2024 05 11
A photo a day keeps the doctor away?
Here’s the camera that has produced my first film photos in a decade. It’s likely also the very first picture of the beautiful Contax T2 next to the beast otherwise known as the Telsa Cybertruck. This was my first spotting of one in the wild, which happened, oddly, in Effingham, Illinois.
Keep on truckin’.
-Clayton
My new Contax T2 next to a Tesla Cybertruck. Effingham, Illinois. April, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
A photo a day keeps the doctor away?
Here’s the camera that has produced my first film photos in a decade. It’s likely also the very first picture of the beautiful Contax T2 next to the beast otherwise known as the Telsa Cybertruck. This was my first spotting of one in the wild, which happened, oddly, in Effingham, Illinois.
Keep on truckin’.
-Clayton
2024 05 10
Someone posted that Steve Albini had more effect on Chicago than most mayors do, and that’s probably true. I never knew Steve, never met him, was aware of his existence and importance but vastly under-appreciated it until yesterday, when he sadly died far too soon. The entirety of my social feeds were flooded with Albini stories and memories, which was a joy to take in.
Albini most recently lived in the Ravenswood Gardens neighborhood. He told the Columbia College blog “In the Loop” why he stayed in Chicago in a 2017 interview:
“There’s not a lot of bloodthirsty competition in Chicago. In places like New York and L.A. the cost of living is so high and the the notion of ‘industry’ is much more cemented. In L.A. there is a pop music industry, in New York there is a pop music industry, and there’s competition to be part of that. The competition to beat other people to the brass ring or whatever, and I never get that feeling in Chicago.”
I loved this take about why Steve chose to stay in Chicago after finding fame in recording massively successful rock albums and I think it helps summarize why Chicagoans hold Steve in such high regard. He was a complex figure who did not take bullshit from anyone and was not afraid to call people out for anything he deemed wrong, which is not a personality type that tends to do well within the power structures of big time America among the coastal elites.
If you, like me, were not well versed in Albini and his brain, do yourself a favor and dig into him some more. Listen to his albums. Read some of his thoughts.
This Baffler piece, for example, written in 1993 is an epic takedown of the extreme power structures which built up around mainstream music, designed to suck as much money out of the artists as it possibly could. His writing style is direct, strong, and punchy! 😛
The official Nirvana twitter account posted the 4-page letter he wrote to the band before recording In Utero with them and it’s an incredible read illustrating a wonderful piece of history. Check it out via the tweet linked below.
Rest in noise, Steve. Thanks for being you.
-Clayton
Old van that sits by my house collecting parking tickets. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Someone posted that Steve Albini had more effect on Chicago than most mayors do, and that’s probably true. I never knew Steve, never met him, was aware of his existence and importance but vastly under-appreciated it until yesterday, when he sadly died far too soon. The entirety of my social feeds were flooded with Albini stories and memories, which was a joy to take in.
Albini most recently lived in the Ravenswood Gardens neighborhood. He told the Columbia College blog “In the Loop” why he stayed in Chicago in a 2017 interview:
“There’s not a lot of bloodthirsty competition in Chicago. In places like New York and L.A. the cost of living is so high and the the notion of ‘industry’ is much more cemented. In L.A. there is a pop music industry, in New York there is a pop music industry, and there’s competition to be part of that. The competition to beat other people to the brass ring or whatever, and I never get that feeling in Chicago.”
I loved this take about why Steve chose to stay in Chicago after finding fame in recording massively successful rock albums and I think it helps summarize why Chicagoans hold Steve in such high regard. He was a complex figure who did not take bullshit from anyone and was not afraid to call people out for anything he deemed wrong, which is not a personality type that tends to do well within the power structures of big time America among the coastal elites.
If you, like me, were not well versed in Albini and his brain, do yourself a favor and dig into him some more. Listen to his albums. Read some of his thoughts.
This Baffler piece, for example, written in 1993 is an epic takedown of the extreme power structures which built up around mainstream music, designed to suck as much money out of the artists as it possibly could. His writing style is direct, strong, and punchy! 😛
The official Nirvana twitter account posted the 4-page letter he wrote to the band before recording In Utero with them and it’s an incredible read illustrating a wonderful piece of history. Check it out via the tweet linked below.
Rest in noise, Steve. Thanks for being you.
-Clayton
2024 05 09
I’m taking a break from listening to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track on repeat to post this blog entry. The song is incredible and so full of detail, things are still emerging after a few dozen listens. My dumb brain, prone to overthinking, interpreted the “A-minor” line as an insult that Drake likes to use the same key all the time (yeah, I’m dumb, and also not really familiar with Drake’s music). The song is a layered art piece that evolves over time and seemingly has the whole world talking about it.
Further detail about this line from genius:
Lastly, on a piano, both the A-Minor chord and scale don’t have any black keys, only white ones. Additionally, the A-Minor scale is considered to be the easiest scale to learn as a beginner in music theory.
