Amanda Blanton Photography

Marrakech, 2009 Marrakech is one of my all time favorite cities. It has incredible energy, a large and diverse population, incredible history and it never seems to close down.  In July 2009 the temperatures reached as high as 135 degrees. When its that hot out, the streets are nearly empty- you feel like you have the city to yourself. When the sun set, the city transforms into a bustling metropolis. All the images in this selection were taken during the day- you can see how empty the streets are! The final image is of the Djemaa el F'na- one of the most popular public squares and market in the city.

Me and Hajja relaxing at Aicha's house. Summer 2009. I stepped off the plane in Casablanca. The air was smoggy, hot and dry. There was the distinct smell of diesel fuel, stale perfume and ocean air in the distance. I visited Morocco once before in 2006 to meet my husband’s family for the first time. They threw an amazing three day wedding celebration for us. This visit there would be no major celebrations, just time to visit and see more of the country. Hajja (my mother in law), Omar (my brother in law) and Aziz (the mister) met me at the airport.  It was wonderful to see them again. My mother in law has a fantastic sense of humor always smells faintly of orange blossoms. Omar is kind and gentle- he is a devout Muslim and has the dark marks from regular prayer on his forehead. It had been six weeks since I had seen Aziz. he looked strong, tan, rested and refreshed. We packed my luggage into Omar's Fiat and headed to Aziz's sisters house. When we arrived, Aïcha ha...

Finally getting my images from Morocco edited and up. More thoughts on Morocco later, just a handful of images for now.

This past weekend I headed out with a group of local photographers to Pier 45 to check out the Musée de Mécanique . Its an interesting place- good to check out this time of year when the pier is not overrun with tourists. Not too many other thoughts on the shoot- photos below.

Having spent the past 10 years striving to use the best camera I could afford, best film I could buy and best printing materials possible it has been refreshing, even liberating, to create images with a low quality cell phone camera. And I am not the only one. Talking to other photographers and reading through other blogs, image making with a mobile phone cameras is gaining popularity. Even carrying the potential to win awards. When I graduated from art school in 2004 I started using a Mamiya RZ67. Its a sexy camera. I loved it when I first got it, and I still love it today. The first time I ever questioned using it was during a trip to Morocco in 2006. Regardless of where I was- in the medina, hiking through the Sahara or at home with family- it drew way too much attention. The presence of the camera changed peoples reaction to me. The amount of attention I received in public places made me very uncomfortable, family members became stiff and awkward, and weight of the camer...

San Francisco has been my home for the past 15 years. I love this city. She has been good to me. I've met some amazing people, eaten incredible food, and seen some unforgettable things. Despite all this, I've grown a little tired of the old 7x7. I've even considered moving to (gulp) L.A. But every time one of these fleeting thoughts becomes a remote reality, I cling to SF like a familiar lover I never want to leave. I spent this past weekend walking around the city with fresh eyes and remembered again why I love it here. Chinatown has always been one of my favorite neighborhoods to photograph. All the colors and old architecture never fail to be visually stimulating. Saturday afternoon Grant Street was closed down for the Chinese New Year Flower market. Check out all the pictures on Flickr- http://www.flickr.com/photos/amandablanton/