Film for a 2 week trip to Morocco

[monochromejrnl]

i'm heading off to Morocco for two weeks (well 3-4 days in Spain (Granada and a day in Madrid)..

bring M3 w/ 50/2, SWC + 2 s A12 and F100 w/ 35/2 and 85/1.8 ... (my gf will be carrying a Bessa L with 21/4)


planning to bring the following:

120 film
7 x HP5+
7 x Pan F+
8 x 400VC
6 x NPS160
5 x Provia 100F
3 x RSX 50

135 film
12 x TriX
5 x APX100
5 x E100G
5 x Provia400F

M3 (mainly loaded with TriX)
F100 (colour trans and APX100)
SWC (2 backs to have B&W and colour loaded at all times)

does it seem like overkill (keep in mind that there will be two shooters but my gf will probably only shoot 7-10 rolls of 135)...

thoughts for those who have significant travel photography experience?

thanks

 

[mervynyan]

Don' think it is overkill in terms of volume, perhaps the numbers of different films seem too much. Unless you already have these from stock, if buying new, I'd prefer to have fewer types, use the ones you know the best. Personally I only shoot color slides on 120, RDP or RVP is always a good choice. B&W on M, color negatives or slides on F100.

 

[clintock]

Beware the awesome film-fogging power of airport xray machines.

 

[ray_g]

From your description, it sounds like your trip will be a lot of fun. It also sounds like you will not be travelling in a closed loop, starting from home - granada - madrid - morrocco (probably moving between different cities such as fez, casablanca and marrakesh) - home. This means you will be hauling all your stuff with you as you go. If you will be travelling by public transportation, I would recommend you mind the weight of your kit and try to keep it light, unless you are used to traveling with this kit.

You may want to stick to one type of equipment: RF, SLR or 120. If you really want to have B/W and color available at any given time, I would bring two bodies (or backs) of the same type, ie two nikons or two RF bodies with lenses.

If it were me, I would bring the M3 +50/2, gf with 21/4 and bessa. The 50 will do pretty much the same thing as the 35 and 85 with just moving a few feet back or forward.

 

[monochromejrnl]

thanks for the feedback..

the plan is to arrive in Casablanca then leave the next day for Marakesh then loop further south into the Sahara, then back up towards Fes, a city in the mountains and then Tangier (10 days in Morocco) before heading across the strait into Tarifa, Spain, then to Granada for 2 nights before arriving in Madrid for a day/night before returning home.. gf stays an extra week in Spain with a friend meeting up with her...

as for variety.. i already his these films in stock (i've got a great supplier - all purchased for $2 a roll!)... i'm familiar with each of them...

Ray you make a very good point... the SWC is definitely coming with me... it's extremely versatile and irreplaceable in 135 format (the 21/4 whlie good is no match for it)... i think that i'll be leaving the 85/1.8 - it's compact but heavy and you're right.. i use it primarily as a portait lens but very little that it can do that the 50/2 can't since it'll be attached to my feet...

as for travel between cities... we'll probably be hiring a taxi since day rates are about $30USD... we're packing light in every other department (a backpack each) so the only weight will be camera equipment...

don't think i'll shoot all the film but would rather have more than have to spend time looking for new stock in unfamiliar environments or feeling that i have to ration it...

thanks again... additional suggestions welcome! (except going digital)... ;P

 

[ray_g]

Great. Can't wait to see the pics. Let me know how Morocco goes - I am doing the same route in March. 🙂

 

[froyd]

Where's all the Velvia love gone?

 

[monochromejrnl]

Froyd - love Velvia but i can't readily find the old stuff here in Toronto... and since Morocco won't have much green i figured it might be wasted there even if i did have it...

 

[shaaktiman]

Wow, great sounding trip. Incidentally, it is spending time traveling that first really got me interested in photography. My first trip to a developing nation was a 2 week solo trip to Morocco. I had my ass handed to me. Morocco can be tough sometimes. Especially if you are green and alone like I (stupidly) was.

