2024 09 01

Little Egg Boy in Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

I took an afternoon off to wander Atlanta and make some photos. Really, I wanted to explore a bit and see some new sights. Take in the scenery. I hopped on a Lime-brand scooter and ended up in a cute neighborhood off the Belt Line, filled with charming streets and proud houses with character. Being a photographer out hunting for details, my senses were alerted to a strange man who seemed to be following me. Clearly this man wanted to steal my backpack full of expensive electronics. I zigged and I zagged and I detoured away from the man so I didn’t have to continually look over my shoulder and be on guard.

The scooter took me up and down Atlanta’s hills at a rapid rate. One thing I dislike about driving in a car is all of the photos you catch a glimpse of but are forced to miss. One thing I dislike about driving in car is all the fine details that can’t be observed like they can while walking. Utilizing a scooter is sort of a compromised approach to both maximizing your exploration time when you’re on a tight schedule and want to fit it all in, while also having the ability to hop off at a moment’s notice to grab some photos.

Rounding a corner of this charming neighborhood, the strange man from earlier suddenly came into view up ahead. Now I was stalking him. As I gained a better perspective, it became clear that this strange man was being so strange because he was just like me! He was out wandering and exploring the neighborhood. He held a film camera in his hand and was making photos. An immediate sense of shame washed over my body which could only be alleviated by stopping the scooter to say hello.

“I’m Little Egg Boy,” he informed me. He was out making photos. We swapped instagram handles and became digital friends, forever bonded by beautiful images we both made of a dusty old red car parked across the street. Those images have twice made appearances on this here blog (2024 08 17, 2024 06 23) and today, the third time is the charm. Little Egg Boy is an interesting man, not a strange man, and that day he was a nice reminder to me that it’s usually best to keep an open mind and allow yourself to have the mysterious encounters that all too often tend to shut us down and make us afraid.

-Clayton

2024 08 28

Quant house. Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Squarespace just sent me an email saying that prices are going up. Immediately, then, the whole gallery page got fucked up because of bad hotel wifi. I’m starting to think that doing a big blog website on the squarespace platform was a bad idea, esp if this project continues for a number of years. I’ll be stuck! My big idea was to get off of social media and create a website I could control myself, however, I likely made a poor decision in choosing the convenience of the squarespace platform over the freedom of doing it myself on my own server with my own back end, Wordpress, or whatever.

You live, and you learn, and sometimes you forget and need to re-learn. But usually all of your money eventually ends up in the hands of the tech companies.

I’ll get back to posts with more purpose asap! Busy photographing on the beach and boardwark the next two days… going to be an exhausting shoot… need to use that sunscreen! Will get more into that, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh once I have a bit more downtime. Maybe.

-Clayton

2024 08 17

Another busted car. Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Another day, another busted car image. This one is maybe my favorite yet, discovered while wandering Atlanta during a half-day off while on production.

Wandering is my favorite. I’ve long wanted to do a podcast called The Wanderer. Maybe it would be a video series. Maybe both. The list of things I want to do is long. Instead, I watch Bears preseason games and blog about my feelings. Can’t have it all.

-Clayton

2024 08 04

Airplanes landing in Atlanta through a double-rainbow situation. Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Yes, lately I have been becoming far more open-minded towards the spiritual or ambiguous side of things I might’ve previously scoffed at. This quote stood out yesterday while listening to The Artist’s Way. I think as a pro photographer it’s my job to “remove chance” from the equation to “get the shot” at all costs, however, clearly we can’t control everything and embracing the things we can’t control is a far better strategy than blaming yourself for them when they don’t work out. If this makes any sense?

“No matter how slow the film, spirit always stands still long enough for the photographer it has chosen.”

— Minor White

-Clayton

2024 07 16

MLK’s childhood home. Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Politics again. I know, I know. I just can’t get over how insane that Trump assassination attempt was. The entire thing feels like it was perfectly scripted to benefit the person who was almost dead as a result. The useful idiot or the brilliant marketer, depending on your views. I’m not at all saying that I think it was scripted, but as often is the case, fact is crazier than fiction. One inch, one slight turn of the head, seemingly changed the course of history in such a direct way. While I can’t even begin to predict what might’ve happened had Trump been killed that afternoon, it sure feels like he’s now destined to become president once again and take this country down whatever path he personally deems appropriate.

I’m not much one to believe in things like god or destiny or fate or angels or any of this but the fact that even I am now simply considering these things leads me to think many tens of millions of Americans will full on believe them.

