§01 The experience
Fez is a hard city to photograph well. The lanes are narrow and dark, the contrast at midday is brutal, and the thing you most want to shoot is often a person who would rather you did not. This walk is built to solve all three.
We go out either early, when the medina is waking and the light comes down the lanes in shafts, or in the last two hours before sunset, when the rooftops turn gold and the Chouara dye pits go saturated. Your guide knows which terraces open, who to ask, and roughly when the light reaches the Bou Jeloud gate.
Between locations we work on the harder part: photographing people. Your guide asks for you, in Darija, and explains what you are doing. The difference between a stolen frame and a given one is enormous, and you will see it in the pictures.
Any camera is fine. We run this with phones as often as with full-frame bodies. What we are giving you is access, timing and permission rather than a gear lesson — though if you want the technical conversation, most of our guides shoot themselves.
§02 Highlights
- 01Timed to the light, not to a schedule
- 02Rooftop terraces with permission arranged in advance
- 03The Chouara tanneries from above, in good light
- 04Portraits made with consent — your guide asks for you
- 05The gates, doorways and lanes that actually photograph well
- 06Works equally with a phone or a professional body
§03 Day by day
-
0:00
Meet at first light or mid-afternoon
We set the start time from the sunrise and sunset tables, not from the clock.
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0:20
The gates and the wide frames
Bab Bou Jeloud and the approach lanes while the crowds are still thin.
-
1:00
Inside: texture, doors, geometry
Tight work in the souk lanes — zellige, cedar, brass and shadow.
-
1:45
Portraits, properly
Craftsmen and shopkeepers who have agreed to be photographed, with your guide translating.
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2:20
Rooftop and tanneries
The high view across Fes el-Bali and the dye pits as the light turns warm.
-
3:00
Finish
Drop-off, plus a short list of places worth going back to on your own.
§04 What the price covers
- Included
- +Private photography guide — English or French
- +Rooftop and terrace access arranged in advance
- +Introductions and translation for portraits
- +Start time and route set around the light
- +Riad pickup and drop-off
- +Bottled water
- Not included
- −Terrace and monument fees where they apply
- −Camera equipment
- −Gratuities
§05 Questions
Do I need a professional camera?
No. Around half our guests shoot on a phone. The value here is access, timing and permission.
Sunrise or sunset?
Sunrise for empty lanes and soft light, late afternoon for warm rooftops and the tanneries. We will advise once we know your dates.
Can I photograph people?
Yes, when they agree, and your guide will ask properly. Some people say no, and we respect that immediately.
Can I fly a drone?
No. Drones need permits in Morocco and are not allowed over the medina. We would rather tell you plainly than let you be fined.
Can we extend the session?
Yes, by the hour. Ask us in advance or tell the guide on the day.
Do I pay now?
No. Reserve now and pay on the day.
