I have spent a delightful cosy morning in bed on this freezing cold day looking through my pictures of a recent trip to Morocco; and older ones of my time working in Jordan. A good antedote to spending a week cooped up in a lab doing LA ICP MS !

Then I watched a great documentary by the BBC which is part of a cool series:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p013mrl8

The bit with the camels is really amazing. I am fascinated with camelids ever since seeing the variery of South American versions in the Atacama etc. both wild and domesticated; then seeing them in the middle east. Just such incredible animals.

So I wondered if anyone has done shoots - either of landcsape, wildlife, culture etc or fashion shoots etc in North Africa or the Middle East?

If so I would like to see please! Please post your images of North Africa and the Middle East! I was pleased with some of mine so I am sure some people here must have amazing ones.
Keep this positive please. I don't want from the Islamophobes.
I would just like to see from those who have shot images there and got some great pictures - be they travel images or with models.

I will begin by posting a few of mine. I went to Ait Benhaddou which is an old city made of mud and was used in movies such as Kingdom of Heaven, Gladiator, and Prince of Persia. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most breathtaking places I have ever visited. Several families actually still live there and there are vendors selling all manner of beautiful tuareg jewllery, art, fabrics and Saharan antiquities. Now I am sure with such an amazing location some others will have shot there and if not perhaps consider it. I went on my birthday and it was the best birthday I ever had because it was just wonderful xdriving the several hours from Marrakech through the snow covered Atlas mountains to the edge of the Sahara. My partner took a few snaps of me but what a location it would have been to do a proper shoot!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C3%AFt_Benhaddou


The camel lad took this shot. That is at Essauoira:


another camel one....my attempt at a neo-colonial look!



Ait Benhaddou:




Those are just snaps so imagine what you could get with a proper shoot!

This is one of my shots of a little boy who lives at Ait Benhaddou. I am really pleased with the contrasting warm and cool colours of the mud walls and the way I composed it. I am not a photographer by any means but I enjoy it am pleased with this. And I took this on a mobile phone camera. My partner at that point was off with the canon somewhere so it is all I had and didn't want to miss it. But the res on the original is not bad at all.

and this one:



So I can just imagine what some of you guys could get there if I got those! There are several mud cities. It is a great shame about Mali at the moment and the trouble there because I'd love to see the mud mosques.

Then you have by contrast the amazing colours at the YSL Majorelle Gardens in Marrakech. Again this is just a snap but imagine what could be done with a proper shoot.


There are more here on my flickr if anyone is interested:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eliza_modelportfolio/

If anyone is Marrakech bound I'd be pleased to advise on other good locations places to stay etc. on a budget. Cost of five days and four nights inc flights and hotel was £219 each for my partner and I and that deal is available until March so be quick if you are in the UK. Obviously if shooting a model take care to respect local culture: nude etc would be out of the question. Mind you it would be in London ha ha.

I can also advise on Jordan - scuba in the Red Sea is a must and Petra is beautiful.

So show me you pics of North Africa and the Middle east please!! I recall someone had some great pictures of Petra on here before?


I think Oman will be next for me I have been inspired by that BBC documentary.

I have no photos but yours are beautiful!   

Eliza--love your photos.

I may have to dig up some old photos from my Beirut days to post.

Ed