BOOKS + PHOTOS: A Series

Written By christen peters

Pt. 1 — PEEL
“peeling fruit for someone is a sign of tenderness, love.” -Jane Wong

Film photograph of mother handing a peeled mandarin to her son in Auckland, New Zealand.
Film photograph of a quote in a book in New Zealand.

I was recently listening to a few Podcast interviews with John Dolan, an amazingly talented wedding photographer. If you haven't heard of him already, go check out his work. 

In one of his interviews, he said something along the lines of how he “photographs with a writer's attitude…” He sees storylines playing out all around him and he attempts to document it all with a narrative approach. 


When I'm reading books, sometimes a phrase or line will jump out at me in a super visual way. I've started compiling these moments together in a notebook. They have become little seeds for an ongoing personal project — photos inspired by quotes, chapters, or lines from books that I love.

A line that I have turned into photographs recently: 

“peeling fruit for someone is a sign of tenderness, love.” -Jane Wong

35mm photograph of mandarins and their peels, shot on Portra 400 in Auckland, New Zealand.
Film photograph of an open book, shot on Portra 400.
Mother in a silk slip peeling a mandarin for her child, photographer on Portra 400 film in Auckland, New Zealand.

I love being able to intertwine these two loves of mine – books and photos. I also think this type of mindset shift could be fun if you're in a bit of a creative rut. 


So, if you're wanting to delve more into narrative/storytelling photography, here are some easy ways to incorporate more of that vibe: 

1. If you're a reader, start noting what phrases or emotions jump out at you. Start writing those down and see if there's a theme – holding hands, joy, parenthood, grief. How can these be visually represented? Snap a few photos and explore those ideas.

2. Get close to your subjects. A lot of times, writing is powerful because of the details, right? The same goes for photographing people. Getting just a liiiiitle closer than you normally would can create a whole new emotion within your photos. You can also do this by simply cropping into a photo you already love. 

3. Play with light and shadow. The most “normal” scene can become compelling with beautiful direct or dappled light. Your kids eating pancakes in glowy morning light, your partner drinking a beer by the fire pit – light invites mood which in turn invites a story. Play with types of light that you might normally shy away from. 

Those are just a few little tidbits to try if you want to play with narrative photography. For me, it's leaning away from the typical “look at the camera and smile” photos and getting deeper into the story of a family with creative storytelling.

While we're on the topic of books, here are some recent books I've enjoyed: 

Let Me Tell You What I Mean by Joan Didion 
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
The Hurting Kind by Ada Limón 
Bluets by Maggie Nelson

I just started The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and I can already tell I'm going to love it. 

This blog was made from excerpts from my weekly newsletter. Click the button below to subscribe to weekly inspiration with storytelling, motherhood, film photography and everyday joy at its core. 

christen peters
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