Morocco is home to the fabled city of Chefchaouen, the Blue Pearl, or Blue City. This city is actually painted blue and white, it's unbelievable to see. The city was founded in 1471 as a small kasbah by Ali ibn Rashid al-Alami and was built to defend against Portuguese invasions of northern Morocco. The streets are narrow and wind their way up and down the various elevations of the city, with artisans, merchants and restaurants everywhere. Blue, blue and more blue, it is mesmerizing and intoxicating. I happen to the love the color periwinkle, and was so happy to see that some of the walls were painted in that exact shade of blue.

While Chefchaouen's blue walls are a popular subject of interest, there are several theories as to why the walls were painted blue. One popular theory is that the blue keeps mosquitos away. The blue is said to symbolize the sky and heaven, and serve as a reminder to lead a spiritual life. However, according to some locals, the walls were mandated to be painted blue in the 1970s in order to attract tourists. Well it paid off. Thanks to the social media craze, this is one of the most photographed locations on Instagram.

But I didn't want to get just the standard daytime shot of the blue walls, I was hoping for something way more dynamic. A night shot taken from the Spanish Mosque up on the hill, would provide the ideal location. We hiked up the hill just before the sun went down and soon we reached the top, where we joined other diehard fans of the "city at night".

Many shots were taken, but this image I feel captures the mystery and exotic blue element of the city lit up at night. Shots of the walled fortress can be seen lit by yellow lights. A truly magical shoot that generated some great images. Thankfully the pathway down the side of the mountain was well lit helping me avoid any missteps with all my gear.