I can never have enough words to describe Morocco. The places we featured in the first part of this post were just the beginning. In this concluding section, we will take you to the Atlas Mountains, the Draa Valley, the Sahara Desert and finally, at Ait Benhaddou or Yunkai in the TV series Game of Thrones where we followed Daenerys Targaryen’s tracks and then created our own masterpieces.
From Marrakesh, we headed to the Atlas Mountain for a quick shoot and then traversed the endless-like roads to Sahara for 12 hours long. It was scenic but time consuming; there are just too many things to do. We again had to improvise when it comes to time management so we maximized the day trip on a spontaneous photoshoot which included the one in the Draa Valley that has thousands of years’ history. This was once a shelter of the ancestors the Moroccans or the “Berbers” and still now their living oasis. We were supposed to arrive before sunset at the Sahara Desert but by nightfall we were still on the road.
It was pitch black when we arrived at the Bur-Bur camp in the desert. It felt like we’re in the ancient Arabian nights – there was no electricity and water but that didn’t stop us to take more photos, I was actually inspired to do a night desert shoot instead. We had a few of shots around the tents and a bonfire and the moon provided amazing mood lights for the shoot. Now the most “ethereal” part of our journey is the shoot the next day with the camels in the middle of the desert – which was extremely stunning despite of the heat. Aileen and Kevin marked their every step on the sand with grace and passion as seen on the photos and I couldn’t be prouder of them. It was like movie magic but everything is just happening in the raw right before our eyes. The last stop of the photoshoot was at Ait Benhaddou where we capped one stunning location after another.
I adore Aileen and Kevin’s enthusiasm and go-get-it attitude, they didn’t let any setbacks affect us negatively but rather used them to push further. They were both amazing and that made the Morocco shoot truly one of the best I ever had in terms of experience and photographs. Shukraan jazilaan! to both Aileen and Kevin for making such a once-in-a-lifetime experience not just possible but extremely meaningful as well.
Finally, we know that most of the time it’s really hard to bridge what we experienced with words and even with photos. So we are again adding value to the overall experience of Aileen and Kevin’s photoshoot by sharing with everyone a short behind-the-scenes video of the entire trip. We hope that this provides an extended appreciation of everything I just mentioned. Special thanks to Anthea Bueno and Ethan David for being with in the shoot and making sure that Aileen always look gorgeous. Sidney Yap for styling both Aileen and Kevin and Francis Liberan for Aileen’s Gowns. Of course to Sach Mhir for being our go-to person for almost everything. Please, enjoy.