At the very end of the line, the main beat cuts out and switches to a jazz tune for a few seconds—this might be a reference to this popular tweet by comedian Zack Fox:
@zachfox: kendrick bout to call him a pedophile over some free jazz
Also, how crazy is it that this beef has already led to someone getting shot and how little people seem to care. Did the shooting even happen? I’m not sure. And if it did, it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. There are way too many distractions and shit happening for us to collectively care about almost anything anymore, so when a song breaks through the clutter to catch the attention of the world, it’s a big deal.
Some artists are motivated by hate. It seems like Kendrick is at his best when he’s being attacked. Some of my best motivation has come from people not believing in me. It makes me wonder if this is why I’m usually drawn to darker themes and embrace negativity, acknowledging it’s real and natural, opposed to portraying the world only though a bright, colorful, and optimistic lens. When you embrace the darkness, it makes the light moments all the more profound.
Am I making any sense here?
-Clayton
Woman finds the light in downtown Chicago, Illinois. April, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
I’m taking a break from listening to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track on repeat to post this blog entry. The song is incredible and so full of detail, things are still emerging after a few dozen listens. My dumb brain, prone to overthinking, at first interpreted the “A-minor” line as an insult that Drake likes to use the same key all the time (yeah, I’m dumb, and also not really familiar with Drake’s music). Then, when it clicked, the song sizzled a little bit more! It’s a layered art piece that evolves over time and seemingly has the whole world talking about it.
…Further detail about this line from genius:
Lastly, on a piano, both the A-Minor chord and scale don’t have any black keys, only white ones. Additionally, the A-Minor scale is considered to be the easiest scale to learn as a beginner in music theory.
At the very end of the line, the main beat cuts out and switches to a jazz tune for a few seconds—this might be a reference to this popular tweet by comedian Zack Fox:
@zachfox: kendrick bout to call him a pedophile over some free jazz
Also, how crazy is it that this beef has already led to someone getting shot and how little people seem to care. Did the shooting even happen? I’m not sure. And if it did, it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. There are way too many distractions and shit happening for us to collectively care about almost anything anymore, so when a song breaks through the clutter to catch the attention of the world, it’s a big deal.
Some artists are motivated by hate. It seems like Kendrick is at his best when he’s being attacked. Some of my best motivation has come from people not believing in me. It makes me wonder if this is why I’m usually drawn to darker themes and embrace negativity, acknowledging it’s real and natural, opposed to portraying the world only though a bright, colorful, and optimistic lens. When you embrace the darkness, it makes the light moments all the more profound.
Am I making any sense here? Probably not. Back to listening, I go.
-Clayton
2024 05 08
Are you still taking pictures?
It’s something we photographers get asked, usually from relatives who don’t realize it’s a bit insulting, or perhaps can’t imagine somebody sticking with a hobby for their entire life. I’ve been doing photography as a job for about two decades. There have been long stretches of time where I wasn’t also making photos in my down time. It was my job and I still mostly loved it but I’d had my fill of it during the hours I was getting paid to make images.
I’ve long found I go through phases of interest in things. I get obsessed with roller coasters and travel the country riding them; then I get obsessed with coffee and want to open a coffee shop; then I get obsessed with cocktails and want to open a bar; then I get obsessed with geopolitics and want to become an intellectual. Typically these obsessions turn into phases and fade away in time. It’s only logical that photography, though it’s my job, will also ebb and flow in how excited I am to participate in it. Fortunately of late, I’ve found myself in an uptrend and have been motivated to make pictures, and perhaps soon video, at all hours of the day, whether it’s for myself or for a client.
There’s no shame in taking time off, doing something else, starting a new hobby. I can only image how challenging it must be for someone like Peter McKinnon, who built a massive name for himself through photography, to have to navigate what to do once the passion has worn thin and his livelihood is attached to posting thoughtful videos, and his staff is reliant on the income from posting thoughtful videos, but his thoughts are now elsewhere on things his audience may not give a shit about.
I have more complex thoughts on Peter the photographer but have no doubts he’ll find continued success because of his strength as a communicator and storyteller. He became as big as he did not because he’s an amazing photographer (not saying he isn’t!) but because he’s so great at connecting with people through his videos, like this one.
Peter, are you still taking pictures?
-Clayton
Fish, just hanging around at Warlord. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
Are you still taking pictures?
It’s something we photographers get asked, usually from relatives who don’t realize it’s a bit insulting, or perhaps can’t imagine somebody sticking with a hobby for their entire life. I’ve been doing photography as a job for about two decades. There have been long stretches of time where I wasn’t also making photos in my down time. It was my job and I still mostly loved it but I’d had my fill of it during the hours I was getting paid to make images.
I’ve long found I go through phases of interest in things. I get obsessed with roller coasters and travel the country riding them; then I get obsessed with coffee and want to open a coffee shop; then I get obsessed with cocktails and want to open a bar; then I get obsessed with geopolitics and want to become an intellectual. Typically these obsessions turn into phases and fade away in time. It’s only logical that photography, though it’s my job, will also ebb and flow in how excited I am to participate in it. Fortunately of late, I’ve found myself in an uptrend and have been motivated to make pictures, and perhaps soon video, at all hours of the day, whether it’s for myself or for a client.
