I was told that symmetry — the expression of a form so perfect, its inspiration can only be divine — is fundamental to many aspects of Moroccan design.
Experiencing this symmetry at first hand, I am transfixed by the web of geometric patterns around me.
Suddenly, a shaft of sunlight strikes the courtyard floor below, and the reflected light throws the entire scene into sharp relief.
As I frame the shot and adjust the aperture, a man appears at the window opposite me. Reflexively, I release the shutter.
The result pleases me, and I am impressed again not only by the speed and ease of the Sigma DP2 Merrill’s handling, but by the incredible clarity of its lens. Pausing only to check exposure and focus on the high-res monitor, I fire away, immersed in the moment.




The Ben Youssef Madrasa, an ancient Islamic college, in Marrakech. The richly ornamented muqarnas dome is an example of Islamic architecture at its finest.



The word “Morocco,” written in Arabic in a variety of calligraphic styles, and the bamboo pens used to write it.


The bronze doors of the Royal Palace in Marrakech, their imposing weight and intricately worked surface captured in detail by the Sigma DP2 Merrill.

It began to rain as I arrived at the Attarine Madrasa in Fes, a miraculous rain that I was told was the first to fall there in 50 years. With the wet marble floors offering a shimmering reflection of the fantastically patterned walls and ceiling, I imagined the scene as it would have appeared 700 years ago, when the madrasa was first built.