I had an unforgettable week in Essaouira last October - 5 days of photography with Darren and 2... read more
I had an unforgettable week in Essaouira last October - 5 days of photography with Darren and 2... read more
Second visit this year! The winter months are a great time to visit Morocco. I find myself coming... read more
Attended the learning holiday in Feb 2016 and can definitely recommend it to anyone with these interests. The transfers from Marrakesh were trouble free and the accommodation at Maison du Sud was good quality and very convenient in the heart of the medina
Tuition and excursions were expertly handled by Darren Lewey, and was just the right balance between learning and fun
The week was attended by a really nice bunch of singles, some doing just photography, some doing just cooking, but everyone mixed in for meals and refreshments
I came back with some great photos and memories of a holiday I wont forget
An excellent week with Darren Lewey who provided coaching and tuition geared to individuals' experience as well as guided visits to great locations
I arrived for this course as an amateur photographer and absolute foodie. I learnt more in a day with Darren than I ever picked up in a weekend course. It is one thing to be good at something, another to teach it effectively. Darren was organised, and great at imparting conceptual understanding. He gets my vote!
His wife Nima was also good on the cooking front.
Accommodation at Maison du Sud was fine, all in all an excellent week.
I had a fabulous week in Essaouira improving my photographic skills with the guidance of Darren, who was a knowledgeable and excellent teacher. I liked the way the course was structured, covering reportage, abstract and portraiture on separate days. I would not hesitate to recommend it. I came away with not only some great images, but also some new photography buddies and a sense of having improved over the week, which is always what you want from a learning experience.
Top class week of tuition specifically tailored to your skill level (in my case complete beginner). Darren took us to places that normal tours don't reach, the riad and restaurants were all good, and the balance betweeen theory and practice meant that I came out of the week feeling much more adventurous and in control of my camera, with some pretty damn good photos as well!
Have a look - http://essaouiraimages.viewbook.com/april-2015
What kind of photo tour does one want? Many photo tours cater to people who want to copy the style or images of a famous photographer, or have an abundance of setups where you can get good, but not unique, images, or be taken to famous tourist spots that are already well photographed - the end results are photographs that may be good but hardly original. On some tours the famous photographer shoots for stock and neglects the clients. On the other hand, if you are looking for a photo tour that takes you off the beaten track, but has been researched for photographic opportunities, allows you to develop your own interpretation of a place, and with photographic help available if you need it, then Darren Lewey's ImagesInTheSun tours are for you. Personally, I seldom take organized photo tours unless the logistics, safety or other reasons prevail. Morocco is a place where logistics and safety were difficult issues and Darren's tour handled these issues very well.
As mentioned earlier Darren's tours take you off the beaten track so that you can capture unique, interpretative images that you can call your own. Superb photo opportunities were provided by visits to nomad camp sites, and villages that are not frequented by most tourists. Darren's spouse, Naima, is Moroccan and speaks the language and knows the culture of the country. She is a great asset to Darren and his tours because she can break the ice in photographing places and people. For example, we made an unscheduled stop to a nomad camp. We approached the camp by vehicle but stayed in the vehicle and kept our cameras stowed while Naima went to talk to the nomads. Naima was able to convince the nomads that were friendly and wanted to photograph life in the camp as a friendly means of communication with the outside world and not for some bad purpose. So we spent a hour at the camp photographing life in the camp and developing a better understanding of their lifestyle and things that are important to them.
Another unscheduled stop was near the highway when we saw a herd of camels. Darren and Naima established good communications with the camel herders and we were able to get good images of both the herders and the camels.
It is these kinds of events that made the tour exceptional. Darren keeps his group sizes small, so there is little issue with getting in each other's way
An added bonus is that the tour cost is reasonable because Darren and Naima live in Morocco and you are not paying to transport some famous photographer to Morocco and also to pay the commission for the famous photographer.