Some think of the very act of photography as a spiritual experience. Especially devotes to Zen, which has a philosophy of the interconnectedness of everything (including mechanical things) with the great universal spirit.
As a Christian I believe in a Creator God who made the universe, and for me being in nature observing things (regardless of whether I have my camera with me or not) is a chance to observe His handy work and marvel at it. There's also very much a faith element in photography, the very act of going out to take photos, is an act of faith that the light is going to be good and I get the shot I was looking for.
So now I want to share the story of this shot:- I finally had a free morning after a good while, so I decided to get up very early (4am). Get dressed in plenty of warm clothing. Grab the camera bag (already packed the night before). Walk 10 minutes to the train station in darkness at near freezing temperature. Catch three trains. Walk 1km up a mountain stopping to grab a snickers bar (breakfast) from a convenience store along the way. Pay a 300yen entry fee to a temple on the mountain, so I can get to a good viewing platform. All in the hope of catching a good sunrise! Then it happened, suddenly the most glorious golden light lit up the mountains to the west. It was only a brief moment and this photo doesn't really do it justice, but just watching the scene unfold was an awe inspiring experience that made the whole effort worth it.
The weather for the rest of the day was overcast and dull. As I caught a bus back to Kyoto and saw people looking sad and depressed on their way to work or school. I just thought if they had seen what I saw, maybe their moods could have been happier. Yes, the early bird really does catch the worms!