Contact

I am a photographer living in south-west England documenting ritual and worship across 3 countries.

I studied documentary photography at Bridgwater College to City and Guilds standard and,  following a successful career as a psychiatric nurse,  over the last decade have established a comprehensive body of work as a photographer across a number of countries.

My interests include documenting Ritual and Worship in India and Morocco,  documenting wider cultural aspects of both countries,  and portrayal of historical cultural aspects of the United Kingdom.  The notion of ‘Sacred Landscapes’ fascinates me.

My choice of camera systems for image capture include Nikon DSLRs and Fuji GFX mirrorless cameras and I use Epson for digital printing.

I am currently introducing opportunity for the download of digital images from my website at a number of resolutions at accessible prices,  and structurally that process is now in place.  I am reformulating my website to reflect that development,  am extending Galleries to differentiate work from those different countries where all images are able to be downloaded.  I will also choose the best images from those Galleries for download on the Purchase pages,  where the Galleries will not be differentiated.  To support the downloads, I  am considering appropriate Licensing requirements.  

At a later date I am also hoping to offer a bespoke fine art archival giclee prints using contemporary Epson printing technology. 

Updates of progress of both services will be recorded on my Blog .

 Please contact me by email at geoffreybillettsales@gmail.com

August 2023

 

 

Exhibitions

 

2002      Balanced Like Scales Brewhouse Theatre and Art Centre

This project involved organising several workshops for people who had lived most of their lives in institutions but had recently moved into community living. I supported people in taking portraits of each other using a Bronical 6×6 camera and professional lighting equipment.   Analogue monochrome capture.

 

 

2005      White Graves Yeovil Arts Centre

This project involved driving from north to south Spain over All Souls Weekend, stopping at pre-planned cemeteries to photograph activities throughout the weekend. I began in Comillas and finished at Tarifa, visiting cemeteries including Burgos, Salamanca, Caceres, Montefrio, and Cordoba.  Analogue monochrome capture.

 

 

2006      Romeria de el Rocio Bridgwater Arts Centre

This project involved joining the Sevilla Hermandad ( Brotherhood ) on a 5 day walk from Seville to el Rocio in the Donana national park, photographing religious activity and the physical effects of strenuous pilgrimage on participants.  Analogue monochrome capture.

 

 

2013       Gateway to Nirvana  Art Tea Zen Cafe  Langport

The photographer spent 8 days at the Kumbh Mela, India,  building a portfolio of beautiful photographs which portray something of the devotion, colour and fervour of Hindu faith. He spent time with the mysterious Sadhus and walked by day and by night through crowds of devotees bathing and undertaking riverside arti fire rituals, making photographs under the artificial sodium lamps of the Mela and as the sun rose over the sacred Ganges.  These are photographs of a multitude of people at prayer within a country often described as the most religious on Earth.   Digital capture.

 

 

Publications

 

2006    From Earth to Air

This  is a book featuring monochrome documentary images of tradition and culture throughout Andaluciafocusing predominantly on gypsy culture,  flamenco, the Spanish pre-occupation with death and  Semana Santa activities.  It is complemented by poetry written by Federico Garcia Lorca including traditional  lyrics of cante jondo songs and siguiriyas  he adapted.  The book will be available for sale soon .

 

2013       Gateway to Nirvana

The Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, India, has been described as the greatest religious gathering in the history of the world. On its holiest day, Mauni Amavasya, in early February 2013,  an estimated 30 million people came to bath in the holy water of the river Ganges. Bathing continued throughout the day and the night as pilgrims hoped to achieve liberation from the hardships of re-incarnation.

The photographer spent 8 days at the Mela where  he stayed with the mysterious Juna Akhara, a group of sadhus who are the most mysterious and enigmatic of all the Akharas, building a portfolio of beautiful photographs which portray something of the devotion, colour and fervour of their faith. He also walked by day and by night through crowds of devotees bathing and undertaking riverside arti fire rituals, making photographs under the artificial sodium lamps of the Mela and as the sun rose over the sacred Ganges.

These are photographs of a multitude of people at prayer within a country often described as the most religious on Earth.

 

Current Projects

  • To document significant Worship and Ritual sites and spiritual occasions on the River Ganges India. 
  • To document cultural aspects of Morocco,  including Muslim festivals and Sufi .
  • To continue  documenting aspects of traditional British custom ,  custom and historical landscape.