Wary Berber Girl
The traditional Berbers who live in the south of Morocco are a treasure trove for portraits. Most woman and many men still wear the djellaba, or gandoura. The Berber women cover their heads with a scarf, but do not veil in their home village. The Berber women enjoy more freedom than Arabized tribes. (Arabized tribes are Berbers who adopted Arabic customs in times long past.
I met this young girl who was watching the family’s goats in the desert south of Merzouga. She did not run and hide when I raised my camera, nor did she shake her finger at me, two very common reactions to a photographer. After a few shots, I gave her some candy, which I know from being a farmergirl myself, would provide a few moments of pleasure during a long, hot, boring day.
If you are thinking of a visit to Morocco, be sure to include the areas south of Marrakesh, and travel the “route des Kasbahs”. You will be delighted at the many photo opportunities, not just people, but unique architecture, markets, camels, etc.
See this website for more ideas:
www.adventureswithali.com
The photo below is an abandoned kasbah in the town of Ouarzazate. Perhaps the kasbah is a hundred years old, maybe more. The mud architecture cannot withstand the elements. Often they were abandoned and a new kasbah was built. Many families live in one kasbah. You can relate it to an apartment house. The occupants are of the same tribe. Tribe is still important in Morocco. The elders still act as judges when there is a dispute.
Thunderclouds gather over kasbah ruins in Ouarzazate