There’s no shame in taking time off, doing something else, starting a new hobby. I can only image how challenging it must be for someone like Peter McKinnon, who built a massive name for himself through photography, to have to navigate what to do once the passion has worn thin and his livelihood is attached to posting thoughtful videos, and his staff is reliant on the income from posting thoughtful videos, but his thoughts are now elsewhere on things his audience may not give a shit about.
I have more complex thoughts on Peter the photographer but have no doubts he’ll find continued success because of his strength as a communicator and storyteller. He became as big as he did not because he’s an amazing photographer (not saying he isn’t!) but because he’s so great at connecting with people through his videos, like this one.
Peter, are you still taking pictures?
-Clayton
2024 05 07
Following my own advice from yesterday’s entry, I checked out another from Paulie B’s amazing Walkie Talkie series, this time featuring another photographer I was not previously familiar with by the name of Sara Messinger. I think the kids are alright! Beyond being introduced to another talented name, I loved the contrasting styles, approaches, and philosophies between Sara and Trevor, who was the previous subject of yesterday’s post. Throughout the entire forty-minute video, I’m not sure Sara made a single image, while Trevor finished like a dozen rolls and got into a few heated moments with strangers-who-became-subjects.
Partly why I loved this video with Sara is because she constantly reminded me of my own partner Allison, whereas I’m probably a bit more like Trevor. We all see the world a bit different and approach photography in our own ways. It’s also rather fascinating to contemplate how street photography has changed since I was their age wandering the streets with a camera. People these days are far more sensitive and aware about what might happen when a stranger makes a photo of them on the street without their consent.
That’s a deeper debate for another day, but let’s leave it there for now. Compete less; put yourself out there more; open yourself up to connect with your subjects as that’s how the magical moments are made. Thanks for your positive energy, Sara.
-Clayton
Dinah in front of the camera for my Keep it 100 portrait session. Chicago, Illinois. December, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
Following my own advice from yesterday’s entry, I checked out another from Paulie B’s amazing Walkie Talkie series, this time featuring another photographer I was not previously familiar with by the name of Sara Messinger. I think the kids are alright! Beyond being introduced to another talented name, I loved the contrasting styles, approaches, and philosophies between Sara and Trevor, who was the previous subject of yesterday’s post. Throughout the entire forty-minute video, I’m not sure Sara made a single image, while Trevor finished like a dozen rolls and got into a few heated moments with strangers-who-became-subjects.
Partly why I loved this video with Sara is because she constantly reminded me of my own partner Allison, whereas I’m probably a bit more like Trevor. We all see the world a bit different and approach photography in our own ways. It’s also rather fascinating to contemplate how street photography has changed since I was their age wandering the streets with a camera. People these days are far more sensitive and aware about what might happen when a stranger makes a photo of them on the street without their consent.
That’s a deeper debate for another day, but let’s leave it there for now. Compete less; put yourself out there more; open yourself up to connect deeply with your subjects, as that’s how the magical moments are made. Thanks for your positive energy, Sara.
-Clayton
2024 05 06
Are you familiar with @paulie.b‘s “Walkie Talkie” series on YouTube? If you’re not, you should be!
https://www.pointingatstuff.com/2024/2024-05-06
Bart Simpson caught in the act at Slappy Curb. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Caught this video over the weekend and had so many wonderful thoughts about it. Per the rules, we must discuss and share the link here. I’ll preface by saying this channel, by Paulie B, is fantastic and highly worth digging into for anyone even remotely interested in photography and definitely for anyone interested in street photography. The "walkie talkie” series has him tagging along with various street photographers and getting a peek into their process while an interview plays out alongside.
This specific episode featured a photographer I was not previously familiar with named Trevor Wisecup. His enthusiasm for the craft, perspective on life, and positive energy were all refreshing, inspiring, and had me wanting to pick up my camera and hit the streets. In general, the video reminded me of my younger self while also serving to push my current self a bit harder in the sense that, as you get older, sometimes you start to overthink things or self-doubt a bit more, or generally just lose the insane drive your younger self might’ve had.
As a lifelong Chicagoan, whenever I see videos like this I immediately regret not living in NYC. While making work of this nature is definitely possible here in Chicago (shoutout Vivian Maier) you’re going to need to put in twice as much time to get half the results as you will in a place like NYC which simply has the density of humanity needed to provide consistantly amazing street moments. Paulie B himself previously lived in Chicago and has since relocated to NYC. All this to say: I shouldn’t allow this one challenge to stop me from producing any work! Perhaps it could even allow me to think outside the box and make something more unique to me. I have ideas, they just need to be manifested, which can only happen once you leave the house. Thanks to Paulie for the endless inspiration to do just that (once I finish watching his channel, of course).
-Clayton
2024 05 05
Happy sunday, y’all. I’ll be back next week with some new posts and hopefully dig a little deeper on some stuff if I can find more time that I had this previous week.
