How do I get the best photos in Morocco?

Light is everything in Morocco, and the country gives you two hours of perfect light a day — the first after sunrise and the last before sunset. That golden glow turns ochre kasbah walls, the blue lanes of Chefchaouen and the Saharan dunes into something cinematic, while harsh midday sun flattens everything and blows out the contrast. I plan my clients' shooting around those windows deliberately: dunes and palmeries at dawn, rooftops and ramparts at dusk, and midday spent at lunch or in a shaded museum rather than chasing photos in flat light.

People are the heart of Moroccan photography and also the trickiest subject. Always ask first — a smile and "momkin?" (may I?) goes a long way — because many Moroccans, especially older people and women, genuinely don't want their picture taken, and snapping without asking causes real offence. In the souks, performers (the water-sellers in their fringed hats, the snake charmers on Jemaa el-Fnaa) expect a few dirham for a posed shot, so agree it beforehand or you'll be chased for payment. For candid life, shoot wide and unobtrusively, or buy something from a stall and the vendor will often happily let you photograph their goods.

Some of the best images cost nothing but a little planning. Book a riad or café with a rooftop terrace and be up there for the sunset call to prayer, when the whole city glows and the muezzins answer each other across the rooftops — it's the photo people remember most from their trip. For the headline sights, the opening-time trick doubles as a photography hack: an empty courtyard at the Ben Youssef Madrasa or a tourist-free blue alley in Chefchaouen at 8am is worth more than any lens.

A few practical odds and ends. Carry a polarising filter or just use shade to tame the desert glare; bring a cloth, because fine Saharan dust gets into everything and a smeared lens ruins more shots than bad composition does. Keep gear discreet in crowded medinas — a huge camera invites both hassle and "guide" offers. And don't spend the whole trip behind the viewfinder; some of my clients' favourite memories are the ones they simply watched. Get the shot in the golden hour, then put the camera down and drink the tea.