42mm, f/5.3, 1/160 sec, ISO 200
Yes, I know I was in Marrakech and not in Casablanca, but how many people are there who don’t think of Casablanca when they think of Morocco?
One of the things that I simply did not expect in Morocco was just how people react to having their photos taken. As I’ve learned since returning to the States, its a common occurrence in Africa for a photographer to have to pay to take a photo. Some sources claim this is because people there are under the impression that we photographers will just try to commercialize their face while other sources say it’s a more spiritual thing and has something to do with their souls.
Regardless of the reason, I wasn’t really up for paying for photos and I didn’t want to play the classic Douchebag With a Camera game, so I decided it’d be a good opportunity to practice shooting from the hip. It wasn’t easy, but it was certainly a lot of fun trying, especially since I was using a zoom lens and tried my hand at choosing focal length blind as well. Admittedly, I spent most of the time around 35mm since I know exactly what to expect there.
As with the last photograph from Morocco that I posted, this one was taken in the Djemaa el Fna medina of Marrakech.