It’s also remarkable to consider how much of an effect assassinations have had on the history of this nation (and the world). Entire timelines change. Tides turn. It’s no wonder our leaders have used assassination as an official tool of governing forever. These are grim and depressing thoughts and I wish I could spend less time thinking about them, but the way things are heading now, it seems like we’re trending back towards a time when these tools were used more regularly. I only hope I’m wrong.

The arc of the moral universe may in fact bend towards justice, but it is, indeed, a long and gradual bend. I’m going for a run to hopefully think about something else.

-Clayton

2024 07 12

Just a couple of dudes watching the planes go by. Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

I’ve got a bigger post in the works but it’s not done yet, so here I am stalling again. Get it?

What’s the deal with airplanes lately? I have no Seinfeld-style joke here, I am legitimately concerned and terrified. As someone who loves travel, I must admit I’ve been quite comfortable staying at home for most of the last few years.

Somehow, while going through one of the slower periods of my commercial photography career, I have been seemingly busier than ever. It’s probably the never-ending stream of tasks I have given myself. This daily blog, for starters. On that note, I’m attempting an actual vacation next week, so apologies ahead of time if the posts are limited. I know y’all are paying good money for this #content so I’ll do my best to provide you with some entertainment—kidding, but do you remember when blogs were hot and all the writers were ditching their real jobs to write paywalled blogs? Perhaps I should’ve went with The Daily Clay instead of Pointing at Stuff.

Jumping right along to the next bad segue, I’ve been coming up with a whole lot of ideas for web domain names I should buy lately. I’m not quite sure why I’m all of a sudden living back in 2007 but surely there is something that explains this behavior.

I couldn’t help but wonder: can women have sex like men?

-Clayton

2024 07 04

Man jogs with dog. Image stitched together from multiple frames. Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

I’ve been kinda bumming since that presidential debate, I’m not going to lie. It’s probably a bit old school of me to think that a nation’s mood and direction can be set from a single person at the top. But I do think, at least for people like myself that pay attention to things as I do, that leadership starts at the top. When the guy currently in charge is so out of it he shouldn’t be there, let alone running for another four year term(!), and the other guy running actively hates the things you believe in and stand for as he slips deeper into a state of dementia, it kind of leaves you with little hope for the future.

I’m really not trying to get political here and make this about which side is right or wrong or whatever, but I think the shitshow playing out at the top is allowing me to see things around me in a different light. This light is not at all a good thing. It’s like blasting a high-powered blacklight into a musty motel room and unveiling all the previous schenanigans which have taken place in this room over the years. Social media becomes far more toxic than it already is and every post becomes hard evidence of the rotten state of our society. The world has lost some of its magic and I’m not seeing my photos like maybe I had in the recent past. They’re all just a bit bland and uninspired, like what’s the point of me wandering around snapping pictures of these things anyway?

Yikes, okay mister. Depressed, much? Surely, connecting my current mental downswing to national (er, global) politics might be a stretch, but I do very much think this shit weighs on us. I think it’s only natural to have swings of high and low mental states, and instead of shunning the hard times by pretending everything is fine, it’s better to notice the causes and to think deeper on them and try to better understand why you might be having these negative feelings. Is my work really this shit or am I just in a bad mood? Is it really all the Supreme Court of the United States’ fault or am I projecting here?

One piece of advice I would give myself is not to stew on it too much. In this regard, having this daily blog doesn’t much help — forcing myself to think and write about why I’m bummed in a public forum that can easily be misinterpreted. That said, a big part of why I started this blog was as a home for my creations. What makes me less bummed is getting out into the world, doing things, making things, experiencing things.

The other day I texted my friend some political thoughts while venting about the SCOTUS ruling, allowing presidents to act as kings, more or less. His response, along with a photo of his kids playing in a creek: Log off Twitter!

This is good advice. Enjoy the 4th.

-Clayton

Update: per always, Tim Kreider summed up much of my grumpy thoughts far better than I even could in his substack today, which you can and should read here.

2024 06 29

Busted car for the busted car photo collection. Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Another quick entry today as I have a day filled with social activity (and some work, of course).

More words another time. Enjoy the weekend!

-Clayton

2024 06 28

Grounds of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Tonight we witnessed The Death of a Living American President. Quite a sight, really.

It’s hard to comprehend how the Democratic party could get so far down the road to re-election while firmly believing the idea that Biden is fit for office today, let alone for another four years. But really, what choice did they have? It’s his call.

The debate was a reckoning. Now we all know it’s over. The only thing left to find out is if the people in control of the government agree with the rest of us.

