Going to Morocco? Skip Marrakesh, Casablanca, and Fez. Go right to Essaouira, a fishing port south of Casablanca, Morocco. I arrived here as an extension to a photo tour. Only a few of us took the option. Who knew it was going to be my favorite place in all of Morocco? I’m not really suggesting to skip the aforementioned cities…..well, maybe Casablanca but you need to fly in and out of there so you kinda can’t miss it. And actually, the fictitious Rick’s Cafe from the eponymous movie has been made into a real cafe. It’s fun!
The tour leader suggested we arise before dawn and get down to the docks to watch the fishermen prepare to go out to sea. And to get a beautiful image of the sunrise. I’m thinking to myself: “Are you flippen kidding me! This was NOT In the brochure.” Sunsets I can do. Why? Cuz I’m already up! Easy Peasy!
Was it worth the early wake up call? Hell yes! It was the place in Morocco where I ended up taking the best photography even though the boats never left the port. When we arrived I expected the dock to be buzzing with activity. But none of the boats were going out. After making a few inquiries we learned that there was rough weather out to sea and apparently they all took a vote and decided to stay put. Ok, I made up the voting part. But almost all the vessels never left their moorings. It was a boon for us photographers since we got to do a lot more shooting than we had anticipated. The fishermen were making good use of their time by mending nets, drying out lines, scrubbing, and doing other ‘fishy’ things. Generally, Moroccans don’t seem to be a people that like being photographed so I got very few portraits on this trip. It has more to do with their religious beliefs rather than just being unfriendly, which they are not. On the other hand, the scenery and the details that day were amazing. Things like fishnets, fish hooks, live catch in buckets, anchors, cats (Moroccans don’t have dogs as they are considered unclean), seagulls, bikes, and more.
Which brings me to the above photograph. What would the scene be like to photograph if all the blue dinghies were gone? Or that green fishing boat was not there? The combination of the blue against the green is catnip for photographers. I’ve come to like that color combo so much I’m using it a lot in my home decor. Lesson learned. I need to get my butt out of bed earlier, especially when traveling. The rewards are great. And I’m old. The irony is I nap like a two year old.
Image available for purchase at http://PatriciaClairePhotography.com
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