A long weekend in the desert: Our Photographic Journey to Morocco

For the longest time, I've been contemplating ways to share my imagery that deviate from the single image posts you're probably familiar with from Instagram. I've always been captivated by long-format photography, and so, this photo essay following a recent trip to Morocco marks the beginning of a new chapter for me.

As much as I love capturing the landscapes that surround Mont Blanc, I occasionally get a case of valley fever and feel the urge to challenge my photography skills in a completely different environment. What better place to do that than the desert? And so, the research began. Where could I go that wasn't too far away and would offer that quintessential desert aesthetic? Morocco came to mind. I had visited Morocco once before, about nine years ago, when I was working in London. Back then, it was a fleeting city break; I didn't take a camera and have no photos to show for it. But having visited before, I knew it had potential. This time, I would be returning with my trusty Leica M2, as much film as I could stuff into my lead film bag to negotiate the x-ray baggage scanners at Geneva airport, and, of course, an insatiable appetite for photography—an interest that was only in its infancy when I last visited all those years ago.

With the idea of Morocco now being the only thing I could rationally think about, I just needed to convince a friend to come with me. That friend would be Pietro. Pietro and I met a few years ago on the ski slopes in Chamonix. We share an equal passion for film photography, and without hesitation, he was keen to join the adventure. With the dates locked in and flights booked, we started researching unique places to stay in the desert near Marrakech, which is when we discovered La Pause, a breath-taking desert oasis just 45 minutes from the Medina.

The photos of this truly unique resort exist thanks to hospitality of Fred and team La Pause.

La Pause was the first lodge in this arid stone desert. For 12 years, this resort stood alone before another camp joined it. Even though La Pause is no longer the sole option for a desert retreat in Agafay, its pioneering status in the area makes it somewhat special. As the first, it has its benefits: La Pause is the only oasis with natural springs. Unlike other sites in the area, it did not require drilling to access water. This is evident, as I noticed while hiking to a nearby high point, which is surrounded by naturally thriving vegetation.

Fred discovered the oasis in 2001 while riding his horse. At that time, there were no roads in the Agafay desert, and only small ruins existed where La Pause is now situated. In the 1980s, Fred traveled extensively through the Sahara, from France to Cotonou, and recalls it as a period of great exploration. Fred and his family moved to Morocco in late 2000, seeking new adventures and curious to see what could be done with this piece of land in the rocky Agafay desert.

If you’re ever in the area, I can highly recommend a visit. It was by far the most relaxing part of our adventure.

A postcard from the desert.

The very photograph that inspired the trip.

Now, a bit about Marrakech.

Marrakech, often known as the "Red City" due to its distinctive red sandstone buildings, is a vibrant and busy city in Morocco. Steeped in history, culture, and a unique blend of old and new. If you’re expecting and relaxing city break, a stay inside the Medina walls definitely won’t be it. It was 40 degrees centigrade during our time there, and during day were regularly taking trips back the Riad to cool off the dipping pool, a small courtyard pool you can expect to find in many traditional Riads inside the Medina. The city was busy, complicated to navigate and let’s say an immersive experience. Our time in the Medina didn’t come without it’s hassles, but it did come with a lot of charm.

One of the things you can expect when arriving at any riad in Marrakech is mint tea poured from a great height. You wouldn’t expect a hot drink to be the most refreshing thing in the intense heat of a northern African summer, but it’s surprisingly refreshing and a staple in Morocan culture, some of the locals even call it Berber whiskey.

We had a few sights on the bucket list for our time in the Medina; the Bahia Palace, Ben Youssef Medresa, Jardin Majorelle and of course Jema el-Fnaa, a bustling square in the centre of the Medina. Contrary to all the advice we read about scams in the area, we also wanted to see one of the local tanneries; when walking around the souks leather goods are one of the main crafts you’ll find. We did go on that tour and we did get scammed, but only in the sense that we overpaid hugely for a bag we could have got for half the price in a fixed price leather goods shop that we stumbled across later that day in. Other than that, visiting the tannery was a good experience and it was interesting to see the artisans and a local industry that remains unchanged for hundreds of years.

All in all, when walking around the streets and souks in the Medina you can expect a lively, busy, somewhat chaotic place which is a complete visual feast for the eyes as everywhere you look there is something going on. I’ll leave you some of those impressions below.

All of the photos in this photo essay were made using the Leica M2 and Contax G1 on various Kodak film stocks. The films chosen for this trip were Portra 400, Portra 160, Kodak Gold and Ilford Delta 400.

To wrap up this short photo essay, I’d like to say a big thanks for Fred and the team at La Pause, Oldcamshop for supplying the film and supporting the trip, Visual Korner (my trusted lab in Barcelona who developed and scanned the film) and The Lonely Planet for making this trip possible.

If you’ve ever considered going to Marrakech, don’t think about it, just do it. You’ll have an amazing but intense time and if you’re anything like me, once you’ve had a chance to decompress from the trip on your return, you’ll look back at every experience fondly.

This project is a assortment of images photographed by myself and friend / colleague Pietro Favaron.

You can find more of Pietro’s photography using the link below.

www.pietrofavaron.com