Ellington

As a rule, photo books have a few simple goals. Whether the focus is on nature, architecture or even a specific event, they can either provide deep and poignant reminders of the past or lively, beauty-centered images of present. What makes Malcolm White's self-published debut, "Little Stories: A Collection of Mississippi Photos" ($34.95, 2015), noteworthy is that, at times, it manages to do both.

White is the tourism director for the Mississippi Development Authority and the owner of popular Jackson eatery Hal & Mal's. With the help of New York City-based photographer Chandler Griffin and graphic designer Catherine Jones, White gathered about 300 photos he had captured on his smartphone to create a visual journal of his state-spanning travels.

Some of the images offer a happy burst of "Hey, I know that place," while others strike a balance between unfamiliar and yet unmistakably Mississippi. These are some of the most successful moments in "Little Stories." Sites such as the fading Barq's sign above Peaches' Cafe and the awe-inspiring rotunda at the Old Capitol Museum will either be instantly recognizable or feel just out of memory. That isn't something one normally experiences from a photo book, which makes it all the more interesting.

For fans of nature shots, there are plenty to be found—aerial views of smooth-flowing, muddy rivers and crisp, green grass lining a seemingly endless dirt road—but White's collection is strongest when it turns to showcasing beauty in the mundane. He finds the visible roughness of rust on an old car and the twist of a sloping banister, and makes them eye-catching. A few of these might even feel slightly eerie, but I found them to be his most captivating choices.

However, "Little Stories" suffers a bit of a lull once it reaches food segment near the center of the book, though it starts especially well. We encounter three images of a vivid, blue sky seen through trees and crossing wires that transition directly to a freshly picked-at plate of catfish on a red-and-white-striped tablecloth. Here, the final piece completes the patriotic color scheme to great result. The next six pages of food pictures don't make a strong statement, but for any viewer who just enjoys a well-framed photo of southern cuisine, they don't have to.

In terms of the images themselves, almost all of "Little Stories" is quite appealing to look at. The layout of the photos, which can appear as one large centerpiece or as many as nine to a page, is clean and simple. A blanket of white surrounds each photo, ensuring that the viewers' eyes head right where they need to be and stay there.

Ultimately, there is more than enough character and intriguing imagery here to carry you through "Little Stories." While it isn't the only collection to feature this style of photography, this one is certainly specific to Mississippi and, perhaps more so, to White.

And I can say from experience, you'll crack it open more than once to take another look at those places you just can't quite put a name to.

Malcolm White's "Little Stories: A Collection of Mississippi Photos" is available now at Lemuria Books. For more information, visit littlestoriesms.com.