Join me in Morocco, where beauty meets creativity! Since 2018, I’ve fallen in love with the country’s diverse landscapes—North and South, each offering a unique playground for photographers.
I’m thrilled to take portraiture outside the classroom, blending studio techniques with the magic of nature. Whether you’re a beginner or pro, this workshop is for all levels. Together, we’ll experiment with equipment, lighting, and environmental portraits, using Morocco’s deserts as our canvas.
Let’s create unforgettable images and make magic happen! Can’t wait to meet you all!
After the great success of my advanced portrait class, I’m excited to announce a new adventure: The Portraits in the Sahara Workshop. Created alongside my friend Jeffrey Kipnis, this workshop will take our portrait photography skills from the studio to the stunning landscapes of the Sahara Desert.
This workshop is open to photographers of all levels who are passionate about capturing the essence of people through photography. The Sahara offers breathtaking backdrops, and throughout our journey, we’ll make stops along the way to practice and prepare for our main workshop day in the desert.
Each participant will be encouraged to bring something special that they want to incorporate into their photographic vision, whether it’s a particular theme, a prop, or an inspiration. You’ll get more comfortable connecting, coaching and photographing people throughout the trip. I highly recommend bringing inspirational images to share your creative vision.
In addition to photographing each other, our tour guides will also participate, providing a diverse range of subjects to capture. This is an opportunity to experiment, play, and create memorable portraits in one of the most extraordinary settings on Earth.
Join us for an unforgettable experience where we’ll connect with fellow photographers, learn new techniques, and explore the unique beauty of the Sahara Desert through the lens.
Let’s go to the Sahara!
Saturday, April 5 – Arrival: Marrakech
Welcome to Morocco!
Upon arrival, you will go through passport control and then on to baggage. As you exit from baggage, you will find your Morocco host. He will be holding an Open Doors Morocco sign.
Accommodations: Riad Adore
single room
breakfast included
Sunday, April 6 – Marrakech > Dades Gorges
Today we’ll have opportunities to stop for some portraits and amazing landscapes.
Upon departure, you will head in the direction of the High Atlas Mountains and the Tichka Pass (2260m / 7412ft). You’ll find the road very beautiful as it curves around one beautiful view after the next. One interesting stop you’ll make is at the fabulous Ait-Ben-Haddou Kasbah, registered in the UNESCO World Heritage Center, and used as scenery for many movies. You’ll be able to explore this area on foot and imagine what it was like to live back in the day when living in kasbahs was a normal part of life.
Following the Kasbah visit, you will pass through Ouarzazate, via the Thousand Kasbahs Road. This road will take you through Skoura Valley, discovered in the 12th century, and famous for the more than 300 kasbahs scattered throughout the valley. Next, you’ll pass through the Kelaa Mgouna Valley, famous for its rose fields that are in full bloom during the month of May. Finally, you will end the day in the picturesque Dadès Valley, where you will spend the night in a charming inn.
Accommodations: Dar Rihana
single room
dinner and breakfast included
Monday, April 7 – Dades Gorges > Merzouga
After breakfast you leave the curvy roads of the Dades Gorges behind you as you head toward the village of Tinghir. Here, you’ll observe the beautiful palm tree oasis and the spectacular Todgha Gorges, with its sharply-cut rocks. This road will lead you through a flat and arid stretch, bordered with the purple reliefs of Djebel Saghro, and scattered palm trees. This area is well known for its delicious dates, as well as fossils.
Later in the day, you will enter the small city of Arfoud, known as the “Gate to the Sahara Desert.” Arfoud is the International Capital of Fossils, as well as a filming site for the movies The Mummy and King of Persia. After passing through Arfoud, your journey continues off-road to the impressive Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes.
About an hour later, you will arrive at your riad for the night.
Accommodations: Riad Serai
single room
dinner and breakfast included
Tuesday, April 8 – Explore the Sahara
Today you’ll see how photogenic the people of the Sahara are.
There are plenty of adventures for your day on the sand. You’ll get to see various areas of the desert and how people in the area live. There will be the opportunity to visit some nomad families, if you’d like.
