Morocco's markets, artisan workshops, and street scenes are visually stunning, but pointing a camera at a person — a snake charmer, a water seller in traditional dress, a shopkeeper, a woman in a village — without asking first is a common source of tension, and in tourist squares like Jemaa el-Fnaa it can also come with an expected tip for posed photos.
A quick gesture toward your camera and a smile, waiting for a nod, takes two seconds and avoids any awkwardness — and it usually gets you a better, more natural photo anyway since the subject isn't caught off guard. If someone clearly performs for tips (musicians, henna artists, the square's famous characters), a small dirham note after photographing them is the expected courtesy.
