A Photography Road Trip in Morocco 

I was in Morocco / Marrakesh for the first time in January this year. I did plenty of research before I went and my experience remained similar to yours but for different reasons. My experience was that Moroccans dislike of being photographed was nothing to do with having their spirit /essence being captured for religious reasons etc. but because they see tourists as "cash cows" and a source of income. They were happy to have their photo taken (e.g. I got some great photos of the local Berber tribes in the Atlas mountains on a guided tour) but generally walking around the streets etc. the locals wanted paying (1-2 dollars / Euros) every time you take your camera out to compose a shot. I found that if I had a local guide they were happy for me to take photos because they felt someone local was getting paid i.e. the guide. Walking around the streets without a guide I experienced the animosity and aggression you did. This makes any photography in Morocco a potentially expensive affair.

Very lucky you got to see Villa D! I'm a big fan of Studio KO, the architects of the building

Basic cultural error... I spent 110 days in Morocco earlier this year.. took thousands of street photos.. only caught once .. I used Silent Shutter and shot from the hip and a 15mm and got two of The Best street photos I have ever gotten.. good luck..🙏

Great video. Very glad you weren't hurt on your journey. There are quite a few cultures who frown on photography, but the shots you got -- and the VLOG, intoduced Morocco to us in a way we'd never have otherwise see it. Thank you. Very good shots -- keep crushing it!

Wow, hugely helpful. Thanks so much for posting. Saved me from making major mistakes.

Love the video! Can’t wait to visit myself one day

Thank you Kam! There’s so much information and so many beautiful photographs in this vlog! It’s good to know what’s to expect when travelling to a different country and so important to respect the local culture.

Really beautiful compositions and colours. You get a certain feeling from watching these. Also i like the intention with every shot. It's not just shooting a subject walking in the streets, there is almost a story to each shot which most photographers often forget to incorporate. Sucks about the carrot though haha.

The pictures are amazing, and you’re so welcome in morocco

Gorgeous video/photos under what sounded like a super tricky situation. Yikes, the carrot story! Well done!

Lovely. I did this same route and locations back in 2017. It’s amazing seeing them here again.

Looking forward to see more of your videos 🫶🏻 It's great pleasure to watch them ☕️

I was glad to see that you uploaded another video before the year ended. I like your photography style, and I hope you have time for more videos next year. Happy 2024.

Even though you may not have taken as many photos as you would like, you still managed to capture the essence of Morocco and your few portraits tell a story.

Nice Vlog. Thank you 🎉

Great video and advice. I didn’t have any problems there but stayed in cities and had a camera smaller than the x100v. Also there is a great museum of photography in Marrekech! So some Moroccans do appreciate photographers!

Outstanding photos and smart as always. thx

Love your travel photography videos, Kam! Looking forward to more!

Le Maroc? Wow, can’t wait to find sometime to watch this 🎞️

you are awesome!

المغاربة بالقرى الصغيرة جد محافظين و غير معتادين على الكاميرا و السماح للغرباء بتصويرهم عكس المدن الكبرى السياحية كمراكش و فاس ...

where do you develop your film rolls? here in mtl

😮 From what I learned in Tunisia, it is very risky to go alone, when you're a woman. I think this is true for all Arabic countries. I felt they don't like foreign people, even if they bring money.

Is that "stealing their soul" thing true ? Come on, in 2023 ? And In Morocco ? It sounds like they were messing with you because they assumed you'd be more likely to respect their wish if they add that 19th century vulgar and false cliché that's mostly associated to native americans. But I will ask more precision to a friend who's also a franco-marocain photographer next time I see him. Or maybe, as you implied in the end, being a woman was mostly the issue ?

If someone asks you not to take photos of them, don't take photos of them... Being "subtle" with a small camera is just being a disrespectful traveler.

It is not disrespectful to take photos....it is a natural thing to do. If the people in Morocco do not like it then they should stay indoors. In a public place then people should expect that they may have their photos taken. Jerry