Marrakech assaults all of your senses with so much to experience and capture, while Fes is a little more relaxing and gives you a different experience. So here’s 33 photos that I was able to capture during my time in Fes…
