2024 10 11
Oops, I did it again. I missed a day. I’m going to blame Buddy for this one. He’s a dog, yes, and it’s his fault that I forgot to post yesterday. It’s not my fault. Seriously, though, we are watching Buddy and he distracted me with cuteness. This whole daily blogging thing is really starting to become problematic for me! I have so many things I want to write about but lately it’s just post after post of me explaining why I’m not posting anything.
-Clayton
Buddy the dog. Chicago, Illinois. Summer, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Oops, I did it again. I missed a day. I’m going to blame Buddy for this one. He’s a dog, yes, and it’s his fault that I forgot to post yesterday. It’s not my fault. Seriously, though, we are watching Buddy and he distracted me with cuteness. This whole daily blogging thing is really starting to become problematic for me! I have so many things I want to write about but lately it’s just post after post of me explaining why I’m not posting anything.
-Clayton
2024 09 24
Sometimes the accidental shots are the best shots. I made this one while strolling through the farmer’s market practicing zone focusing on the Ricoh. Yes, it’s out of focus, and blurry, and full of sensor dust (most of which I removed in post), but I still enjoy the image. It’s got a bit of rizz. Not much, but a touch of rizz.
This lesson in zone focusing was sort of the nail in the coffin for this camera, which I’ve been abusing for two or so years. Most of the images posted to this blog have been made using it. The problem, now, is that I can’t shoot with it unless the aperture is wide ass open, otherwise all the sensor dust fills the frame. Luckily, when you shoot wide open, you can make things invisible, allowing me to continue using the camera longer. Just not with zone focusing. Anyhoo.
I’m still months behind on photo editing and life bureaucracy. We have our wedding documents tho, finally, so that’s official and off the to do list!
-Clayton
Dogs on the prowl. Logan Square Farmers Market. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Sometimes the accidental shots are the best shots. I made this one while strolling through the farmer’s market practicing zone focusing on the Ricoh. Yes, it’s out of focus, and blurry, and full of sensor dust (most of which I removed in post), but I still enjoy the image. It’s got a bit of rizz. Not much, but a touch of rizz.
This lesson in zone focusing was sort of the nail in the coffin for this camera, which I’ve been abusing for two or so years. Most of the images posted to this blog have been made using it. The problem, now, is that I can’t shoot with it unless the aperture is wide ass open, otherwise all the sensor dust fills the frame. Luckily, when you shoot wide open, you can make things invisible, allowing me to continue using the camera longer. Just not with zone focusing. Anyhoo.
I’m still months behind on photo editing and life bureaucracy. We have our wedding documents tho, finally, so that’s official and off the to do list!
-Clayton
2024 09 08
I took da day off. My boss, Pointing at Stuff CEO Virginia Halas McCaskey said it was okay.
Side note: if you’re in Chicago and free tomorrow night (Monday, Sept 9th), I invite you to come by my See You Soon studio from 7pm-10pm to enjoy some music, spoken word, beverages, and hangs with friends. It will be a nice night! Hope to see you there.
-Clayton
Buddy the dog. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
I took da day off. My boss, Pointing at Stuff CEO Virginia Halas McCaskey said it was okay.
Side note: if you’re in Chicago and free tomorrow night (Monday, Sept 9th), I invite you to come by my See You Soon studio from 7pm-10pm to enjoy some music, spoken word, beverages, and hangs with friends. It will be a nice night! Hope to see you there.
-Clayton
2024 08 14
This is not a politics blog.
I did have some thoughts while out on a run this morning that I wanted to put into words. Previously, my thinking was that, post-disaster-presidential-debate, there was no way both candidates would not be on the ballot come November. Well, after some likely strong-arming by Democratic leadership behind the scenes, Biden did step aside, remarkably. This, obviously, changed the entire dynamic of the race in ways most of us likely did not expect. While the dust is still settling, it seems clear that Trump no longer seems like the likely winner in the upcoming election.
All that said, I just wanted to get a dated, on-the-record prediction that I now think it’s highly unlikely that Trump remains on the ticket. It’s still far from a guaranteed outcome, but I’d give it healthy odds: say, 5:1.
