The ESV Psalms Photography Edition from Crossway combines the full ESV text of the beloved Psalms with stunning photography to create an inviting reading experience.
ISBN: 9781433579240 Printed in China
Crossway provided this Bible in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.
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This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)
and many local Bible bookstores
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Table of Contents
Video Review
Construction and Materials
The ESV Psalms Photography Edition weighs just over 2 pounds and measures 9 3/4″ x 7 3/4″ x 1″. It has a light blue-gray cloth-over-board cover with a photo centered on the front cover. ESV, Psalms, and a small Crossway logo are debossed in white on the spine. There is one darker blue-gray ribbon that is 1/4 inch wide attached. It comes in a thick cardboard slipcover with a matching photo on the front and spine and a description in white on dark gray on the back.
The endpapers are a thick dark gray paper that has a noticeable, almost cloth-like texture to them.
The paper is thick (around 80 gsm) and a very matte white. It has a sewn binding. The pages are smooth and easy to turn.
Typography and Layout
The ESV Psalms has an 8.25-point Suisse Works font. It is black text on the white pages and white text when printed over the photographs.
The text is sometimes laid out in single-column and sometimes in double-column format. They have done a good job of making the layout fit the length of the different Psalms and the inclusion of the photos. There is always a wide margin and plenty of space between the lines of the text. Page numbers are on the outer corner in the footer of white pages.
Four lines of text and three spaces between fit in the height of a penny. The number of each Psalm is in the top outer corner in a larger font. There is never more than one Psalm on a page and longer Psalms can take up to eight pages. They have chosen to leave verse numbers out for a smoother reading experience.
Photos
If something is named Photography Edition you expect the photos to be beautiful and these certainly are.
All of the photographs are in full color and are of nature, natural things, and various landscapes from Ireland. Ireland was chosen because it is the home of Keith & Kristyn Getty who wrote the foreword for this book.
The photos vary in size from around half a page to a full two-page spread. Each was chosen to fit a theme within the text.
The photos with words over them are almost all dark enough that the white text is easy to read. They do occasionally use black text for light photographs.
While the photography is beautiful enough to be the main focus of a book, I think they have done a good job of balancing it with the text.
When reading, the photos seem more like an enhancement to the words than a distraction. Though, I can see the possibility of someone picking it up to look at the photos and ending up reading it.
Comparisons
There are some very obvious similarities to other individual books of the Bible with photography that have been published and some noticeable differences as well. Compared to the Kindred Gospels I reviewed earlier this year the ESV Psalms Photography Edition is smaller and hardcover rather than a perfect bound paperback.The paper in the ESV Psalms is much more matte, as well.
Both use varying text layouts and beautiful photography of natural items and scenery to create an inviting reading experience.
Overall, the ESV Psalms seems a little more traditional with its similar to a Bible text layout, ribbon marker, and cloth-over-board cover. The Kindred seems more modern with its more magazine-like layouts, glossy paper, and page trim style. The only feature that seems to go against this division is the inclusion of verse numbers in the Kindred and the lack of them in the ESV Psalms.
While I love traditional Bibles I also like seeing and using these very different concepts. Any of them could be used for a variety of purposes but the Kindred Bible (and The Alabaster Bible Beautiful that came before it) seem the most useful for starting conversations and getting those less familiar with God’s Word to start reading it. This ESV Psalms feels like a book that those more familiar with God’s Word would love to have as an enjoyable way to read through the Psalms again and again.
Final Thoughts on the ESV Psalms Photography Edition
The ESV Psalms Photography Edition is a beautiful book containing both the text of one of the most frequently read books of the Bible and gorgeous photography of Ireland. It is very useful for a study of the book of Psalms or just as an inviting way to read and reread them. I think it would also be good for those who are “praying the Bible” who use the Psalms frequently.
_________________________________________________________
This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)
and many local Bible bookstores
_________________________________________________________
Photography by Lucinda Brown
Crossway provided this Bible in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.
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