You will also visit the Gnawa Music Association in the village of Khamlia. The Gnawa Music Association is an NGO established to preserve the heritage of those brought from central and west Africa as slaves into the southeastern part of Morocco prior to Morocco’s independence. The music, preserved from their ancestors is still played in the traditional manner.
Lunch will be a cooking class making nomad pizza (vegetarian available upon request) at Cafe Nora’s.
Later in the afternoon, you’ll board camels and head out to the luxury camp.
Accommodations: Sahara Sky Luxury Desert Camp
single room
lunch, dinner, and breakfast included
Wednesday, April 9 – Merzouga > Tamnougalt
If you happen to be early birds, you can spend some time on the dunes watching the sun rise. After breakfast, if you like, you can board camels again and trek back to the meeting place. Or we can arrange for the car to pick you up. After switching to the 4×4, you’ll be back on the journey. You’ll head toward the village of Tamnougalt, just outside the former French fort of Agdz. Tamnougalt served as the 16th century central meeting point for the infamous caravans entering and leaving the desert.
Here you will have the opportunity to visit the Tamnougalt Kasbah, that served as the regional government seat as well as the aristocratic residence of the caïd. The kasbah is still owned by the family of the original caïd. From atop the Kasbah, you’ll have an unobstructed view of ruins, date palms, and the river valley.
There will be plenty of amazing opportunities for portraits in Tamnougalt.
Accommodations: Kasbah Azul
single room
dinner and breakfast included
Thursday, April 10 – Explore Tamnougalt
Today, there will be plenty of opportunities for cultural interaction and portrait taking in this area. You may desire to spend some of the day exploring with our Berber friend Hassan. He will give you a historical tour of his family’s kasbah that was built in the 16th century. You may be interested in visiting with our friend Mina who is a local weaver.
You will have a the special treat of experiencing some of Tamnougalt’s folklore. Lunch will follow.
Accommodations: Kasbah Azul
single room
dinner and breakfast included
Friday, April 11 – Tamnougalt > Taroudant
After leaving Tamnougalt, you’ll pass through the High Atlas Mountains and the Anti-Atlas Mountains. Along the way you’ll pass Taznakht, the capital of Berber carpets. You’ll also pass through Taliouine, the heart of Morocco’s Saffron Valley. You’ll have an opportunity to visit the Saffron Women’s Cooperative located there. This is the place to purchase Saffron if in the market for it. After leaving Tilouine, you’ll pass through Berber villages and see flocks of goats and sheep along the roads. Later in the day you’ll enter the quaint town of Taroudant, known as the Grandmother of Marrakech. The nickname comes from the red earth walls that surround the city, similar to those around Marrakech. Taroudant is known as one of the best and preserved walled cities in the world.
In fact, it was named one of the 10 best medieval walled cities by CNN just recently. You can read the article HERE.
Accommodations: Le Palais Oumensour
single room
breakfast included
Taroudant Carriage Tour (Included)
Horse-drawn carriages are commonly used by the locals for transportation. So why not enjoy it to discover Taroudant’s two thousand years of history. The city was the founding city of the Saadian dynasty in the 16th century. Its ramparts gained it the nickname “Little Marrakech.” The horse-drawn carriage will take you to these ramparts that distinguish Taroudant.
Seeing the Kasbah and the famed ancient gates of the old medina is a fantastic experience. Like the majority of Moroccan cities, a neighborhood of Taroudant’s Kasbah is separated by an internal wall. In terms of size, it is considered the greatest archaeological wall in Africa and the third-largest in the world. It is placed third after China’s Great Wall and India’s Kumbalgarh Archaeological Wall. There are five gates into the medina: Bab El Khemis, Bab Al-Kasbah, Bab Targhount, Bab Zorgan, and Bab Oulad Bounouna, and 130 observation towers set into the walls.
Saturday, April 12 – Taroudant > Essaouria
After breakfast you depart Taroudant and head toward Agadir on the coast. The area is well known for Argan oil, indigenous only to Morocco and reputed for its culinary and cosmetic uses.
