Wandering Educators will remember the extraordinary photography of Ugo Cei - he has been featured as one of our photographers of the month. Now there is more goodness to see and read - Ugo recently published an excellent new ebook with his business partner, Massimiliano Cremascoli, called Urban Morocco. This book? It's an intimate glimpse into the vibrant culture of Morocco. It's also an ode to beauty, color, people, and looking. For these photos not only show us much that we haven't seen about Morocco, but also encourage us to look deeper, to dig into the culture and find treasures. You'll see photos of ordinary life, of people and work and colors and items both ancient and modern.You'll read about the country, culture, and colors. It's an inspiration to not only go to Morocco, but to actually LOOK. I love it.

We had a chance to catch up with Ugo and ask about the book, Moroccan design, photographic tips, inspiration, and more. Here's what he had to say...

Please tell us about your book, Urban Morocco...

Urban Morocco is a book about the cities of Morocco and their contradictions. Sometimes it feels as if Morocco has managed to add a patina of modernity atop its centuries-old character without destroying what lies underneath. If not for the forest of satellite dishes that covers almost every square meter of the terraced rooftops of Fes, the view of the ancient medina from above wouldn't be much different from the one described in 1889 by one of its first European visitors, Pierre Loti.

What inspired you to create this book?

We visited Morocco one year ago and were fascinated by its rich culture. We came home with thousands of photographs and it took us almost a year to organize the best of them into a book. In this collection of photos taken of Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, and Meknès, our goal has been to portray a world of contrasts between ancient and modern, ugly and beautiful, bustling and quiet. The book is loosely organized into sections, each visually highlighting an aspect of Moroccan life: Architecture and Design, People, Street Life, Work, Religion and Markets.

I love the intricacy and details in Moroccan design - what captured your eye most?

Probably the metal artifacts. In Fes, we visited the laboratory of this artisan, whose father had decorated the brass ornaments of the doors of the Royal Palace there. You can see a photo of him holding one of his brass plates in the book, together with some details from those doors. This is a centuries old tradition that is still transmitted from father to son.

I have never seen such an in-depth look at a place. What do you hope readers take away from your book?

A desire to visit the country and peel away at the patina that seems to cover it, to discover its shining innards.

What surprised you about Morocco?

The fact that the country is so close to Europe and so easy to reach from here. Yet, at the same time, it deeply belongs in Africa and, for some aspects, to a different age. It is friendly and welcoming, yet reserved and mysterious.

Where can people learn more about this book?

You can buy a copy of the book from Blurb, in softcover, hardcover, and eBook editions: http://www.blurb.com/b/6098164-urban-morocco

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If you want to come along with us on one of our photographic trips along the shores of the Mediterranean, check out our website: www.mediterraneanphototours.com. We offer photography tours in some amazing locations, combining travel and photography education for small groups of people.

All photos courtesy and copyright Ugo Cei and Massimiliano Cremascoli, Urban Morocco