-Clayton
Allison Ziemba basking in the sun. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Happy sunday, y’all. I’ll be back next week with some new posts and hopefully dig a little deeper on some stuff if I can find more time that I had this previous week.
-Clayton
2024 05 04
This blog post is being written from my studio office, which is inside the Kimball Arts Center. Before I signed the lease on this space, I spent a few years searching, scheming, and dreaming about buying a building which I’d then convert into my own space. This building, pictured here for sale off Elston Avenue, is kind of exactly what I was looking for. The problem was, anything I could find that fit what I needed was either a) well over a million dollars and out of my budget or b) so far away from anywhere I wanted to be that it didn’t make sense.
One building popped up and looked promising, however, I knew it would need some work (as they all do) so hired a brick guy to come out and look at the space with me. Upon arrival, he told me he’d crossed the street to avoid walking next to said building because the condition was so bad he figured the top my topple over at any moment. I got the point and didn’t make an offer on the $400,000 property, which seemed like a great deal at the time.
Before we got to this point, I’d gone to scout out the building and the surrounding area myself. While wandering the nearby alley, a man yelled to get my attention from a dark rear vestibule. Clearly a man down on his luck, sleeping on the floor with a wheel chair next to him, my suspicions were high but I nonetheless approached him cautiously. He asked me to help him get up into his chair. This is when I noticed he didn’t have any legs and the only way he was going to get back into his chair was with the help of someone passing by, such as myself in this moment.
What do you do at this point? Your only choices are to make some jumbled excuse and leave the man helpless on the ground or do your best to get him back up into his chair, so that is what I did. That’s the story of how I held a homeless man in my arms while trying to scout some cheap real estate to fulfill my professional photography career dreams.
Fellow photographer Noah Kalina recently joked on social media that the only ways to get rich in photography these days are to either win a copyright infringement lawsuit or buy real estate in Soho in the 1980’s. So funny, sad, and true.
That building is still standing, however, the ornate stone crown atop the structure, which my inspector was worried would collapse, was nowhere to be seen the last time I drove past. Be careful where you’re walking.
-Clayton
A man walks down Elston Avenue. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
This blog post is being written from my studio office, which is inside the Kimball Arts Center. Before I signed the lease on this space, I spent a few years searching, scheming, and dreaming about buying a building which I’d then convert into my own space. This building, pictured here for sale off Elston Avenue, is kind of exactly what I was looking for. The problem was, anything I could find that fit what I needed was either a) well over a million dollars and out of my budget or b) so far away from anywhere I wanted to be that it didn’t make sense.
One building popped up and looked promising, however, I knew it would need some work (as they all do) so hired a brick guy to come out and look at the space with me. Upon arrival, he told me he’d crossed the street to avoid walking next to said building because the condition was so bad he figured the top might topple over at any moment. I got the point and didn’t make an offer on the $400,000 property, which seemed like a great deal at the time.
Before we got to this point, I’d gone to scout out the building and the surrounding area myself. While wandering the nearby alley, a man yelled to get my attention from a dark rear vestibule. Clearly a man down on his luck, sleeping on the floor with a wheel chair next to him, my suspicions were high but I nonetheless approached him cautiously. He asked me to help him get up into his chair. This is when I noticed he didn’t have any legs and the only way he was going to get back into his chair was with the help of someone passing by, such as myself in this moment.
What do you do at this point? Your only choices are to make some jumbled excuse and leave the man helpless on the ground or do your best to get him back up into his chair, so that is what I did. That’s the story of how I held a homeless man in my arms while trying to scout some cheap real estate to fulfill my professional photography career dreams.
Fellow photographer Noah Kalina recently joked on social media that the only ways to get rich in photography these days are to either win a copyright infringement lawsuit or buy real estate in SoHo in the 1980’s. So funny, sad, and true.
That building is still standing, however, the ornate stone crown atop the structure, which my inspector was worried would collapse, was nowhere to be seen the last time I drove past. Be careful where you’re walking.
-Clayton
2024 05 03
I’ve returned from my big job in Atlanta and catching up on things. Maybe I’ll write more about photographing big production assignments sometime. It’s a fairly fascinating job. We took over an $800,000,000 airplane for the day, brought 40 people and a dozen trucks filled with endless stuff onto the busy airport tarmac, placed our “sun” lights onto a giant lift platform to get them high into the sky, and then ran through seven scenarios as if we were enjoying a flight 30,000 ft in the sky when in fact we were safely down on earth. While everything is being faked, I pride myself on making everything feel as real and authentic (creative director buzz word alert!) as we possibly can.
Speaking of creative directors on big production assignments: this is Zach skateboarding at Slappy Curb outside my See You Soon studio. We met last year on a big production job and one fun fact about him is he does not have any social media accounts. How amazing is that?!?
