In the heart of the Medina of Fez, a man is walking in a lane near by Al Karaouine Mosque.
About the picture:
The photograph was taken in 2010 during my second visit to Fez. It was probably not the first time that I had walked down this lane, but the lines & the geometry made by the “minimalistic” architecture and the contrast between the wall colour and the dark exit made me stop and take a photograph of it. I positioned myself to make the composition above and waited for an interesting scene of life. Eventually it did happen when a man dressed in white entered the frame. I took two shots of him walking in the lane including the one above. The reason why I took a photograph when he was about to leave the lane (and hence the composition) was to get his white shape in the darkest part of the image. It was also to increase his visibility and to get a good contrast. As for the composition, it was probably where the man fitted the best into the frame based on the perspective and the line direction.
Fez is a medieval Medina and one of the oldest in the Arabic World. It is a real maze where it is easy to get lost and not easy to find one’s way. However, getting lost in the Medina is a “must do” in order to discover its life, markets, souks and all its worshops. Tanneries used to be a big part of its culture and everyday life and still are despite a decreasing number of them. I recommend reading a blog post “Inside the Chouara Tannery” and viewing the photo slideshow to feel its atmosphere.