Still-Images Morocco News

Panoramas

One of the things Still Images is pretty good at is super high resolution panoramic composites made up from dozens of high res images. The original top image is a staggering 3.4m long at 300dpi and is made up of almost 50 images. It is so detailed that you can see people in the fields and villages all across the valley.

Hajar Fenjirou

At Still Images we love giving a helping hand to young talent. It keeps us feeling young! Hajar might be a second year law student in France but she also has a strong acting career on the side. We did her original casting book some 6 years ago and here are few recent shots we did while she was home on holiday.

Liviani Jewellery

Part of our work for Gold and Coffee, the new Italian jewellery store in Marrakech, was to take a series of photographs of Liviani's designs with a Moroccan atmosphere. Not so easy when the pieces are no larger than a thumbnail. Above is a couple of examples of how we did it using tiny stage sets and creative lighting.

Françoise Atlan

We are fortunate that the world renowned Sephardic singer, Françoise Atlan, lives in Marrakech. One of our more glamorous recents jobs has been to do a series of new publicity portraits of Françoise ahead of her Canadian Tour in March. The top two photos were done in our studio while the bottom two shots were taken in the equally glamorous Mamounia, where Françoise has sung on numerous occasions.

Labels: Françoise Atlan

Terres Mbarka

We've also been back to Terres Mbarka to take the last atmosphere photos for their new website that will be launched shortly.

Gold and Coffee

During January we have not just been getting up in the predawn and dashing around taking new landscape photographs for our clients. We have also been going to the other extreme and doing some very fine studio work. One of our new clients is the Italian owned Gold and Coffee shop in Marrakech. This is a new print advert we shot for them. It is due to come out in the February issue of "Tribune de Marrakech". We've also been doing some very original shots for their new brochure which will be featuring soon on the blog.

Labels: Gold and Coffee Jewellery

Kasbah Bab Ourika

After the new year we finally got some snow on the mountains. It was a busy time for us taking new landscapes photos. Here are some new shots of the Kasbah Bab Ourika and its stunning location.

Labels: Kasbah Bab Ourika

Vision Nomade

Our video partners, Vision Nomade have sent out a very cool New Year Video that you can see here.

Our very best wishes to Pierre & Sandrine!

Monique Bresson Website

Congratulations to Monqiue Bresson on finally getting the first part of her new website online. Mostly monochrome the website makes great use of Alan's photos and designers Kasbah Numérik carry through the photographic style into the website design.

Olive Oil

It is the height of olive picking season here in Marrakech and we've just been to our local olive press to collect our oil. We have a few trees in the garden and have a miniscule production of around 30 litres of oil. Nothing compared to our neighbours but enough for domestic use.

Above is a little reportage of the process. Before crushing the olives they mix them with lemon, thyme and salt to enhance the flavour of the oil.

Happy New Year

The Mamounia had us come back to photograph their beautiful festive decorations; gold painted olive branches and orange fairy lights. We particularly liked the reflections in the marble floors and the delicate clear glass balls.

Here's wishing you all a happy and prosperous 2010 from the Still Images team.

Pure Riads

Another very pleasant recent job has been to photograph the new addition to Pure Riads.

Terres Mbarka

We went back to Terres Mbarka earlier this month to do some more photos. We rather like this one of the hotel showin its situation out in the Agafay Desert at the foot of the mountains. Now that we've finally had some snow it will be time to put on the winter woollies and get back out there at dawn!

Photo Sketches

Alan trained as a fine art printmaker at UCW Aberystwyth under Alistair Crawford before going on to become a photographer. As such he has always been as interested in the printing of photographs as the taking of pictures and really doesn't believe a photo is finished until it is printed.

Alan is constantly experimenting with diferent ways to print his photos, diferent inks & papers and also diferent ways to actually make the image in the camera and in Photoshop. Above are a couple of examples of what we like to call "photo sketches". The idea is to introduce some sort of spontaniety and chance into the rigorous logical world of photoshop and allow for the possibility of accident playing a part in the image making process. It's also a bit of fun.

Atika & Keamo Adverts

The Atika and Keamo adverts have come out in the holiday shopping supplement of the "Tribune de Marrakech" magazine with Alan's photographs of their shoes. We really like the bright and colourful layout that Kasbah Numérik have come up with.

Kasbah Bab Ourika in the FT

We are delighted that The Financial Times decided to print two of our photos of Kasbah Bab Ourika in their "Christmas Unwrapped" special issue of their "How to Spend It" weekend magazine. The magazine is a huge vertical A3 format so the double page image is a massive A2. That is 420 X 594mm!

