Essaouira Souk
Essaouira, Morocco 1995
In the 90’s Essaouira was a small but beautiful fishing village. You could wander the winding alleys and villagers would come out of their homes and invite you in for tea. Fishermen gestured to you to go for a ride in their dinghy. You could sit with men repairing their nets and savor freshly grilled sardines cooked on the wharf.
Now Essaouira has gone touristy. The old houses have been remodeled into villas. The fishermen have canopies over their “restaurants”. No more shabby, but cozy, buildings. All is freshly painted. At least they have kept the famous Essaouira blue color. But it isn’t the same.
I printed this in the darkroom when I got home from Morocco and I have a print hanging in my home. I never tire of looking at it. (I did color this in Photoshop because the digital version lacks the drama and beauty of the silver gelatin print.)
I hadn’t been serious about photography for long when I shot this. Yet, it is one of my best photographs. It was a case of “take a picture” rather than “make a picture”. It proves, to me, anyway, that “take” results in a photograph with more meaning. Making a picture might result in a more dramatic image, but it is often a forgettable image.