The Psalms tie it all together — the character and glory of God, the state of man, and the beauty of creation.
Photographing the Psalms
I started this project in November 2024 to marry my interest in photography with a desire to read through the psalms systematically. The psalms are beautiful, classic literature referenced throughout western culture. They are also God’s inspired words spoken through his people as they wrestle through powerful emotions from despair to joy.
The idea started when reading Psalm 19. It has two themes. The first is familiar to many: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” The stars, the sky, sunsets, clouds — these things stir emotions deep within us, which should point our hearts to loving and appreciating God the creator.
But the second theme of Psalm 19 shifts. “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” The psalm remindes us that sunsets and stars are amazing and point to God’s own amazing glory, but even more value is found in God’s word: the Bible, his commandments, the story of his work through history, and ultimately pointing ahead to Jesus (God’s Word made flesh) and his fulfillment of the promise made long ago to deliver us from sin and death.
I love photography as a means to capture the beauty of God’s creation, as described in the first half of Psalm 19. Can the beauty of God’s word also be captured in photos? Will it be boring? I’ll make an attempt to keep it visually interesting. And at the very least it will encourage me to work my way through the psalms. I hope you will find this work beautiful in some way.