Labels: Bab Ourika, Financial Times, FT, How to Spend It

Kenzi Menara Palace

The Kenzi Menara Palace has finally launched its long awaited advertising campaign with this photo of Safaa by Alan Keohane. The adverts were designed by Florence Mottet and Nicholas Carré from the Light Gallery in Marrakech.

Les Terres M'Barka

Still Images has been collaborating with Florence Mottet at Asmala to launch the new country hideaway hotel Terres M'Barka owned by Belgian restauranteur Jerome de Brouwer.

Paris PHOTO 19-22 November

Galerie 127 will be showcasing photographers in Morocco at Paris PHOTO 19-22 November and will be showing a portfolio of Alan Keohane's new prints including this shot of Malika wearing an Ait Hadidou handira. The show will be at the "Carrousel du Louvre" and the gallery will be on stand D34 in the Salle Soufflot.

Agent Lynch undercover in Marrakech

Celebrated burlesque dancer and under cover spy Agent Lynch recently found herself in Marrakech on her most dangerous mission yet and nearly spent the rest of her days langushing in a Moroccan prison.

Thanks however to her femine charms and a not a little help from HMG's station chief she made good her escape ready for further adventures in Geneva next week.

Lucky for us Alan was on hand to photograph the whole chilling adventure which will soon be published as a new Still Images spy production - above is just a teaser of what is to come!

Atika

Atika is probably the most famous shoe manufacturers and retailers in Morocco. People come from all over the world crowd into their shop to buy boxes of their famous loafers and ballerinas.

So when they decided to launch an advertising campaign for the first time their biggest concern was only to work with the best photographer available and we are flattered at Still Images that they approached us. Atika's watchwords are colour, comfort and detail of craftsmanship. All of which you can see in this photo.

We are particularly delighted to be collaborating once more with Kasbah Numérik after first working with them on Zaïdina's photos. It is a real pleasure to work with true professionals.

Safaa Sebti

At Still Images we are always interested in new faces although Safaa first came to see us 6 years ago as a very young student with hopes of becoming a model. Now she is back in Marrakech and ready to launch herself into the local fashion scene once again.

Yahya Creation

We've also been working on our continuing collaboration with Islamic artist Yahya. The plan is that his new gallery will not just showcase his latest work but will also hold exhibtions that use his creations as a starting point to explore pattern and light through the meduim of photography.

Labels: Yahya metal craft Islamic art

Danica Cosic

In our on going collaboration with Danica Cosic we've been doing some marketing photos to help launch her range of hand crafted leather accessories. Here are a couple of the shots to give you an idea. Danica is not just a designer but also a gifted leather craftswoman in her own right. We also roped in contemporary artist Sibylle Baltzer to model Danica's bags & belts for us.

Labels: bags, belts, Danica Cosic, handicrafts, Marrakech, Sibylle Baltzer

Mamounia Hotel

The Mamounia has reopended with a great deal of fanfare as it should. Alan Keohane is very proud that the entire ground floor room corridors are decorated with more than 60 reproduction prints of his photographs including this now classic photo of a young High Atlas Berber girl.

Labels: Mamounia Prints Berbers

Danica Cosic

Still Images has been helping New York designer Danica Cosic to launch her new range of handcrafted leather accessories including this belt and bag. We shot these for her catalogue and soon to come online shop.

Galerie 127 Marrakech

Congratulations to Nathalie Locatelli on her new blog for Galerie 127, Morocco's only specialist photography gallery. The blog will carry news of exhibtions and print sales as well as news on the photographers that she represents including Alan Keohane.

Labels: Galerie 127 photography art, gallery, nathalie locatelli

Mamounia Photo in Condé Nast Traveler

As the official re-opening of the Mamounia approaches on 29th September, Alan's photos of the hotel have been appearing in the press all over the world. Here is a shot of one of the new rooms that was in Condé Nast Traveler and has supsequently done the rounds of many of the travel websites.

Labels: Condé Nast Traveler, Mamounia, Marrakech

Weddings Special Offer

John Cole has made a very generous offer for anyone booking his services in Marrakech through Still Images. You can see the details of the offer on our weddings website, but basically he is offereing a free individually designed & printed album for anyone who books before the end of 2009.

Medina Doors & Yahya

I was down in the souk early the other day to photograph doorways. Here is an example of the kind of thing I've been doing. I've recently got into Moroccan decorative metalwork in a big way - I love the way light reflects of it. I think it's all Yahya's fault! www.yahyacreation.com

The Beautiful Safaa

We also did a fun advertising shoot with the beautiful Safaa for the Kenzi Menara Palace. Its always a pleasure to work with Safaa as not only is she a treat to photograph but she possesses endless amounts of patience!