-Clayton
Slappy Curb in late afternoon sunlight. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
I’ve returned from my big job in Atlanta and am catching up on things. Maybe I’ll write more about photographing big production assignments sometime. It’s a fairly fascinating job. We took over an $800,000,000 airplane for the day, brought 40 people and a dozen trucks filled with endless stuff onto the busy airport tarmac, placed our “sun” lights onto a giant lift platform to get them high into the sky, and then ran through seven scenarios as if we were enjoying a flight 30,000 ft in the sky when in fact we were safely down on earth. While everything is being faked, I pride myself on making everything feel as real and authentic (creative director buzz word alert!) as we possibly can.
Speaking of creative directors on big production assignments: this is Zach skateboarding at Slappy Curb outside my See You Soon studio. We met last year on a big production assignment and one fun fact about Zach is he does not have any social media accounts. How amazing is that?!?
Image made from my first roll off teh Contax T2. I tried pre-focusing on the pavement, anticipating where he’d end up, which worked a bit but didn’t quite nail it. The fun thing about shooting film is these imperfections often only enhance the image, anyway.
-Clayton
2024 05 02
Me, walking into a hotel room for the first time: Oh, nice room, glad I upgraded! The view is decent but I wish the windows were bigger. Why is the sink not draining fast? Why does the sink’s faucet handle come like a millimeter from hitting the mirror? Do people not plan ahead before installing these things? Why do hotels give you giant bar soaps that you end up mostly wasting and without any sort of tray… where are you supposed to put this bar without it getting messy? There’s definitely a stain of something on the floor by the toilet. Free water… but it’s Dasani, of course. Oh great the phone is blinking so now I need to figure this out so it doesn’t blink for four days straight and keep me up at night… why are these new phones so impossible to figure out? Clearly whoever designed this thing didn’t expect anyone to use it. Gotta move this weird pillow out of the way. Why are the reading lights on? The air conditioning is kinda loud. Oh great, a text from the hotel, now, too.
Text from hotel: Welcome! Thanks for being a valued member. How is everything with the room?
Me: good, thanks.
-Clayton
People are inside doing things as day turns to night. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Me, walking into a hotel room for the first time: Oh, nice room, glad I upgraded! The view is decent but I wish the windows were bigger. Why is the sink not draining fast? Why does the sink’s faucet handle come like a millimeter from hitting the mirror? Do people not plan ahead before installing these things? Why do hotels give you giant bar soaps that you end up mostly wasting and without any sort of tray… where are you supposed to put this bar without it getting messy? Nice, one of those Martin Schoeller mirrors… I wonder what he’s up to now. There’s definitely a stain of something on the floor by the toilet. Free water… but it’s Dasani, of course. Oh great the phone is blinking so now I need to figure this out so it doesn’t blink for four days straight and keep me up at night… why are these new phones so impossible to figure out? Clearly whoever designed this thing didn’t expect anyone to use it. Gotta move this weird pillow out of the way. Why are the reading lights on? The air conditioning is kinda loud. Oh great, a text from the hotel, now, too.
Text from hotel: Welcome! Thanks for being a valued member. How is everything with the room?
Me: good, thanks.
-Clayton
2024 05 01
So I lied. Yesterday wasn’t actually our airplane shoot, it’s today. Why am I posting a picture of leaves? I’m so glad you asked! This image was made a few days ago in my backyard after borrowing my buddy Tim Blokel’s new Fuji GFX100 II to play with for a day. I’ve never used a Fuji camera in my entire life, but lately they have become the go-to camera model for commercial projects needing more resolution. Previously, we’d rent a Phase system and those are nice cameras but come with many drawbacks, so I’m always tentative to use them unless I know we don’t need speed (which, lately, never seems to be the case. More shots, less time, faster actions, people moving, etc, etc).
All that said, today’s shoot seemed like the perfect opportunity to use the new Fuji system, which I’m very excited about! The image above is cropped in a ridiculous amount as those leaves were something like 20 feet over my head, but the massive resolution of 102 megapixels allows great flexibility in post production. Anyway, I swear this blog won’t be turning into an equipment review site, I just wanted to mention the camera since it feels like it may become a new tool in my camera rotation going forward.
-Clayton
It’s springtime! New leaves unfurl on our European hornbeam trees. Chicago, Illinois. April, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
So I lied. Yesterday wasn’t actually our airplane shoot, it’s today. Why am I posting a picture of leaves? I’m so glad you asked! This image was made a few days ago in my backyard after borrowing my buddy Tim Blokel’s new Fuji GFX100 II to play with for a day. I’ve never used a Fuji camera in my entire life, but lately they have become the go-to camera model for commercial projects needing more resolution. Previously, we’d rent a Phase system and those are nice cameras but come with many drawbacks, so I’m always tentative to use them unless I know we don’t need speed (which, lately, never seems to be the case. More shots, less time, faster actions, people moving, etc, etc).
All that said, today’s shoot seemed like the perfect opportunity to use the new Fuji system, which I’m very excited about! The image above is cropped in a ridiculous amount as those leaves were something like 20 feet over my head, but the massive resolution of 102 megapixels allows great flexibility in post production. Anyway, I swear this blog won’t be turning into an equipment review site, I just wanted to mention the camera since it feels like it may become a new tool in my camera rotation going forward.
