Morocco

[chez]

I'm in the planning stages for a trip to Morocco next June. Just wondering if people have been there and how receptive are the locals to getting their photos taken.

Thanks in advance.

[Peter McLennan]

In the over fifty countries I've visited, I found Moroccans to be among the most hostile to photography.  This is particularly true in heavy tourist sites, and especially true in markets. Touts and agents are a well-known problem. Your street skills will be tested.

The physical geography is surprising.  It's both photogenic and varied.  As is the architecture.

[Jeremy Roussak]

I'm in the planning stages for a trip to Morocco next June. Just wondering if people have been there and how receptive are the locals to getting their photos taken.

Be prepared to be treated like a walking wallet the entire time. I've not disliked any country as much as I disliked Morocco. I was sad: I had had high hopes.

Jeremy

[hubell]

In the over fifty countries I've visited, I found Moroccans to be among the most hostile to photography.  This is particularly true in heavy tourist sites, and especially true in markets. Touts and agents are a well-known problem. Your street skills will be tested.

Same experience for me. I was literally assaulted by one shop owner in the souk in Marrakesh for taking photographs of his shop, not even of him. By comparison, the people EVERYWHERE in Rajastan in India could not have been friendlier and more comfortable about being photographed, regardless of religious background...Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs.

[chez]

I'm not worried about being assaulted by vendors selling their goods. Just got back from Vietnam and was assaulted on a daily basis. Part of the experience I'm looking for when traveling to foreign lands.

From a photography perspective, did you ask permission before taking photos or were you trying to be discrete and the subject objected. I usually try to get people's permission to shoot before going ahead.

[Telecaster]

My own approach in situations where people don't want photos taken, or insist on being compensated for them, is to not take them. I'd rather have good experiences with the people in whatever place I'm visiting. For me photos are secondary to this.

-Dave-

[Cornfield]

I am really astounded by the negative replies on this thread. 

I have been to Morocco twice in recent years and will be back again in March next year.  I have never even come close to a situation where I felt threatened.  At a few areas, there are people who make their living from posing for photos.  The most obvious of these are the "water carriers" at Jamaa el Fna (the main square in Marrakech).  Jamaa el Fna is a real tourist trap and everyone can see what it is.

My wife and I love the country so much we have assisted a couple of Moroccan friends in establishing and developing an ethical tourist business.  I'm not promoting or spamming our business connections but I want this thread to give a fair representation of the people of Morocco.  Morocco is a wonderful country and provides great opportunities for photography.  The people are warm, friendly and very welcoming.  The only group of people who prefer not to be photographed are young females in the remote villages.

On our last trip (October last year) we visited a remote village in the south where the tour company owners donated a proportion of the profit from our trip to help very poor people to repair their homes.  The funds were used to provide materials for the roofs of two homes to be repaired.  The torrential rain the previous winter caused a lot of damage in rural areas.  One of these homes was a mud brick house hundreds of years old where a family of eight people were living in a single room.

Please don't be put off visiting Morocco based on the negative replies in this thread.

Send me a message if you would like assistance in planning your trip to Morocco.  I have hundreds of photos online from the real Morocco.

[Guillermo Luijk]

Morocco is an entire country, I only visited Marrakesh. Said that, I had a bad experience in the city. I quickly gave up taking pictures there because of so many people seeing my camera just as an opportunity to make money. But even walking the streets, taking a taxi or asking for help you quickly become a target for someone wanting money from you.

Perhaps I'm too jealous of my privacy and personal space, but I'd not recommend the city.

I have friends who loved other less touristic areas in Morocco though.

Regards

www.guillermoluijk.com

[Jeremy Roussak]

I am really astounded by the negative replies on this thread. 

I have been to Morocco twice in recent years and will be back again in March next year.  I have never even come close to a situation where I felt threatened.  At a few areas, there are people who make their living from posing for photos.  The most obvious of these are the "water carriers" at Jamaa el Fna (the main square in Marrakech).  Jamaa el Fna is a real tourist trap and everyone can see what it is.

My wife and I love the country so much we have assisted a couple of Moroccan friends in establishing and developing an ethical tourist business.  I'm not promoting or spamming our business connections but I want this thread to give a fair representation of the people of Morocco.  Morocco is a wonderful country and provides great opportunities for photography.  The people are warm, friendly and very welcoming.  The only group of people who prefer not to be photographed are young females in the remote villages.

On our last trip (October last year) we visited a remote village in the south where the tour company owners donated a proportion of the profit from our trip to help very poor people to repair their homes.  The funds were used to provide materials for the roofs of two homes to be repaired.  The torrential rain the previous winter caused a lot of damage in rural areas.  One of these homes was a mud brick house hundreds of years old where a family of eight people were living in a single room.

Please don't be put off visiting Morocco based on the negative replies in this thread.

Send me a message if you would like assistance in planning your trip to Morocco.  I have hundreds of photos online from the real Morocco.

I simply reported my own experience. Nobody did anything at all except for money; and money was demanded repeatedly for the most ludicrously trivial things (such as taking a snapshot of a camel by the side of a road, or for parking by the side of a public road where no restrictions applied). The country was filthy and the police corrupt. One hotel was vile, such that I stayed for one night having paid in advance for three; one other was superb, but the latter didn't trump the former. I'll never return because my holiday time is limited and I don't intend to waste any more of it on a place I found to be highly unpleasant.

You have, obviously, had a rather different experience. Mine doesn't invalidate yours, nor yours mine.

Jeremy

[algrove]

No one seems to me mention it, but your familiarity with speaking French or Arabic could also influence how you are treated not to mention the effect of being with locals (friends or otherwise) during excusions into public areas. Very different on how one is treated while photogaphing in France.

[stever]

i agree that taking pictures of people is a sensitive issue.  Marrakesh probably the worst, and for me not the most interesting.  Overall thought Morocco was incredibly beautiful with a huge variety of landscapes - Fez much more interesting and (seemingly) authentic than Marrakesh.

I pretty much gave up on "people" photographs but had little trouble including as part of scenes.  If you have a really good fixer, you may be able to get people acting naturally, but typically the guys with their hands out are lousy photos.