An experiment...

I want to see where you live, but like, not in a creepy way.

Hello and happy 2025 to all who celebrate. A few days ago, I was taking a walk around my neighborhood here in Seattle and realized that I probably won’t be leaving the US in January. I’m not too fussed, considering the latter part of 2024 was full of shenanigans and somehow I’m still tired.

But that got me thinking about photography for January, and how most of it will likely be Seattle or in the broader PNW. This feels a little daunting because I find it’s far harder for me to make photos at home. The photos I enjoy the most are the ones that attempt to capture what it feels like to exist somewhere, which more often than not are something simple like a couple of empty cups at a cafe. It’s easier to see (and romanticize) those moments as an outsider, and more far challenging to see when I’m just in my daily routine.¹ For me, at least.

Then I started thinking that, even though I likely won’t be abroad anywhere this month, it would still be pretty cool to see what somewhere else in the world looks like in January. Which got me thinking about an experiment. My ask, if you’re up for it, is to send me any pictures you take (or have taken) this month that show life this time of year where you live. Or if you’re traveling, a picture from your trip.

I’m not just talking about gorgeous pictures of snowy mountains or beautiful beaches (those are also welcome). I’m also talking about “boring” pictures, at least ones you probably wouldn’t find on social media or Google Maps. What’s in season at the local market or grocery store? Any festivals or events taking over your city in January? Freak snow storm or unusually warm weather? Or maybe you were walking your dog through the park and the light was juuuuust right. Small towns or big cities. The idea is to catalogue how different places around the world look or feel.

If all goes according to plan, I’ll send out an email at the end of the month with the photos from January. This could all be pretty cool if a bunch of people contribute, but it could also be really embarrassing for me if only my girlfriend Steph sends me a picture of our plant named Stevie. Really embarrassing.

Anyway, I took a peek at the stats, and it turns out people in 42 US states and 58 countries read this newsletter!

That is a truly shocking number, seriously, thank you for being here. Ostensibly we can cover some decent ground with all our pictures alone, but if you know anyone that would be interested in joining in, definitely forward or send this to them.

Some guidelines:

• Everyone is welcome to send in something, whether you’re a professional, hobbyist, or just want to join (which could be the most interesting!). The photos don’t have to be “good” (which is mostly subjective anyway), but some level of intentionality and care is appreciated.

• The photos should be from January 2025.

• Include the city, town, or general region where you took the picture.

• No pics of your children (these will be public), and avoid cats or dogs unless they’re central to the picture’s story.

I thought a cool way to get this all done is using Substack’s Chat feature, so I started a thread there you can join. Otherwise, if you don’t have the Substack app, send me a message on Instagram or Bluesky, or just reply to this email. I’ll be collecting until the end of the month, so feel free to send them any time.

Skylar

1. Ironically as I was writing this, fellow writer and photographer

Tom Pendergast

and I were chatting about how we need to at least have some kind of opinion about a place before we can take interesting photos. So there’s definitely some middle ground between new eyes and taking it all for granted.