The most interesting outcome would be to see Trump take some kind of back-room plea deal and step aside to let Nikki Haley run atop the ticket (legalities of this may be dubious but surely they’d find a way), but I doubt the Grand Old Party would allow a woman to step into the role as they likely see having a man up there against a woman as their clear advantage. Time will tell. Crazier things have happened. We still may be stuck with the orange guy for another four plus years. I’m not getting too excited just yet.
This is not a politics blog.
-Clayton
Man, woman, dog. It’s the dog days of political summer. Wilmette, Illinois. June, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
This is not a politics blog.
I did have some thoughts while out on a run this morning that I wanted to put into words. Previously, my thinking was that, post-disaster-presidential-debate, there was no way both candidates would be on the ballot come November (see: 2024 06 28). Well, after some likely strong-arming by Democratic leadership behind the scenes, Biden did step aside, remarkably. This, obviously, changed the entire dynamic of the race in ways most of us likely did not expect. While the dust is still settling, it seems clear that Trump no longer seems like the clear favorite in the upcoming election.
All that said, I just wanted to get a dated, on-the-record prediction: that I now think it’s somewhat unlikely that Trump remains on the ticket himself. It’s still far from a guaranteed outcome, but I’d give it healthy odds: say, 5:1.
The most interesting outcome would be to see Trump take some kind of back-room plea deal and step aside to let Nikki Haley run atop the ticket (legalities of this may be dubious but surely they’d find a way), but I doubt the Grand Old Party would allow a woman to step into the role as they likely see having a man up there against a woman as their clear advantage. Time will tell. Crazier things have happened. We still may be stuck with the orange guy for another four plus years. I’m not getting too excited just yet.
This is not a politics blog.
-Clayton
2024 07 29
This image is myself, stuck inside all day as the world passes on by me today. This is not to say I’ve had a bad day, it’s actually been a great day! But here I am scrambling to get a post up before the day ends, as I’ve been frantically designing and printing a new commercial photography portfolio all day today before the deadline hits tomorrow. Fingers crossed, I’ll make it in time — currently have thirteen of twenty-one spreads printed. Then I’ll need to punch and bind and pray it all fits together so that my agent can take it into an ad agency for a few people to casually flip thru and more likely completely ignore (while, yes, I sound like a negative nancy about this, I’m actually quite happy to be making a new book and feel like I should have done this years ago / plan to keep it updated moving forward even though it’s rare we bring printed books out into the world these days).
This image did not make it into the portfolio. But a future zine, it very well may!
-Clayton
Yet another My Peepers. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
This image is myself, stuck inside all day as the world passes on by me today. This is not to say I’ve had a bad day, it’s actually been a great day! But here I am scrambling to get a post up before the day ends, as I’ve been frantically designing and printing a new commercial photography portfolio all day today before the deadline hits tomorrow. Fingers crossed, I’ll make it in time — currently have thirteen of twenty-one spreads printed. Then I’ll need to punch and bind and pray it all fits together so that my agent can take it into an ad agency for a few people to casually flip thru and more likely completely ignore (while, yes, I sound like a negative nancy about this, I’m actually quite happy to be making a new book and feel like I should have done this years ago / plan to keep it updated moving forward even though it’s rare we bring printed books out into the world these days).
This image did not make it into the portfolio. But a future zine, it very well may!
-Clayton
2024 06 10
It’s another Monday Life Update. Not too much to report on this week, which is fine. It’s a bit more healthy compared to my more frantic update last week, which even had my mom worried about my mental health. Sure, I still to have quite a lot on my mind, but perhaps it’s a bit more focused, namely:
We began production on a documentary film project. It’s still very early days and this project may or may not go anywhere (managing expectations), but we do have quite a lot of ideas on where to take it and we do now have one day of filming in the can, as they (used) to say. I still need to watch the footage and grade myself. Still learning new gear and how to record sound, etc.
Still planning this wedding. Have eleven tables set to arrive any minute now. Spent the weekend figuring out our registry list. It won’t end until September.
I picked up a Murakami book (After Dark) at a used sale while out getting coffee because a) I’ve been meaning to read more of him and b) I’m legitimately considering the idea of opening a bar, which he is a (perhaps weirdly) someone I reference in my brain whenever this idea pops up. The writing is good and reminds me that I need to read more print, as I’ve been doing Audiobooks almost exclusively lately, often while running.
