Ismail Zaidy took this image, with the help of his siblings, in the gardens of the famous La Mamounia hotel in Marrakech. The Moroccan photographer received special authorisation to shoot there in 2021, when Covid restrictions were in place. He took his brother, Othmane, as shoot assistant and his sister, Fatimazahra, was the model in the image, wearing a vintage dress their mum had bought at a flea market. The small team fixed flowers to a plastic sheet and took a number of shots over a three-hour period; Othmane appeared in some, too.
Zaidy recalls what a treat it felt to be outside. “Getting access to open spaces was limited, so being outdoors – even briefly – felt refreshing and special,” he says. “ It was a fairly chaotic period for all of us, but over time things calmed down and we found a rhythm. It actually gave us more time to create together.”
Fatimazahra was 18 at the time, and Zaidy notes how “her thoughtful personality is reflected in the mood of the image. In the end, I selected one with her eyes closed because it felt calm and quiet.”
When Zaidy first shared this photo during the pandemic, he got a flood of positive feedback. “People told me it gave them a sense of peace and hope. That was exactly my intention. I wanted it to bring optimism in uncertain times. Knowing it had that effect made me feel truly happy.”