Peterson’s work as a photojournalist, collected into substantial bound volumes, chronicles the pastimes, philanthropy, and fashions of St. Louisans over more than a decade. Her long running column in the Suburban Journal went far beyond the photography itself. Peterson pitched the articles, took the photographs, wrote the text, and did the page layout, delivering print-ready pages late at night to meet the newspaper deadline. Peterson also made a practice of sending copies of her photos to their subjects, which further strengthened her ties in the community and yielded leads for other freelance work.

Peterson works in various forms of photography including silver gelatin, color, polaroid SX-70, hand colored black and white, panoramas, and digital. Her collages incorporate photos as well as Xerox transfers, gel, pen, ink, paint and ephemera. Peterson incorporates a range of photographic processes and artistic techniques with ephemera in her handmade journals, creating layered memories that explore the meaning of home through everyday experiences and celebrations.

When photography was making the transition to digital, Peterson started taking classes at St. Louis Community College – Meramec to acquire the technical knowledge needed to make this transition. She has continued to take classes there, having found a community of photographers who together explore different media and provide mutual support. In 2013 Peterson established the Peterson Photography Lecture Series, which presents an artist lecture in conjunction with a gallery opening at the college.