Street Photography in Marrakech

Jemaa el-Fnaa is the main square, and it changes by the hour. It is half empty by day, then fills from late afternoon with juice stands, henna artists, musicians and food stalls. F.D. Walker's favorite time is about an hour before sunset, when the light is best and the crowd is building. Abdellah Azizi, a Marrakech photographer, prefers dawn, when the square is empty except for lone bread sellers. Performers expect payment for photos, so agree a price first or keep them out of your frame. For a clean composition, shoot from the edge of the square with food stall smoke backlit by the setting sun.

The souks north of the square are a maze of covered alleys, organized by trade. Dan Morris describes shafts of sun falling through the slatted reed roofs, creating high-contrast pockets of light. Find one and wait for a figure to walk into it. Come in the morning as shops open, or late afternoon when the light angle is lower. Vendors often don't want their products photographed up close, and Azizi notes that buying something can change that fast. Hustlers will tell you you're going the wrong way. F.D. Walker's advice: ignore them, because it usually means you're heading away from the tourist core.

The Mellah is the old Jewish quarter, walled and now mixed, near the palaces. F.D. Walker found it more authentic and less touristy than the medina, and easier to find yourself alone with locals. People are more curious about foreigners in the quiet parts, which cuts both ways: more engagement, and more eyes on your camera. Come in the late morning or late afternoon. Look for long, narrow lanes with a single figure at the end and hard shadow across the walls. It is a residential area, so keep it slow and friendly, and ask before a close portrait.

Place des Ferblantiers, the tinsmiths' square, sits at the edge of the Mellah between the Bahia and El Badi palaces. Artisans hammer lanterns and tin goods in small workshops around the square, and the palace visitors keep the surrounding streets busy. The metalwork is the subject: hammers and hanging lanterns throwing patterned shadows. Come in the late afternoon, when light slants into the workshops. Frame a craftsman through a hanging row of lanterns. Artisans are working, so ask first and expect to be asked to buy something or tip. Keep the royal palace grounds out of your frame.

Rahba Kedima is a small square in the souks where vendors sell spices, dried herbs, baskets and hats. It gives you color in piles and sacks, plus shoppers bargaining. The rooftop cafés around the square let you shoot down on the scene without being in anyone's face, which solves a lot of the consent problem. Come mid-morning, when the square is busy and the light is still soft. From above, look for a single figure crossing the square with a long shadow. At ground level, buy some spices first. Vendors will then usually let you photograph their stall.

The tanneries near Bab Debbagh are where workers treat hides in open pits of dye and lime. The scene is raw and strong for documentary work. Expect to be met by men offering to guide you in, often with a sprig of mint for the smell, and then asking for money on the way out. Agree a price before you follow anyone. Come in the morning when the workers are active and the sun is lower. Shoot from the edge of the pits with a wide lens to show the grid of vats and the people working them. The workers are doing hard, dirty labor, so ask before close portraits.