With the Olympics in London over, we're still passing the baton here in NYC.  A virtual baton, that is, in the form of an Instagram account that makes its way from photographer to photographer.

The idea for NYCbaton came from Gotham Instagram God John DeGuzman, whose powerful images of the city have attracted over 25,000 followers on the popular social imaging platform.  And while John isn't the first to come up with a fun way to collaborate via Instagram - see the team over at Instagrits for example - his "baton" idea grabbed my attention immediately.

Basically, there's a single Instagram account, and every day (well, almost every day) a new NYC photographer takes over the feed and posts photos from his or her unique perspective and interaction with the city.  Started about a month ago, the NYCBaton account has nearly 1,000 followers, providing a great audience for photographers who long to have DeGuzman's reach.  

As John says, "over time we'll have a tapestry of windows on New Yorker's lives," - and that certainly has been the case so far - I've seen photos ranging from dramatic cityscapes to the mundane details of everyday lives - commutes, cubicles, and coffee breaks. 

If you're on Instagram, check out @nycbaton and give it a follow.  And do it soon - this Friday I'll be taking the baton for the first time.

Let's hope I don't drop it!