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Photography

In pictures – human spirituality in all its remarkable beauty and diversity

Love, commitment, dedication, and faith – the many forms of devotion as seen through the lens of one photographer

Friday 22 December 2023 09:05 EST
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Bearing witness to the Holocaust, Grover Gauntt meditates during an annual Buddhist-led retreat at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp
Bearing witness to the Holocaust, Grover Gauntt meditates during an annual Buddhist-led retreat at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp (Steve McCurry)

Magnum Photos and National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry is known for his compelling and evocative images; his 1984 portrait of Sharbat Gula, known as Afghan Girl, is one of the world’s most recognisable photographs. His latest book, Devotion, delves deep into the human spirit with a collection of images that are at once beautiful and also incredibly moving.

Devotion, by Steve McCurry, is published by Prestel, £50, www.prestel.com

Monks suspend themselves from a metal beam as they train at the Shaolin Monastery in Zhengzhou, China. The physical strength and dexterity displayed by the monks is incredible, although they exude a deep serenity
Monks suspend themselves from a metal beam as they train at the Shaolin Monastery in Zhengzhou, China. The physical strength and dexterity displayed by the monks is incredible, although they exude a deep serenity (Steve McCurry)
Monks pray at Golden Rock, an important Buddhist site in Myanmar. McCurry spent days there determining the best vantage point and time. The picture was taken about 10 minutes after sunset
Monks pray at Golden Rock, an important Buddhist site in Myanmar. McCurry spent days there determining the best vantage point and time. The picture was taken about 10 minutes after sunset (Steve McCurry)
A man prays in church in Lavazza, Brazil
A man prays in church in Lavazza, Brazil (Steve McCurry)
The formal properties of this image are subtle but remarkably successful. The four monks are walking in the rain along the Naga causeway at Angkor Wat, Cambodia. The ordered balance of space and colour between the monks works in harmony with the receding perspective to connect them to the temple in the distance
The formal properties of this image are subtle but remarkably successful. The four monks are walking in the rain along the Naga causeway at Angkor Wat, Cambodia. The ordered balance of space and colour between the monks works in harmony with the receding perspective to connect them to the temple in the distance (Steve McCurry)
A woman enters a medieval church that is carved into solid rock in Lalibela, Ethiopia. Lalibela is famous for its monolithic rock-cut churches, which date from the seventh to 13th centuries, and were declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1978.
A woman enters a medieval church that is carved into solid rock in Lalibela, Ethiopia. Lalibela is famous for its monolithic rock-cut churches, which date from the seventh to 13th centuries, and were declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1978. (Steve McCurry)
An elderly couple walk down the street in Lourdes, France
An elderly couple walk down the street in Lourdes, France (Steve McCurry)
A woman passes men in prayer in Mumbai, India
A woman passes men in prayer in Mumbai, India (Steve McCurry)
In simple terms, the contrast between the man on the left, serenely praying in Gujarat, India, and the fluttering flags to the right, makes for a visually arresting image. On closer scrutiny one can see that the colour of the flags is mirrored in the colours of the man's painted fingernails and his bracelet
In simple terms, the contrast between the man on the left, serenely praying in Gujarat, India, and the fluttering flags to the right, makes for a visually arresting image. On closer scrutiny one can see that the colour of the flags is mirrored in the colours of the man's painted fingernails and his bracelet (Steve McCurry)
A premature baby is examined in Jaipur, India
A premature baby is examined in Jaipur, India (Steve McCurry)
A boy rests against a cow in Kathmandu, Nepal. Cows roam freely in the Himalayan kingdom and are considered sacred by the 80 per cent of Nepalis who are Hindu
A boy rests against a cow in Kathmandu, Nepal. Cows roam freely in the Himalayan kingdom and are considered sacred by the 80 per cent of Nepalis who are Hindu (Steve McCurry)
A mother peels potatoes in Beirut, Lebanon
A mother peels potatoes in Beirut, Lebanon (Steve McCurry)
A husband and wife return home after working in their corn fields in Gostivar, in what is now called North Macedonia
A husband and wife return home after working in their corn fields in Gostivar, in what is now called North Macedonia (Steve McCurry)
A mahout – who dedicate their lives to caring for a specific elephant – leads one of the animals at a rescue sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand
A mahout – who dedicate their lives to caring for a specific elephant – leads one of the animals at a rescue sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand (Steve McCurry)

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