Morocco - Marrakech
About This Journey
Photography expedition through Morocco - capturing desert landscapes
📅 Daily Journal Entries
Marrakech - The Red City Through My Lens
Arrived in Marrakech with three cameras and endless excitement. The medina is a photographers paradise - every narrow alley reveals new compositions of light, shadow, and human stories.
First morning in Jemaa el-Fnaa square. The golden hour light filtering through morning mist creates magical atmospheric conditions. Captured portraits of Berber storytellers, their weathered faces telling tales older than memory.
Explored the souks with my 50mm prime lens. The interplay of architectural geometry and organic human movement creates endless street photography opportunities. Merchants invited me to photograph their colorful spice pyramids and handwoven textiles.
Visited Majorelle Garden - Yves Saint Laurents former home. The contrast between intense cobalt blue walls and exotic plants creates surreal color combinations. Shot an entire roll of film experimenting with complementary color theory.
Evening rooftop photography session capturing the medinas labyrinthine layout as sunset paints everything in warm terracotta tones. Marrakech reveals different personalities depending on lighting conditions - harsh midday contrast versus soft evening warmth.
Sahara Desert - Capturing Infinite Landscapes
Three-day desert expedition to Erg Chebbi dunes. The journey from Marrakech through Atlas Mountains provided incredible landscape photography opportunities - Berber villages perched on impossible cliff faces.
First night camping under stars in the Sahara. The Milky Way is more vivid than Ive ever seen. Shot long exposures capturing star trails over sand dunes - the desert becomes an otherworldly dreamscape at night.
Sunrise camel trek through the dunes. The changing light transforms sand into liquid gold, creating abstract compositions of texture and form. Every dune tells a story written by wind and time.
Met nomadic Tuareg families who invited me to photograph their traditional lifestyle. Their dignity and resilience in harsh desert conditions is deeply inspiring. Portraits reveal wisdom earned through generations of desert survival.
Final morning: climbed highest dune before dawn to capture sunrise over infinite sand ocean. Standing alone on that peak with camera in hand, I understood why photographers become addicted to chasing perfect light.
Atlas Mountains - Traditional Berber Villages
Trekking through High Atlas Mountains with camera gear weighing down my backpack, but every viewpoint justified the effort. Traditional Berber architecture built from local stone blends seamlessly with mountainous landscape.
Visited Ait Benhaddou, the fortified village used in countless Hollywood films. The earthen buildings create natural color palette of ochre, amber, and sienna. Photographed local children playing in ancient courtyards where time seems suspended.
Portrait session with elderly Berber woman who invited me into her traditional home. Her hands, weathered by mountain life, told stories of resilience and tradition. Her eyes held depth that decades of city photography never prepared me for.
Captured traditional carpet weaving process - intricate geometric patterns emerging from skillful hands using techniques passed down through generations. The relationship between traditional craft and contemporary art became visually apparent.
Final day revelation: Morocco taught me that photography isnt just about capturing beautiful images - its about documenting human dignity, cultural preservation, and the eternal relationship between people and landscape.
Shared By
Kardelen Topal
Travel Enthusiast