Photography holiday in Morocco – Anna turns her hobby into a holiday

“I learned so much from this course. Darren was an excellent tutor, helpful and patient. He took us to a variety of locations to practise different types of photography. The wonderful colours in and around Essaouira were just made for photography.”

Having done photography courses in the UK before, Anna wanted to take her photography skills abroad and chose our Photography Holiday in Essaouira, Morocco as the vibrant location to do so. Find out what she had to say about her learning holiday…

What attracted you to this holiday in particular – have you done much photography before?
I’ve done some photography courses in London before so photography is one of my hobbies. I’ve been wanting to enhance my photo skills and enjoy a holiday at the same time, and as Essaouira has always been on my list of places to visit, this holiday combined the two perfectly.

Were you nervous about travelling solo?
No, not at all. Many partners don’t enjoy the same hobbies so it is a good opportunity to take time to focus on your own interest without feeling that you’re dragging someone along with you!

How was the group dynamic?
We all got on so well.  There were 6 of us in total, all from the UK except for one lady who had travelled from Holland. We were all very roughly the same age and it was a really good mix of people.

 

What were your photography classes like?
At the start of each day Darren would outline the type of photography we would be covering during the day and the techniques we should use to help us achieve fantastic photos.  We went out as a group to a variety of locations to capture creative scenes, with him on hand to help and answer any questions.  After lunch and a brief period to relax we would meet up again to review our day’s work.  Darren would load our images onto the computer and give us feedback on our results.  He selected our best and created a gallery for each of us.

How would you describe your tutor Darren and his style of tuition?
Darren was a great tutor, so helpful and patient with us all.  He lives in Essaouira and knows it inside out. Each evening he took us to a different restaurant.  If he also ran a course in a different country I would definitely go on another of his holidays!

Have you learnt a lot from the holiday?
Yes, definitely, I learned so much.  Darren taught in a slightly different way to the one I’m used to – but one which I shall continue with.  He focused more on shutter priority than aperture priority as he was always looking for clear, sharp shots.

What was your favourite photography location?
Essaouira was the perfect location. The medina was full of activity, the narrow streets full of colourful stalls and shops, with the locals wearing bright clothes. We took photos at a range of different locations including the port, camels and horses on the beach at sunset and at a local Berber souk, so I came back with some really varied photos.

Have you sorted through your photos yet?
Not properly as I’ve been so busy. I’m going to make up a photo book as it would be a nice souvenir of my trip and good to look back through.

What was your favourite photo?
It’s hard to choose just one, but I did take a lovely photo when we visited a Berber village (see main image above!) There were lots of locals with their donkeys laden with the goods they were trying to sell. I took a photo of one of the men sitting counting his money at the end of the morning being watched closely by his donkey – it’s one of those photos that makes me smile every time I look at it!

Would you book with GoLearnTo.com again?
The booking process and website was very easy and clear, and everything worked perfectly. I would love to take another photography holiday in the future, particularly one which didn’t focus on landscape photography as I enjoyed taking photos of the locals and slightly more unusual settings.