Domaine Des Remparts

In the late spring we were back at the Domaine Des Remparts to photograph their beautiful garden and pool. You can check out their new website www.domainedesremparts.com

Zaïdina

On the commercial front we did a very nice shoot for Monique Bresson's company "ZaÏdina". The pictures will appear on their new website presently underconstruction by Kasbah Numerik. The shoot included men's, women's and children's fashion as well as her range of accessoires including the very stylish Babouche pictured here.

An Ait Atta Wedding

As we've already mentioned before on this blog the Jbel Saghro is one of Alan's favourite places in Morocco. His last trip there was to attend a friend's wedding - 5 days in blistering heat and dust storms with a couple of hundred Ait Atta. The women all in traditional costumes loked amazing. Here is a shot of the young bride veiled in red accompanied by family and well wishers.

Mamounia Interiors

This month the Mamounia released the long awaited first official photographs of the new rooms and suites. Images of course taken by Alan at Still Images. The room views appear very simple. We wanted Jacques Garcia's interior design to speak for itself and we certianly did not want to end up taking cheesy brochure style photos.

Amanjena

Another of our recent jobs was to do some publicity shots for the Amanjena's Thai and Andalucian restaurants.

Kenzi Menara Palace

At the beginning of May we were back at the Kenzi Menara Palace to photograph their spacious modern spa and to work with the hotel's food and beverage manager. Above are a couple of photos that came out of the shoot.

Mamounia Auction

Between the 21st & 24th May Aguttes held a very sucessful auction of furniture, art & furnishings from the Mamounia here in Marrakech at the Palais de Congres.

As part of the auction they produced a beautiful 300 page catalogue that has instantly become a collector's item in itself.

We at Still Images are very proud to be able to say that the vast majority of the catalogue is illustrated with the over 2000 photographs we took before the world famous hotel closed for renovation.

Filming in Merzouga

By way of a of a stop gap here are a few behind the scenes images from our days filming in Merzouga. Nothing like getting up at 3.30am to make sure that you are in place for the first rays of light! The filming ballon was handled by the Soulcam - acknowledged world experts in the field - and the director is Julien Rocher from Astrolab.

Labels: Filming, Merzouga

Domaine Des Remparts

We've been photographing Thierry Costanza's new hotel Domaine Des Remparts since its opening last year.

During May we paid a return visit to photograph the newly finished Pavillions and the modern spacious spa.

Labels: Domaine des Remparts, Hotels, Marrakech

Louloua

In between all the hotel shoots & dashing around Morocco for the film we did manage to give new young model Louloua a helping hand by doing a small book for her. Hopefully it will help her get that all important first job.

Labels: Fashion models Morocco

A hectic month of May

May has been all go at Still Images with John coming over for another wedding & Alan doing photos for the Mamounia, Kenzi Menara Palace and the Domaine des Remparts. Over the next couple of weeks we will play catch up and post a load of new posts to show you a little bit of what we've been doing.

In the meantime here is one of John's lovely romantic black & white images from the May wedding at Dar Aniywen.

Natural Cosmetics and Spa products

There seems to be a trend towards photographing cosmetic and spa products in a more natural way. Today I got an email newsletter from the Sultana Spa promoting their products in some very naturally lit still life photos and recently Zineb, from Sens de Marrakech, sent me her lovely picture of a "Doucer de Fiquier" bottle shot in a fig tree.

Here are a few shots that we did for Tchaba using the idea of pure white and tropical green for their White Tea cosmetics.

Joanna Bristow Jewellery in Maroc D'Exception

Joanna Bristow's beautiful jewellery has been featured in the current issue of "Maroc D'Exception". Photos of course by Alan. The stunning model is Hanane. Here are a few more photos from the shoot.

Labels: http://www.still-images.net/blog/uploaded_images/Hanane-08-796727.jpg

Rain in the Desert

Alan was back down south the other week but this time in the rain and floods. The desert is quite a diferent place with the wadis full of churning brown water and the sky grey and heavy. Here is one of the shots that Alan took on the trip down the Oued Draa.

Lorenzo Nasca

Lorenzo Nasca is a Sicilian artist living in Marrakech. Formerly a very successful international costume designer for Opera, Lorenzo has now created a reputation for his collage artwork. Our photographs of Lorenzo and his artwork are featured in the current "El Beit" magazine.

Riad Zolah in El Beit Magazine

We are delighted that our recent collaboration with talented French journalist Louise Sarrant is bearing fruit. Our first joint article on Dar Ezzahra came out in February in the Egyptian "El Beit" magazine. This month it is the turn of the fabulous Riad Zolah to be featured in the April edition of "El Beit".

Portrait Photography Workshop

This week we've been doing an inhouse portrait photography workshop for the still Images team. Above is Najat, our photoshop expert, photographed by Hanane, Alan's photography assistant. It just goes to show that the SI team (apart from Alan of course) aren't just bright but they are a glamorous lot as well!