After passing through Agadir, you’ll make your way up the coast to the beautiful coastal city of Essaouira known for its blue fishing boats and Portuguese ramparts. Your night will be spent in a beautiful riad.
Accommodations: Villa Maroc
single room
dinner and breakfast included
Sunday, April 13 – Explore Essaouira
You’ll have all day to explore Essaouira and all it has to offer. If you enjoy photography, you’ll want to walk along the ramparts as there are great shots from there (seen below). If you enjoy markets, much can be found in the medina. We can recommend an excellent spa if interested in total relaxation. If you are interested in authentic argan oil, the guys can take you to a town not too far away and you can tour the facility and see how it’s made.
Note: We are very careful about where we take you for argan. Unfortunately, there are more illegitimate women’s cooperatives than legitimate ones. One other option is a winery, Val d’Argan not far from Essaouira. They serve a nice lunch and they have a small pool. People love the food.
Accommodations: Villa Maroc
single room
breakfast included
Monday, April 14 – Departure: Marrakech
You will be transferred to the airport in plenty of time for your flight. If flights are later in the day, it is entirely possible to stay in Essaouira the night before.
What to Bring
- A great attitude
- Camera
- Tripod
- Silk or Siffon Fabric
- As group we will discuss who brings what as far as lighting equipment
Notes
Our Terms and Conditions can be reviewed below.
| Inclusions | Exclusions |
| Local Host* (speaks English, French, Spanish, Arabic, and local dialects) | Lunches, snacks, drinks, and dinners not mentioned |
| Private 4×4, comfortable with A/C and heat | domestic / international flights |
| Accommodations: (single occupancy) | personal medical / travel insurance |
| Breakfasts | |
| Dinners Included (7 nights): Marrakech x1, Dades x1, Merzouga x2, Tamnougalt x2, Essaouira x1 | |
| Tour of Tamnougalt Kasbah | |
| Lunch in Tamnougalt | |
| Folklore Experience | |
| All fuel, taxes, and tolls as per itinerary |
*We use the term “host” rather than guide as our hosts are far more than mere guides. Our hosts serve as drivers, interpreters, cultural guide, etc
Details about Accommodations
We’ve sourced our accommodation very carefully and handpicked the best possible hotels in line with Open Doors Morocco’s vision of tourism. But please note that service and accommodation in Morocco may differ from standards at home.
Our quotes are based on the first listed proposed accommodations in the itinerary. Not all hotels are created equally. All the hotels we use are hand selected for our guests. These suppliers are valued partners that we know and trust to take the best care of you. It is not unusual for a hotel to upgrade our clients when there is a higher level room available.
Accommodations suggested are at the comfort level. Optional upgrades are more plush, luxurious. Five star accommodations are available upon request.
If you have a hotel in mind that we have not suggested, we are happy to obtain agency pricing for you. Please keep in mind that if it is not a hotel we regularly use, we may not know much about it.
Airbnb
Airbnb is not regulated in Morocco. There have been many scams involving Airbnb accommodations. These range from fake reviews, photos, and false information. We recommend avoiding the risk. If you choose to use Airbnb, it is at your own risk.
AMENITIES:
Cars have heat and cooling. If the temperature is not to your liking, please do not be shy about speaking up.
Hotels have heating and cooling with a few exceptions. Generators in the desert are not able to provide heating and cooling. Plenty of blankets are provided in the tents. The dining room has portable gas heaters similar to what you’ll find in outdoor restaurants in the USA and Europe.
Kasbah Tebi in Ait Ben Haddou does not offer electricity, heating or cooling. This is part of the charm of the location. If you have questions about this, please do not hesitate to ask for more details.
COVID:
To ensure the safety of all of our guests, we reserve the right to rehouse guests if the situation requires rehousing. We will do our best to rehouse guests into accommodations that are equivalent in quality and price, but cannot guarantee this should a crisis or emergency arise. Guests are responsible for any additional charges that may result in this necessity.
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UK
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f/8.0
20.0 mm
1/5
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