-Clayton
2024 04 30
Today I’m in Atlanta making photographs in an airplane at the airport for a major commercial client. While I have no idea how the shoot is going since I am writing this a few days before it happens, I have no doubt it’s going smooth and the images we are making are incredible. The big challenge on this specific project will be to light the airplane as if it’s 30,000ft in the sky with sun streaming into the windows, when in reality we will be parked on the ground in a likely dark hangar with a bunch of mechanics driving around and grumpy about all of the people who don’t belong in their workspace.
Sorry, mechanics.
-Clayton
Sunset on Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, Illinois. February, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Today I’m in Atlanta making photographs in an airplane at the airport for a major commercial client. While I have no idea how the shoot is going since I am writing this a few days before it happens, I have no doubt it’s going smooth and the images we are making are incredible. The big challenge on this specific project will be to light the airplane as if it’s 30,000ft in the sky with sun streaming into the windows, when in reality we will be parked on the ground in a likely dark hangar with a bunch of mechanics driving around and grumpy about all of the people who don’t belong in their workspace.
Sorry, mechanics.
-Clayton
2024 04 29
This website has become a filter of sorts. After making images, they get edited down to my selects, which then get color and tone adjusted and saved into another folder. Then, those selects get edited down again and moved into another folder meant to go towards various social media or websites, including this one. When I go to make a new blog entry, I browse the Pointing at Stuff website folder and see which images are still feeling good enough to post or are no longer feeling as excited and get scrapped.
This image, while a simple moment without much action, is one that I feel good about. It’s a bit of a new perspective for me, taking images of simple moments like this that I come across while out and about. This is not to say I haven’t previously made photos but that my eye is now hunting for “art photos” that may fit into a bigger body of work. Once you combine images and juxtapose different frames, new meanings and vibes get formed which can then be further explored and created upon.
Anyway, none of this may make sense and you may dislike this image, but I’m enjoying my new found perspective on photography and plan to continue pursuing it to see where it takes me.
-Clayton
A car rest wrapped in the drive awaiting nicer weather. Peru, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
This website has become a filter of sorts. After making images, they get edited down to my selects, which then get color and tone adjusted and saved into another folder. Then, those selects get edited down again and moved into another folder meant to go towards various social media or websites, including this one. When I go to make a new blog entry, I browse the Pointing at Stuff website folder and see which images are still feeling good enough to post or are no longer feeling as excited and get scrapped.
This image, while a simple moment without much action, is one that I feel good about. It’s a bit of a new perspective for me, taking images of simple moments like this that I come across while out and about. This is not to say I haven’t previously made photos but that my eye is now hunting for “art photos” that may fit into a bigger body of work. Once you combine images and juxtapose different frames, new meanings and vibes get formed which can then be further explored and created upon.
Anyway, none of this may make sense and you may dislike this image, but I’m enjoying my new found perspective on photography and plan to continue pursuing it to see where it takes me.
-Clayton
2024 04 28
If you read yesterday’s post, this is the scene we came across while walking home from bar dinner.
If you read Thursday’s post, this is me embracing using new photographic tools. I’ve written about it here before, but I’ve been loving the Lapse app in my iPhone. While I’ve been trying to use my phone less for image making (thus, carrying around a Ricoh everywhere I go), I do love the snapshot aesthetic this app provides, along with the date and time, which is a fun throwback to point and shoot film cameras. The only downside is the files you get from it are not very big. I imagine the app creators don’t want to host full-sized images on their servers to save money, but if you could pay for a “pro” version which allowed maximum resolution, I would totally give them my money.
For the first time in my pro photography career, I’m finding myself wanting more, new, different cameras! I just need to make sure I don’t revert back into the gear-head person who cared more about what equipment he had than the images being made from that equipment.
-Clayton
Spring flower pops up in an unexpected place. Chicago, Illinois. April, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
If you read yesterday’s post, this is the scene we came across while walking home from bar dinner.
If you read Thursday’s post, this is me embracing using new photographic tools. I’ve written about it here before, but I’ve been loving the Lapse app in my iPhone. While I’ve been trying to use my phone less for image making (thus, carrying around a Ricoh everywhere I go), I do love the snapshot aesthetic this app provides, along with the date and time, which is a fun throwback to point and shoot film cameras. The only downside is the files you get from it are not very big. I imagine the app creators don’t want to host full-sized images on their servers to save money, but if you could pay for a “pro” version which allowed maximum resolution, I would totally give them my money.
For the first time in my pro photography career, I’m finding myself wanting more, new, different cameras! I just need to make sure I don’t revert back into the gear-head person who cared more about what equipment he had than the images being made from that equipment.
-Clayton
2024 04 27
Getting drunk and then trying to write is tricky; I’m not sure how Bukowski did it (probably it was scripted). You think all of your thoughts are brilliant but then wake up the next day to realize the opposite. It’s kind of like dreaming; Some of my most amazing ideas have come while deep asleep — I wake up in a pool of brilliance and then doze back off drenched in the cool confidence that I have the Next Big Idea — only to wake up and realize the sleepy thought was actually complete bullshit.