Speaking of running: I had a crazy idea that I wanted to hit a marathon-length run before my September wedding date. Considering I am not in fantastic physical shape currently, this idea is quite unrealistic. I’ve scaled back my ambition to a half marathon.
I’m being reminded how time consuming and involved video post production is. This was literally my job after college and I strayed from it for this exact reason. I need to discover a healthy and balanced relationship between shooting, which I love, and editing, which I feel like I can only either obsessively dive into or completely shun. It’s a work in progress.
Lastly, this bar situation I’ve been subtly mentioning. Opening a bar has long been an idea which I’ve thought about. In my older years, the idea has faded as the realization of how much damn hard work it would be has taken hold. When you’re younger, you think of the upsides more than the darker realities. When you’re older, the time consumed doing the bullshit required tends to make you have second thoughts about everything.
What’s crazy, though, is that my industry is in a bit of turmoil lately and most people I talk to have been siding with the idea of opening a bar over the idea of being a photographer. I’d been thinking I was greedy to even have these thoughts, but the amount of people who share my views, and have encouraged them, has been quite eye opening. I feel like a longer post about the state of commercial photography is in order. It’s complicated and complex, but the overall vibe on the streets these days is not a healthy one and something needs to change.
-Clayton
Mr Peepers. Nashville, Tennessee. April, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
It’s another Monday Life Update. Not too much to report on this week, which is fine. It’s a bit more healthy compared to my more frantic update last week, which even had my mom worried about my mental health. Sure, I still to have quite a lot on my mind, but perhaps it’s a bit more focused, namely:
We began production on a documentary film project. It’s still very early days and this project may or may not go anywhere (managing expectations), but we do have quite a lot of ideas on where to take it and we do now have one day of filming in the can, as they (used) to say. I still need to watch the footage and grade myself. Still learning new gear and how to record sound, etc.
Still planning this wedding. Eleven tables are scheduled to be delivered any minute now. We spent the weekend figuring out our registry list. It won’t end until September.
I picked up a Murakami book (After Dark) at a used sale while out getting coffee because a) I’ve been meaning to read more of him and b) I’m legitimately considering the idea of opening a bar, which he is (perhaps weirdly) someone I reference in my brain whenever this idea pops up. The writing is good and reminds me that I need to read more print, as I’ve been doing Audiobooks almost exclusively lately, often while running. Plus I’d love to go to Japan but don’t see that happening in real life soon, so at least I can take a trip in my head.
Speaking of running: I had a crazy idea that I wanted to hit a marathon-length run before my September wedding date. Considering I am not in fantastic physical shape currently, this idea is quite unrealistic. I’ve scaled back my ambition to a half marathon.
I’m being reminded how time consuming and involved video post production is. This was literally my job after college and I strayed from it for this exact reason. I need to discover a healthy and balanced relationship between shooting, which I love, and editing, which I feel like I can only either obsessively dive into or completely shun. It’s a work-in-progress.
Lastly, this bar situation I’ve been subtly mentioning. Opening a bar has long been an idea which I’ve thought about. In my older years, the idea has faded as the realization of how much damn hard work it would be has taken hold. When you’re younger, you think of the upsides more than the darker realities. When you’re older, the time consumed doing the bullshit required tends to make you have second thoughts about everything.
What’s crazy, though, is that my industry is in a bit of turmoil lately and most people I talk to have been siding with the idea of opening a bar over the idea of being a photographer. I’d been thinking I was greedy to even have these thoughts, but the amount of people who share my views, and have encouraged them, has been quite eye opening. I feel like a longer post about the state of commercial photography is in order. It’s complicated and complex, but the overall vibe on the streets these days is not a healthy one and something needs to change.
-Clayton
2024 05 13
It’s common sense, but interesting to me, how without experiencing something firsthand you tend to not notice it happening all around you. I’ve never been a dog owner in my forty plus years on earth and it was only recently that I learned, while watching dogs for friends, that a dog will tuck its tail firmly between its legs when sensing trouble. This is not a profound realization by any stretch, but now that I know it, I notice it all the time.
