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Silver and bronze
I was really thrilled that three of my images won awards at this year’s EPSON / NZIPP Professional Photography Awards. All three images have been previously featured on my blog: the Lamp Posts (Silver Distinction), the Pilgrim and the Black Cat (Bronze), and La Confesión (Bronze). The Lamp Posts was taken in Meknes, Morocco, and the other two in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Check out the other images that also won awards in the Travel and Illustrative categories – there is some beautiful work there!
The Spice of Life
The Spice Bazaar, Istanbul
Another image from the Spice Bazaar
Olive Stall, Marrakesh
Covered Shoe Market, Rabat
The ‘Upmarket’ Market of Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid
Pastries, Marrakesh
Paprika! Budapest
It’s been almost two months since I’ve posted anything taken with a ‘real’ camera! So, to make up for lost time, here is a selection of images taken at some very different types of markets in Turkey, Morocco, Spain and Hungary …
The Old Couple
The Hassan Mosque in Rabat was going to be one of the largest mosques in the world, until it was destroyed by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and left unfinished. Its ruins are now in the grounds of the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the previous king of Morocco, and there are lots of quiet places where people of all faiths can sit and reflect, or in this case, argue!
The cat was one of the many strays that lived among the ruins …
Pots, Pans and Tagines
Some people call it ‘the plastic fantastic’ and others just call it a toy camera. Holga cameras are simple and fun to use with unpredictable results such as soft focus, vignetting, light leakage, blur and other distortions. Shots taken with Holgas, as well as with other retro film cameras are part of a new style of artistic experimental photography called Lomography.
This shot was taken on my Holga 120GN outside a traditional Berber house in the Ourika Valley, not far from Marrakesh, Morocco.
Football in North Africa
Football (soccer) is a passion for lots of kids in North Africa. During any important football game the cities will come to a standstill. While visiting the Kasbah in Rabat, Morocco, I spotted these kids enjoying themselves. It was nice to see a girl joining in, as it’s often such a male-dominated sport, particularly in Africa.
Cat in the Kasbah
The Kasbah des Oudaias in Rabat, Morocco, is a walled part of the city that dates back to the 12th century. The Kasbah is on a hill with great views over the Oued Bou Regreg river and the Atlantic ocean. Most of the Kasbah consists of beautiful white and blue houses in narrow alleys. And there are lots of cats!
Immortal Bamboo
‘The taller the bamboo grows, the lower it bends’ – Chinese Proverb
I took this photo in the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh, Morocco, which was owned by Yves Saint Laurent until his death in 2008. It’s a great place to spend a while away from the noise and chaos in the streets outside …