Photographer David Storey Captures Religious Devotion Around the World
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Documenting Devotion


Black and white photo of David Storey, holding up a sign that reads: "Storey."
Artist and designer, David Storey.

Artist and designer David Storey (BA ’74) keeps close to his photographic roots. From developing film in his mother’s bathtub at age 12 to working as a photojournalist covering lifestyle, politics, and music in the Bay Area, Storey cut his teeth on documentary and fine-art photography. He maintains a commercial design and photography studio and travels annually with Foundry, a globe-trotting workshop of documentary photographers.

A traditional healer wearing a fur hat.

Above: This sangoma, or traditional Sotho healer, in Malealea, Lesotho, lives two hours south of the capital, Maseru. His roles include healing, divining, finding lost cattle, telling sacred stories, and performing birth and death rituals.

Three Indian men with red paint on their foreheads and their hands clasped in prayer.

Above: Three men show their devotion at Galtaji, also known as the Monkey Temple, an ancient Hindu pilgrimage site near Jaipur, India. Pilgrims go there to collect holy water to take back to their villages.

A young Buddhist monk bowing his head down while another monk shaves his head.

Above: At a monastery in Chiang Mai, Thailand, a novice Buddhist monk has his head shaved by another young monk at the beginning of his ordination ceremony. The monks meditate, pray, do chores, and collect alms.

A brother and sister pray after purifying themselves in a pool. The photo is in black and white.

Above: In Tampak Siring, Indonesia, a brother and sister pray after purifying themselves in a pool of water sacred to Balinese Hindus. They later dressed in white and were blessed by a high priest.