It was never a goal to make this blog a personal life update space, but perhaps a weekly check-in might be useful? Let’s give it a shot, since I don’t have anything else lined up.
Life Updates (in no particular order):
My buddy (and owner of Buddy) Mr. Kenneth Yoder is screening his feature-length documentary tonight at Consignment Lounge. It’s picture lock, he claims, so maybe this beast is finally in the can. I give him shit, because the project has dragged on for years, but I am super proud of him nonetheless!
I might (might!) be venturing down the path of becoming a documentarian myself. More on this later.
Planning a wedding is stressful.
I now own a “pro” printer and will be spending much time in the coming weeks learning to make (and possibly even sell?!) really quality photo prints.
Planning a wedding is expensive.
I’m doing a photo show in my studio with a cool photographer later this year. More info on that as it becomes official.
I’m planning to document both the DNC and RNC, for myself, both in words and images. I have no special access and this might be a challenge. Also, if a fancy commercial project comes up, I’ll prob skip it and take the money. Sorry, it’s politics.
Planning a wedding is time consuming.
I have another great idea for a group photo show I’m hoping to host at my space later this year. More on that later.
I now have some prints showing at the Kimball Arts Center, where my studio is located.
Even when you “win” in the stock market, you often lose. I’ve been buying stock in this website (Squarespace) because I think longer term the company will be at least 5x what it’s currently valued at. Apparently, a private equity firm agreed with me and bought the company for slightly more than its current valuation, meaning I will no longer have access to further financial gains via an increase in stock price. Back to bitcoin, I go.
Planning a wedding sucks, but the wedding will be awesome and my partner is even more awesome, so it’s all worth it!
-Clayton
Buddy the dog being timid at the bar. Chicago, Illinois. October, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
It’s common sense, but interesting to me, how without experiencing something firsthand you tend to not notice it happening all around you. I’ve never been a dog owner in my forty plus years on earth and it was only recently that I learned, while watching dogs for friends, that a dog will tuck its tail firmly between its legs when sensing trouble. This is not a profound realization by any stretch, but now that I know it, I notice it all the time.
It was never a goal to make this blog a personal life update space, but perhaps a weekly check-in might be useful? Let’s give it a shot, since I don’t have anything else lined up.
Life Updates (in no particular order):
My buddy (and owner of Buddy the dog) Mr. Kenneth Yoder is screening his feature-length documentary tonight at Consignment Lounge. It’s picture lock, he claims, so maybe this beast is finally in the can. I give him shit, because the project has dragged on for years, but I am super proud of him! (UPDATE: he really elevated this thing from the working edit I saw last year. Nice work, dude! You made something really worthwhile)
I might (might!) be venturing down the path of becoming a documentarian myself. More on this later.
Planning a wedding is stressful.
I now own a “pro” printer and will be spending much time in the coming weeks learning to make (and possibly even sell?!) really quality photo prints.
Planning a wedding is expensive.
I’m doing a photo show in my studio with a cool photographer later this year. More info on that as it becomes official.
I’m planning to document both the DNC and RNC, for myself, both in words and images. I have no special access and this might be a challenge. Also, if a fancy commercial project comes up, I’ll prob skip it and take the money. Sorry, it’s politics.
Planning a wedding is time consuming.
I have another great idea for a group photo show I’m hoping to host at my space later this year. More on that later.
I now have some prints showing at the Kimball Arts Center, where my studio is located.
Even when you “win” in the stock market, you often lose. I’ve been buying stock in this website (Squarespace) because I think longer term the company will be at least 5x what it’s currently valued at. Apparently, a private equity firm agreed with me and bought the company for slightly more than its current valuation, meaning I will no longer have access to further financial gains via an increase in stock price. Back to bitcoin, I go.
Planning a wedding sucks, but the wedding will be awesome and my partner is even more awesome, so it’s all worth it!
-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 03 08
Do you think dogs think humans are idiots? We put their poop in a little bag and carry it around with us then dispose of it in another bigger bag when clearly they wanted it right where they strategically dropped it.
I’ve come to think of dogs like graffiti artists, frantically leaving their mark on the landscape to let others know they exist and hopefully find some admirers.
