Happy New Year!
#049
I hope you’re well on your way to pursuing your resolutions. I didn’t write down any specific resolutions for this year, but there are certainly some things I’m hoping to accomplish: learning to weld, making frames from recovered walnut boards milled half a century ago, making more portraits, and increasing my connection to the analog world.
Scrolling through my phone’s camera roll, 2025 seems like a blur. It was a good blur, though. A lot of highs, a few lows, an impossible number of dog pictures, and a ridiculous number of “selfies.” (I’ve always detested that word.) And let’s not forget the videos: vertical for the socials, horizontal because that’s what makes sense to my brain.
Better still, there were real, honest-to-god-off-screen moments, the ones I really cherish. Being fully known by someone who sees through your bullshit and still chooses love and compassion. Choosing to not get my phone or camera out and standing still while the sun sets. Continuing to learn our woods by walking and listening. Not being in a hurry. Not knowing what is next, but doing the next thing.
Speaking of next things, I’m grateful to be printing again. In an overwhelmingly digital world, I still believe in print. Making prints is an essential part of my workflow as a photographer. A photograph doesn’t feel real to me until I print it. Instagram will never be the space to study, engage, and meditate on the power of a still image or series. By default, it’s designed to keep you scrolling. And while I’m actively on Instagram, I choose to use it to point to my website and ultimately, to prints and photobooks. (If you’re interested in acquiring any of my work as a print, please send me a message.)
Notes:
Our kids all made it home for Christmas, which was a great opportunity to make portraits. Here are a few of my son, Cameron.
Substack provides some pretty detailed metrics. Here’s a quick breakdown of my newsletter subscribers by state:
I’ll leave you with this quote from Sally Mann’s latest book, Art Work: On the Creative Life (Abrams, 2025), which she acknowledges as a nod to Wendell Berry:
“Be kind, be thankful, believe in your work, and, above all, care for your place in the world.”
Thanks for reading and supporting this newsletter!
- Roger
happy new year roger!
Happy New Year, sir. Thanks for your photos, writings, and inspiration.