I grew up in Norway, and my earliest fascination with art came in the books by Elsa Beskow, a Swedish children's book author who would place her protagonist children in these beautiful natural settings. This image comes from a book you can also find in English called The Children of the Forest. It was only after I started reading this book to my kids that I realised what an immense impact she's had on how I photograph my own adventures with my kids. It made me so happy to think that something I connected with while I was a child came alive when I had children myself. And then I started realising that many of my favourite books have also had an impact on how I see and photograph the world around me.

Reach back into your past and have a good think about a book you really connected with. It doesn't have to be a picture book, it could be the words that influenced you. Now write down all the reasons you love that book. Spend some time really thinking it over. What was it about that book that impacted you? Why did it impact you? Where would you read it? Or did someone read it to you? How did this book influence you as a child? As an adult?

Look at all the words you just wrote down. Now take a look through some of your work.

Do you see any of it repeated back to you in your photography?