The worst part of my trip was being in Chefchaoen, up North, where NO ONE speaks any English, just Spanish and Arabic, and seeing President Clinton suddenly interrupt every channel of programming to give a speech. (This was when he sent cruise missiles over to hit Al Qaeda in the late 90's.) They overdubbed him into Arabic and I couldn't understand a word. Then they cut to scenes of missiles in a hanger, and then shots of exposions and carnage. I had no clue what was happening and didn't know whether or not to be scared. (I was the only english speaker for miles around.) I opted for full bore panic and hid in bed for the rest of the afternoon.

Ah, memories.

I've been back there since and had better times incidentally. It's a fascinating country, especially if you are a photographer. Anyway, to your question...

Shooting in Morocco I found that you're either in BRIGHT light outside or in super dim light in the souks, and you're going to want to switch gears as quickly as possible. So it is good you're going with 120, shorter rolls. It is also good you're going with lots of Tri-X, it'll give you the flexibility you'll need.

You are bringing enough film, but for shooting indoors you may want to consider some high-speed film, something pushable to 3200 or 6400. The souks are dark and you'll want shots of the baby tortises in tiny wood cages for sale in the Jma el Fna in Marrakesh. (cute!) Seriously consider bringing some.

I wouldn't worry about x-ray machines with the slower film. I was forced to put stuff through many machines in some low rent countries and everything turned out fine. Try not to, but it isn't worth making a scene I think.

Get travelers insurance for your gear. This is not a recommendation, it is an order. Also, bring a small bag for walking around during the day in addition to your pack. Don't leave any equipment in your room.

As far as Morocco goes, I have a few suggestions. If you are going to Merzourga (sahara) get a full return trip price before going. There is NOTHING in Merzourga and you will get ripped off unless you fix a package deal beforehand. I know this from experience. (Not the good kind.) Marrakesh is a must but I would skip Fez or Tangier if you are able in favor of Essouara or Chefchoen. The cities in Morocco are hard with a capital H. Fez and Tangier are the worst. Essouara is cool and friendly but Chefchaoen is unlike any other place I've ever been. It is dramatically carved into the hillside and all the walls are whitewashed with blue or pink tinted paint. It is like hanging out in a big wedding cake during sunset. Seriously, it is beautiful and pretty chill to boot. I highly recommend it, especially if you know Spanish.

Otherwise, HAVE FUN! I am jealous. PM me if you would like any other information.

a

 

[KM-25]

Where's all the Velvia love gone?

I used to love it quite a bit.

Then one day, I shot Kodachrome and Velvia on the same subject for the whole day. At first, the KR looked kind of flat, but after awhile, I just realized how real it was and how great the tonal structure is. Then I looked at the Velvia and just about gagged! What a load of fake cr@p! Truncated tonal values, harsh color transitions, fake saturation levels and terrible with skin tones.

I have about 60 rolls of it left that I will shoot as needed, but other than that, it is kind of history to me. I prefer to find extraordinary subject matter in phenomenal light rather than have a film "photoshop" it for me.

Sorry Velvia fans, it just looks fake.

 

[telenous]

I used to love it quite a bit.

Then one day, I shot Kodachrome and Velvia on the same subject for the whole day. At first, the KR looked kind of flat, but after awhile, I just realized how real it was and how great the tonal structure is. Then I looked at the Velvia and just about gagged! What a load of fake cr@p! Truncated tonal values, harsh color transitions, fake saturation levels and terrible with skin tones.

I have about 60 rolls of it left that I will shoot as needed, but other than that, it is kind of history to me. I prefer to find extraordinary subject matter in phenomenal light rather than have a film "photoshop" it for me.

Sorry Velvia fans, it just looks fake.

I am with you on this. I discovered a little late in its life cycle Kodachrome but I love the little that I have seen. I will shoot it for as long as I can process it. Velvia on the other hand is more saturated than I care for. It has its uses of course but I think I prefer Provia after all (like Monochromejnrl who started the thread).

For all the Kodachrome love that I share with you I wonder if you are right about the 'faithful' or 'real' look it has. For the most part, photos on Kodachrome have a colour that I have learned to associate with, well, my memories...perhaps because Kodachrome has been for so many years in use for reportage of (past) events or because so many family photos are shot with it. The colour palette of Kodachrome has an inextricably strong 'romantic' feel for me, so at times I wonder if it is idealising rather than just accurately recording real colours.