While walking home from the bar, we came across a brilliant flower poking up from the earth. It reminded me about my new-found Spring Perspective I’ve been dwelling on this year… bare trees have become beautiful to me for the first time in my life. I’ve realized the magic a lack of leaves allows: by letting through light and colors and birds and whatnot, we’re able to view a more complex scene, which a fully leafed-out tree does not allow. It’s a simple idea, yes, but if you’re not paying attention to these sorts of things, they go completely ignored.
-Clayton
A wintry Chicago scene, devoid of color and life aside from one jacketed child. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Getting drunk and then trying to write is tricky; I’m not sure how Bukowski did it (probably it was scripted). You think all of your thoughts are brilliant but then wake up the next day to realize the opposite. It’s kind of like dreaming; Some of my most amazing ideas have come while deep asleep — I wake up in a pool of brilliance and then doze back off drenched in the cool confidence that I have the Next Big Idea — only to wake up again, once the sunlight is drenching the room in hot reality, and realize the sleepy thoughts were actually complete bullshit.
While walking home from the bar, we came across a brilliant flower poking up from the earth. It reminded me about my new-found Spring Perspective I’ve been dwelling on this year… bare trees have become beautiful to me for the first time in my life! I’ve realized the magic a lack of leaves allows: by letting through light and colors and birds and whatnot, we’re able to view a more complex scene, which a fully leafed-out tree does not allow. It’s a simple idea, yes, but if you’re not paying attention to these sorts of things, they go completely ignored.
Anyway, back to bed I go.
-Clayton
2024 04 26
Sometimes when The Office is on, you get sucked into an Office Hole and forget to finish all the work and blog posts and life stuff that you needed to do. But also sometimes it’s nice to just check out and let your brain decompress for a few hours.
-Clayton
Car parked at night. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Sometimes when The Office is on, you get sucked into an Office Hole and forget to finish all the work and blog posts and life stuff that you needed to do. But also sometimes it’s nice to just check out and let your brain decompress for a few hours.
-Clayton
2024 04 25
When it comes to making photos, I’ve tended to be pretty vanilla throughout my professional career. Basically, whatever the most recent pro-level Canon SLR body is on the market is what I’ve used with little to no variation. Sure, I love their cameras (hit me about about a sponsorship!) and they do pretty much exactly what I need them to do, however, this was a mistake. Thankfully, I’ve been fully embracing using different tools for different jobs lately. After purchasing my first Ricoh and basically carrying it with me in my pocket everywhere I go, my horizons have been expanded and I’ve seen the light. Even now, after over a year of constant use and abuse, that the camera has an ever noticeable layer of dust lining the sensor, I’m finding myself not much annoyed about it. The dust, while yes maybe not ideal in most situations, also adds a bit of uniqueness to each image, like the imperfections of film or making a photograph through a window or reflective surface. Basically, finding ways to turn otherwise ordinary images into something that has a bit more character.
It’s been a trend for a few years now that photojournalists covering boring political assignments will use fun optical tricks to spice up otherwise bland photos of old, white, male politicians standing up on a stage in front of a mic. Using an iphone to add a mirrored reflection; shooting through sparkley stuff to add visual interest. Soon, I imagine, you’ll see presidential press conferences (if we ever have those again) covered by the New York Times using a busted Holga with funky light leaks because, why not? It’s different.
-Clayton
Bare tree on a sunny winter afternoon, dusty Ricoh sensor for character. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
When it comes to making photos, I’ve tended to be pretty vanilla throughout my professional career from an equipment perspective. Basically, whatever the most recent pro-level Canon SLR body is on the market is what I’ve used with little to no variation, aside from mixing up my editing style. Sure, I love their cameras (reach out about about sponsorship opportunities!) and they do pretty much exactly what I need them to do, however, this was a mistake. Thankfully, I’ve been fully embracing using different tools for different jobs lately. After purchasing my first Ricoh (reach out about about sponsorship opportunities!) and basically carrying it with me in my pocket everywhere I go, my horizons have been expanded and I’ve seen the light! Even now (after over a year of constant use and abuse) that the camera has an ever noticeable layer of dust lining the sensor, forcing me to shoot everything at f2.8, I’m finding myself not much annoyed about it. The dust, while yes maybe not ideal in most situations, also adds a bit of uniqueness to each image, like the imperfections of film or making a photograph through a window or reflective surface. Basically, finding ways to turn otherwise ordinary images into something that has a bit more character.
It’s been a trend for a few years now that photojournalists covering boring political assignments will use fun optical tricks to spice up otherwise bland photos of old, white, male politicians standing on a stage in front of a mic. Using an iphone to add a mirrored reflection; shooting through sparkley stuff to add visual interest; greasing up your lens with a bit of spray tan. Soon, I imagine, you’ll see presidential press conferences (if we ever have those again) covered by the New York Times using a busted Holga (reach out about about sponsorship opportunities!) with funky light leaks because, why not? It’s different.
