Who: Ben Sklar

What: The New York Times Travel section

Where: Morocco

Read below for what Ben had to say about the shoot.

“I spent about a month doing three travel stories and then one story for the Styles section for The New York Times that took us on a boat from Casablanca to Barcelona. It was super fun, but very different to rent a car and drive around northern Morocco, but I was well prepared after touring with countless bands, walking across Spain and hitchhiking through parts of the middle east to name just a few previous experiences.

The assignment was open ended giving us the opportunity to explore what we wanted and eventually tell it in the first person. So we avoided snake charmers like you see in Marrakesh and instead we went for own adventures like going home with 80 year old animal horn carvers for a family meal, secretly following strangers to leather auctions or smoking Hash with fruit vendors in the market. The influence of globalization on traditions in an ancient city was fascinating, it is after all a UNESCO world heritage site and the largest urban area without cars.  For example, there was only one remaining camel butcher in the old Medina (a moroccan delicacy).” – Ben Sklar.

To see more of Ben’s work click here.