 

[froyd]

Kodachrome
You give us those nice bright colors
You give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah!
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So Mama, don't take my Kodachrome away

--Paul Simon


I'm fully in agreement about the ultra-saturated, welcome-to-my-Chapelle-world, of Velvia, but some of my favorite landscapes were shot on it. And by the way, I saw somebody use it in the desert in Australia, and those shots looked phenomenal, so if you are worried about a lack of green subjects don't be, it look great on the orange sand and rock as well.

 

[bob cole]

If you get a chance, you might want to visit the seashore at Agadir or Mogador farther south...White sandy beaches...Also, if you want to stay in touch, bring a small short-wave radio...

 

[shaaktiman]

I swear I'm not being pretentious here, but Mogador and Essouara are the same place. That makes 2 RFF'ers that rec'd Mogador/Essowhatever. Seriously, it's nice.

But if you run into a guy named Ahsan, you don't know where I live.

 

[Marc-A.]

I swear I'm not being pretentious here, but Mogador and Essouara are the same place. That makes 2 RFF'ers that rec'd Mogador/Essowhatever. Seriously, it's nice.

But if you run into a guy named Ahsan, you don't know where I live.

I confirm. Mogador is the Portuguese colonial name of Essaouira.
For I lived many years in Morocco (in Marrakech) and still go back there often, I may have some useful advices. First of all: don't waste your time in Casa, there's nothing to see there; it's a big city, built in the French colonial time. For me, it isn't Morocco.
Marrakech by itself is worth spending two weeks for taking photographs. From Marrakech there's two road you should explore: the one which leads to Essaouira, nice city; the other one leads to the South, through the Ourika Valley (route de l'Ourika) to Ourazazat; if you like desert landscapes, oasis-cities etc. you have to go to Ouarzazat and visit the surroundings.
Two weeks is not enough for that trip, so I suggest that you choose a few spots to visit.
Totally different part of Morrocco: Fes/Meknes; different landscapes (very green), different cities, different cultures. Very very nice, but I think you really have to limit your trip. So choose between the magic South and the beautiful North.

Now for photography: Kodachrome is the best for colour photography. This month, I found in an old box Kodachromes my dad made in Morocco in 1975: still perfect, very warm colours that render perfectly the Moroccan atmosphere. I found also Kodachromes I made when I was a young boy; funny cause I didn't remember that at all. I can scan some of them if you want.
I have to point out something about available light: as you'll see, light in the South is very bright. But you'll visit for sure the old part of the cities (the medina) and then you'll have to handle harsh contrasts; the narrow streets in the medina are rather dark, but always pierced by bright rays of light. So that a tough job. In the Medina, TriX will be perfect (maybe pushed at 800iso); outside TriX will remain a good film, but I suggest 100 iso film like Fuji Acros; APX100 is a good choice too.

Have a good trip. If you need some advices, and if I can help, please PM/email me.

Best,

Marc

 

[rxmd]

If you feel adventurous, are in the South anyway, have got two days to spare, and don't want to be the 100.000th tourist that brings home identical photographs from the Jemaa el-Fna, you might go down to Laayoune or Boucraa in the Western Sahara to get an entirely different view.

 

[Marc-A.]

If you feel adventurous, are in the South anyway, have got two days to spare, and don't want to be the 100.000th tourist that brings home identical photographs from the Jemaa el-Fna, you might go down to Laayoune or Boucraa in the Western Sahara to get an entirely different view.

Yes you're right. But it's a long trip and very tiring ...
BTW, don't reduce Marrakech to Jamaa el-Fna or the Koutoubia Mosque 🙄 There's so much more in the medina when you take your time and live for the day 🙂

 

[monochromejrnl]

thanks for all your suggestions... i'll be avoiding the more traditional tourist attractions and walking the medina's most of the day... i'm expecting high contrast light conditions inside the medina and will bring the F100 (has spot and AE lock features... and A LOT of film)...

i'll be there in less than a week... can't wait!