-Clayton
2024 04 24
The term the writing is on the wall came to mind recently…
I’m a confirmed Catholic but haven’t been back to church since the day I was confirmed. While I’ve personally strayed from the church myself, I don’t necessarily have anything against organized religion. That said, religious organizations are made up of people so not immune to things like power struggles, greed, corruption, and extremism, which get publicized much easier in today’s modern economy and push people like myself away.
When done well, religion can provide things which greatly benefit humans, namely: structure, meaning, purpose, community. These are all great things, but again, in today’s modern world, there are plenty more options to provide these needs to people. Facebook, for example.
My partner and I recently met with a rabbi hoping he would be able to marry us later this year. It was my first time meeting the man but I was instantly won over by him and excited for the possibility of him being involved in our big day. That said, he won’t be marrying us because religious traditions and the positioning of the sun and moon in relation to the earth would make us need to re-organize our entire wedding schedule to the point that it doesn’t make any sense. Again, not compatible with the modern world. It’s a shame, too, because as I get older I find myself more understanding of things like keeping the Sabbath, esp in our modern world full of unlimited distractions. Instead, we’ll need to find someone willing to accommodate our needs, instead of shaping our wedding to fit the structure of the church.
Before we left the temple, we stopped at the bathrooms where, on the other side of the hall was a long line of framed group pictures taken on the annual confirmation day. As I waited for Allison, I examined the pictures and was immediately struck by the clear decline in how many young people were taking part each year. Big full rooms of people in the 90’s eventually led to just a few kids last year. Immediately, I though of the rabbi we had just met with and how challenging this must be for him; the need to constantly adjust your long-held traditions and beliefs in order to accommodate a modern world, or not accommodate it and likely get left behind.
The writing is on the wall.
-Clayton
Giant cross of Effingham, Illinois. April, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
The term the writing is on the wall came to mind recently…
I’m a confirmed Catholic but haven’t been back to church since the day I was confirmed. While I’ve personally strayed from the church myself, I don’t necessarily have anything against organized religion. That said, religious organizations are made up of people so not immune to things like power struggles, greed, corruption, and extremism, which get publicized much easier in today’s modern world and push people like myself away.
When done well, religion can provide things which greatly benefit humans, namely: structure, meaning, faith, purpose, community. These are all great things, but again, in today’s modern world, there are plenty more options to provide these needs to people. Facebook, for example.
My partner and I recently met with a rabbi hoping he would be able to marry us later this year. It was my first time meeting the man but I was instantly won over by him and excited for the possibility of him being involved in our big day. That said, he won’t be marrying us because religious traditions and the positioning of the sun in relation to the earth would make us need to re-organize our entire wedding schedule to the point that it doesn’t make any sense (the sun sets at around 7:30pm on Saturday, our date, meaning the ceremony would need to get pushed back by about two hours later than we had planned). Again, not compatible with the modern world. It’s a shame, too, because as I get older I find myself more understanding of things like keeping the Sabbath, esp in this modern world full of unlimited distractions. Instead, we’ll need to find someone willing to accommodate our needs, opposed of shaping our wedding to fit within the structure of the church.
Before we left the temple, we stopped at the bathrooms where, on the other side of the hall was a long line of framed group photos taken on the annual confirmation day, representing decades of time. As I waited for Allison, I examined the pictures and was immediately struck by the clear decline in how many young people were taking part each year. Big full rooms of people in the 90’s eventually led to just a few kids last year. Immediately, I though of the rabbi we had just met with and how challenging this must be for him; the need to constantly adjust your long-held traditions and beliefs in order to accommodate a modern world, or not accommodate it and likely get left behind.
The writing is on the wall.
-Clayton
2024 04 23
Running late today. Here’s a picture of our neighbor’s dog from my first roll of film.
It’s interesting to think of who might have previously owned this used Contax T2 camera I am now using and what adventures they had with it. What moments they captured with it.
-Clayton
Roo the dog looks up at me as I figure out how to use my Contax T2. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Running late today. Here’s a picture of our neighbor’s dog from my first roll of film.
It’s interesting to think of who might have previously owned this used Contax T2 camera I am now using and what adventures they had with it. What moments they captured with it.
-Clayton
2024 04 22
Today I will wrap principal photography (haha) on a new cookbook due out later this year. The whole process was a big learning experience which maybe I’ll get into more detail about down the road. Despite the challenges, it kind of lit a fire under my butt to make more work that will be printed in book form; be it a cookbook, photobook, zine, whatever.
Time to buy myself a printer and print more of my photos. It’s been something I’ve severely neglected through the course of my career in photography.
-Clayton
A plate of fancy food photographed for Chicago Magazine at Atelier, Chicago. February, 2024.
Today I will wrap principal photography (haha) on a new cookbook due out later this year. The whole process was a big learning experience which maybe I’ll get into more detail about down the road. Despite the challenges, it kind of lit a fire under my butt to make more work that will be printed in book form; be it a cookbook, photobook, zine, whatever.
Time to buy myself a printer and print more of my photos. It’s been something I’ve severely neglected through the course of my career in photography.
-Clayton