Film Reccy

Alan has just got back from a whirlwind reccy with a French film crew, who plan to be shooting in May, with Alan doing the stills.

Here are a couple shots taken in the Jbel Saghro during the trip. The Saghro is an arid mountain range south of the High Atlas and is home to the Ait Atta Berbers. It is one of Alan's favourite parts of Morocco.

John Cole Wedding Photography

John Cole has been busy updating our wedding and events pages with some of the super photographs that he took last year, including these fabulous shots of weddings at the Murano Resort and Villa Amra in the Marrakech Palmeraie. You can check out the full selection HERE.

Morocco & Facebook

The way images get copied and used on the internet is a funny thing. Its all a bit anarchic and you could give yourself a real headache trying to control it. Take this photo of the now defunct terrace bar of the Jad Mahal that we did back in 2004. Its been pirated onto a facebook page called "Morocco...Le paradis africain par exellence" now for about 9 months and has amassed over 35,000 fans and yet practically none of them know where the picture was taken.

Its a pity really for the Jad Mahal (and us) that the terrace bar is no longer open...they've been having the most amazing free publicity for it.

Palmerie Golf Palace

Over the last couple of months our photos of the new Palmerie Golf Palace Spa have been appearing all over the local press such as Medina magazine and the Marrakech Tribune.

Here is our black and white interpretation of the impressive Hammam.

The PGP has become something of a reguler client and we've been steadily renewing all their publicity photos of most of the hotel.

Khansa Batma

Congratulations to Khansa on her new album "Mamy Blue" We've been big fans of Khansa's music since photographing her for the cover of her first CD.

Here's the very first photo we did of Khansa back in those early days. The photo caused quite a stir at the time and was used on the "Aux Portes du Désert" album.

Over the years we've taken alot of publicity photos for Moroccan singers and actors including Said Taghmaoui, Mounir Margoum and Zineb Oukach.

Moroccan Websites launched!

Martin Dady our UK website genius launched his Moroccan Websites this month offering a really professional website design service for Anglophone businesses in Morocco. Check out the Kasbah du Toubkal, Riad Elizabeth and Villa Dinari websites to get a taster of what he can do.

Inspa Retreats at Kasbah Bab Ourika

Just got the Inspa club newsletter with a banner image of Alan's Bab Ourika photo across the top. They are going to be running Yoga and health breaks over Easter at the hotel. Just the place for it really.

Here are a few of the new photos that we've done including the restaurant - which by the way is really terrific as Marilyn is doing the menu!

Angsana Riads Collection Marrakech

The Angsana Riads collection is part of the luxurious Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts group. During February we photographed all 6 raids in the collection for an all new website including their famous spa with genuine masseurs from Thailand - very exotic for Marrakech!

Kenzi Menara Palace

Alan Keohane has been photographing the Kenzi Menara Palace for almost a year now. It officially opened on the 1st of March. Here are a few shots from the latest series that he took for their website and brochure. You might have also seen a new press advertisement marking the opening of the hotel.

Mamounia Portraits

Alan loves photographing people so when the Mamounia asked him to do portraits of the management staff at the hotel for their new website he was over the moon.

We thought that the chefs were particularly good fun and thoroughly competent looking.

As big foodies ourselves we are looking forward to the opening of the all new Moroccan and Italian restaurants at the hotel!

Joanna Bristow Jewellery

Joanna Bristow might be Alan Keohane's wife but as a celebrated jewellery designer she is no less of an exacting client. In fact she might be even more so as Alan complains that there is no hiding from her! But I think everyone would agree that these photos of her latest bracelet range are pretty good.

Joanna sells her jewellery in mainly exclusive hotel boutiques in Morocco such as the Villa des Orangers and La Maison Arabe in Marrakech, Kasbah Tamadot in Asni and L'Heure Bleue in Essaouira. Joanna Bristow's jewellery is also in Aya's shop in Marrakech and Alchemies in Rabat.

New Telephone numbers in Morocco

From 6 March 2009 telephone numbers in Morocco will have 10 digits.

Our office number will become +212 524 44 62 66 and our fax will be

+212 524 42 04 78. Alan's mobile will change to +212 661 21 68 80.

My Marrakesh Interview

Here is a link to a really good blog called My Marrakesh that did an interview with Alan Keohane back in 2007.

2008 Newsletters

You can download our 2008 newsletters here:

In English:

En Français:

January 2009

You can download our January newsletter, with all the latest news of Alan Keohane's prints, John Cole's wedding photography and Still Images commercial work, Here.

Nos nouvelles de Janvier en Français ici

This is a blog about British photographer Alan Keohane's work in Morocco. Still Images is North Africa's leading professional photography company.

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