Photographer Chris Rainier Captures Sacred Outdoor Places

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.”