Devotion - Exposure awards

Devotion is a photographic journey that explores the culture and rituals of differing faith traditions across the world. From the Buddhist monasteries of Tibet to the rock hewn churches of Ethiopia; from the Sufi shrines of Iran to the burning Ghats of India and the heights of the Peruvian Andes, the project seeks to capture both the intimate and epic nature of varied spiritual practices, both private moments of prayer and great public demonstrations of faith. The photographer hopes to capture the common humanity, rather than the dogma, behind these traditions and in some small way encourage curiosity, understanding and tolerance of differing beliefs. This is also a personal spiritual journey for Christopher Roche - in part through his engagement with these differing faiths and in part through the development of his craft and expression of his creativity. It is the photographer’s experience that many of the ancient devotional traditions that have been central to the culture of these regions for hundreds if not thousands of years are now under threat from the forces of globalization, mass tourism and political oppression. This photographic project hopes be a testament to the importance of these traditions.