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Culture Books & Media

Photographer Chris Rainier Captures Sacred Outdoor Places

In ‘Sacred: In Search of Meaning,’ renowned photographer Chris Rainier chronicles his decades-long journey exploring the world’s spiritual sites

Photography by
Chris Rainier
Text by
Isabella Rosario
Twitter Icon

Chris Rainier’s latest photo book was 40 years in the making. After being forced to slow down during the pandemic, the documentary photographer combed through boxes in his New Mexico home in search of unrealized projects. “I knew there was this body of work sitting in my basement,” Rainier says. The result of this archival work—as well as more recent photos Rainier took in Iceland and Saudi Arabia to “top off the tank”—is Sacred: In Search of Meaning ($85). Featuring a variety of perspectives on what makes a place sacred, Rainier’s images of breathtaking landscapes are bookended by essays from contributors like American writer Terry Tempest Williams, Tlingit storyteller Gene Tagaban, and British essayist Pico Iyer. “What I wanted to do was bring together a group of highly respected authors and spiritual leaders, and give people the opportunity to think about how we can make our lives more meaningful,” Rainier says. While he is not a follower of any particular religion, Rainier says his travels are motivated by a spiritual yearning. “Who are we, why are we here, and what is this all about? The book doesn’t attempt to answer these questions, but rather just reflect on what they mean to oneself personally.”

Image

Calanais Standing Stones, Scotland (2019)

Image
(Chris Rainier)

Serpent art, Southwest U.S. (2019)

Image

Hsinbyume Pagoda, Myanmar (2019)

Image

Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland (2020)

Iceberg at daybreak
(Chris Rainier)

Black Diamond Beach, Iceland (2021)

whale bones stick out of grass on a cloudy day
(Chris Rainier)

Whale Bone Alley, northern Siberia (2019)

Image
(Chris Rainier)

Northern lights, Iceland (2021)

Image
(Chris Rainier)

Al ’Ula ruins, Saudi Arabia (2021)

Image
(Chris Rainier)

A volcanic sunrise, Iceland (2021)

Filed to:
  • Books
  • Iceland
  • Nature
  • Photography

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