-Clayton
Buddy the dog’s post-operation scar. October, 2023. Chicago, Illinois © Clayton Hauck
Do you think dogs think humans are idiots? We put their poop in a little bag and carry it around with us then dispose of it in another bigger bag when clearly they wanted it right where they strategically dropped it.
I’ve come to think of dogs like graffiti artists, frantically leaving their mark on the landscape to let others know they exist and hopefully find some admirers.
-Clayton
2024 02 18
Kids love blogs!
This daily photo blog is the professional equivalent to this super slick promotional music video touting the Hillary Clinton for President campaign back in 2007. AKA it’s very cool. Hire me for your next project and I will make you proud!
-Clayton
Intense dog awaits owners as they check out at the Center of Order and Experimentation in Chicago. December, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
Kids love blogs!
This daily photo blog is the professional equivalent to this super slick promotional music video touting the Hillary Clinton for President campaign back in 2007. AKA it’s very cool. Hire me for your next project and I will make you proud!
-Clayton
2024 02 06
I used to have a therapist, now I have a daily blog.
-Clayton
Dog peeking out window (Mr. Peepers) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
I used to have a therapist, now I have a daily blog.
Also, I have a new series going with these window creatures I’m affectionately calling Mr. Peepers. You can peep it here: refrakt series window-creatures-mr-peepers
(more images in the series to be added soon!)
I really like the Refrakt site, so check it out if you’re not familiar; I’m behind on adding new images to my page, though, as I’m busy posting here every damn day. 😛
-Clayton
2024 01 13
Creating vs. Consuming.
This is the big one, for any artist, in my opinion. For who is an artist that does not have a product to share?
It was around the time of the Covid lockdowns when I realized I’d been living the life of a Consumer in recent years. Addicted to the ease of hitting play on the next YouTube video.
This website is part of my carefully-crafted-consultant-directed-investor-funded Plan to get my ass making more photos of dogs to post on the internet for all the masses to consume.
Enjoy!
-Clayton
Wilson & Allison on our 114 year old stairs. December, 2023. Chicago. © Clayton Hauck
Creating vs. Consuming.
This is the big one, for any artist, in my opinion. For who is an artist that does not have a product to share?
It was around the time of the Covid lockdowns when I realized I’d been living the life of a Consumer in recent years. Addicted to the ease of hitting play on the next YouTube video.
This website is part of my carefully-crafted-consultant-directed-investor-funded Plan to get my ass making more photos of dogs to post on the internet for all the masses to consume.
Enjoy!
-Clayton
2024 01 04
This album got me thinking about art and how music is, rightfully, among the most celebrated of art forms (and how photography is not even really considered art). Within a song, let alone an entire album, you have countless opportunities to connect with an audience. A catchy lyric, fun melody, weird sound, etc. Even the world’s most iconic photographs are like the equivalent of a single note, or perhaps on a good day a little jingle (photography books or collections is another story!). Sometimes a photographer will hit a home run and merge a striking image with a relevant global conversation and it can connect and have a deeper impact, like the memorable photojournalistic images through the years, but even my strongest images will be mostly forgotten by next Tuesday.
Anyway, this album is better than 99.86% of the world’s photographs.
Boy, you’re pessimistic on photography! Do you hate it? More on this later.
Enjoy!
-Clayton
Sloppy Bob. November, 2023. Chicago. ©Clayton Hauck
A fun album I recently came upon via Ezra Furman’s favorite albums of 2023 list:
This album got me thinking about art and how music is, rightfully, among the most celebrated of art forms (and how photography is not even really considered art). Within a song, let alone an entire album, you have countless opportunities to connect with an audience. A catchy lyric, fun melody, weird sound, etc. Even the world’s most iconic photographs are like the equivalent of a single note, or perhaps on a good day a little jingle (photography books or bodies of work is another story!). Sometimes a photographer will hit a home run and merge a striking image with a relevant global conversation and it can connect and have a deeper impact, like the memorable photojournalistic images through the years, but even my strongest images will be mostly forgotten by next Tuesday.
Anyway, this album is better than 99.86% of the world’s photographs.
Enjoy!
-Clayton