2024 11 07

The Thompson Center, undergoing a transformation. Chicago, Illinois. July 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Things change. When I was a kid, my dad brought us downtown and I vividly remember the awe inspired by this building as we entered its public atrium. This, in part, made me want to become an architect when I got older. Instead, I eventually became obsessed with video shooting and ended up pursuing that as a career as I entered my young adult years. The video obsession eventually morphed into a still photography obsession, largely because it was easier for me to make work by myself, and didn’t need to rely on others to get things done. Candidly, I was an introverted shy kid and navigating the necessity of forming a big crew to make video productions happen seemed daunting to me at the time. When I found some traction as a photographer, it was a no brainer to shift my attention to that.

Now, I find myself an older guy and the Thompson Center is underground a tech-funded transformation (along with our country, it turns out). This morning, I woke up excited about video for the first time in a long time. It was an interesting observation and one that has gotten me excited! I’ve never lost my love for video and filmmaking, however, it’s been firmly in the back seat for my entire adult life. New cameras and accessories are now being released, which are making me giddy to get my hands on them. I’m in the early days of a documentary project that is getting me excited, and I’m planning on collaborating on a bunch of test shoots this winter with a talented DP friend to showcase what we can do with beverage and food.

More to come as I make steps towards a new and exciting pivot in my professional career.

-Clayton