2024 06 18
I just got back from an assignment at Wrigley making portraits of one of their players, which was a lot of fun (and also hard ass work — it’s damn hot out there today!). As always, gaining a sliver of amazing access tops the list of why I (usually) love my job. We had a portrait setup in some VIP underground lounge I’d never been in and likely will never be in again. It had windows looking into one of the batting cages so you can watch the players warm up as if they are monkeys in the zoo (or perhaps you, sipping beers in the underground bar, are the monkey). Thru a few doors, we immediately ended up in the visitor’s dugout and then a few more steps up onto the field, where we did a second setup in the outfield among the ivy, with the iconic scoreboard in the backdrop.
Wrigley really is a special place, even after the neighborhood has been fully renovated. Today got me thinking back to 2016, which was amazing, but also had me pondering a regret. That summer, things just felt right, and I set out to both attend as many games as I could and document the entire season from a fan’s perspective. Sadly, my ambitions waned and I didn’t make good with myself on the photo project end of the deal, which remains a big bummer to me because, as we know now, they did end up winning the Series that year and I likely would’ve had a really special photobook project as a result. Even then, the rules weren’t as harsh as they are now and you could bring in nicer cameras and wander the stadium a bit just making images. Now, you need a special pass to do or go anywhere and games cost so much money, we hardly ever go.
Ho hum. Let’s play two! (I’m off to go shoot more, today)
-Clayton
Chicago peeking out from behind the clouds. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
I just got back from an assignment at Wrigley making portraits of one of their players, which was a lot of fun (and also hard ass work — it’s damn hot out there today!). As always, gaining a sliver of amazing access tops the list of why I (usually) love my job. We had a portrait setup in some VIP underground lounge I’d never been in and likely will never be in again. It had windows looking into one of the batting cages so you can watch the players warm up as if they are monkeys in the zoo (or perhaps you, sipping beers in the underground bar, are the monkey). Thru a few doors, we immediately ended up in the visitor’s dugout and then a few more steps up onto the field, where we did a second setup in the outfield among the ivy, with the iconic scoreboard in the backdrop.
Wrigley really is a special place, even after the neighborhood has been fully renovated. Today got me thinking back to 2016, which was amazing, but also had me pondering a regret. That summer, things just felt right, and I set out to both attend as many games as I could and document the entire season from a fan’s perspective. Sadly, my ambitions waned and I didn’t make good with myself on the photo project end of the deal, which remains a big bummer to me because, as we know now, they did end up winning the Series that year and I likely would’ve had a really special photobook project as a result. Even then, the rules weren’t as harsh as they are now and you could bring in nicer cameras and wander the stadium a bit just making images. Now, you need a special pass to do or go anywhere and games cost so much money, we hardly ever go.
Ho hum. Let’s play two! (I’m off to go shoot more, today)
-Clayton
2024 06 12
The amount of vertical images I’ve been posting lately has been bugging me. I’ve long preferred horizontal crops, however, am finding myself shooting vertical much more these days, surely because of The Phone. New technology comes along and we’re all forced to change our behaviors and adapt to it or likely be left behind, stuck in the past.
Lately I’ve been dreaming of opening a bar, thinking it would be a neat idea to shun all types of technology. No website. No social media. Actively tank the google reviews. You get the idea. How clever! Then, I mentioned this amazing idea to a younger person. Not so clever, she thought. You know what? She’s probably right, too.
I think in life we should embrace the things we’re good at and enjoy doing. Sure, I don’t love social media and the feeling of being forced to use these social platforms, but I do love making photos and videos and even building websites. It only makes sense that, instead of completely avoiding all these things, I would incorporate them into my fictional bar. The harder part will be figuring out how to become fifteen years younger in order to convince anyone to come drink at my new establishment.
I’m thinking of calling it Grumpy’s.
-Clayton
Dirty sensor view from high in the sky. En route to Atlanta, Georgia. April, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
The amount of vertical images I’ve been posting lately has been bugging me. I’ve long preferred horizontal crops, however, am finding myself shooting vertical much more these days, surely because of The Phone. New technology comes along and we’re all forced to change our behaviors and adapt to it or likely be left behind, stuck in the past.
Lately I’ve been dreaming of opening a bar, thinking it would be a neat idea to shun all types of technology. No website. No social media. Actively tank the google reviews. You get the idea. How clever! Then, I mentioned this amazing idea to a younger person. Not so clever, she thought. You know what? She’s probably right, too.
I think in life we should embrace the things we’re good at and enjoy doing. Sure, I don’t love social media and the feeling of being forced to use these social platforms, but I do love making photos and videos and even building websites. It only makes sense that, instead of completely avoiding all these things, I would incorporate them into my fictional bar… any my life, generally. The harder part will be figuring out how to become fifteen years younger in order to convince anyone to come drink at my new establishment.
I’m thinking of calling it Grumpy’s.
-Clayton