This is by no means an endorsement of the man attempting to become president again, after throwing the country under the bus in favor of himself. Neither dudes should even be up on the debate stage. The entire CNN telecast felt like a subtle hit job orchestrated by shadowy figures on the sidelines without the power — currently — to make the changes themselves. I’d be shocked if both Biden and Trump are the final two candidates come election day. Something is cooking. My money is on a Harris-Newsom stew.

When I was down in Atlanta recently, I noticed that I was near the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. The man was a bit before my time but I’ve always appreciated his level of authenticity, esp for someone who ended up in charge of the nation. Figuring I owed him an hour of my time, I ventured over to the museum only to realize they were scheduled to close thirty minutes after my arrival. Upon entering the well-manicured facilities, the room was empty and I set on a path towards the museum entrance, thinking I’d walk in and do a quick lap. Just as I neared, a uniformed-employee appeared out of nowhere and asked if I was looking to purchase a ticket.

“Is it worth it, for thirty minutes?” I asked, not wanting to spend the money.

“Not in my opinion!” she snapped back.

Well, alright then! Off I went. Laughing with myself about how all the history, time, money, and effort that went into all of this could be so easily disregarded by someone actively being paid money to support it.

That response felt like the debate tonight. What’s the point of any of this? What are we doing here?

The measure of a person is not made by what they can accomplish alone, it’s the effect they have on everyone. Eventually, even the best of us become dead and gone. Clinging to power because we think we deserve it or think we can provide investors the best return are neither valid reasons when the stakes are as high as they are — for duty of country. It’s not crazy to think Biden believes he’s still the best person for the fight, but had he made the choice to step aside, his affect would’ve been far more positive than what is unraveling now. Clearly, Joe is someone who cares about lists made by experts as he brought it up multiple times last time. His place on these lists will be lower the longer he remains in this race.

Unfortunately, the system we have puts us in the predicament we are in, with two candidates who should not be running at the top of each of their parties’ ticket. The next three months will not be fun but the result, whatever it is, will have massive consequences for the entire world.

Buckle up, Chicago.

-Clayton

2024 06 26

One dead tree in the bunch. Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

It’s been too long since I’ve posted a quote. This one popped up while stuffing wedding invitations:

“We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely.”

— E.O. Wilson, Biologist/Naturalist

-Clayton

2024 06 23

Busted flat in Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

It’s summer raining out, which is lovely. We just got back from food at cocktails at the bar. I’m figuring out the next few months. Many things to do. A wedding, for example. Documenting life. Opening a bar, perhaps? Running a studio in a constant state of disrepair. Yes, my brain is everywhere these days.

My parents, lovely as they are, are also older folks who don’t fully understand the value of money these days. Things are expensive. I tell my mom Biden may not be president soon because things are expensive. She doesn’t understand how it’s possible that a hotel room costs as much as it does; how a wedding photographer costs as much as it does. Her son is a photographer, yet the numbers don’t make sense from her perspective. If only she knew what I pay in rent each month.

These things weigh on me, too. Why I’m busting my butt so hard just to make it to another day. As you get older, the pulling yourself up by the bootstraps gets harder. The straps are frayed and your arms are sweaty and weak and you’re a bit drunk to numb the pain, so you forget to tug one day, then another.

The car sits outside, collecting dust. The tire goes flat. The oil dries out. Problems compound and transform into an insurmountable task. Better to forget it exists and put it out of your head. In a few more days time, you’ll have the capacity to deal with it, you tell yourself. The days come and go. More excuses pile up and it becomes easier to bury them deeper than to confront them.

Upstairs, your partner yells to make sure you didn’t doze off on the couch as you typically might. The rain tapping rhythmically doesn’t help. The buzzing alerts on your phone and computer and watch take your focus away.

I think the biggest trick in life is maintaining focus, despite the constant distractions. Finding the flow state and living in it as long as you can. Obviously, this will create other problems for you, such as automobile maintenance and relationship stability. Off to bed, I go.

-Clayton

2024 06 20

Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Soon, the tallest building in the United States will be in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (pop. 700,000).

Soon, the tallest building in the world will be in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (pop. 4,000,000), surpassing the current tallest building in the world located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (pop. 3,400,000).

I’m not sure what, exactly, the meaning is, but there has to be a correlation between late-stage-capitalism and the rise of inequality to the locations of the world’s tallest buildings. It would be interesting to see a graph of the tallest buildings in the world per capita.

List of skyscrapers per capita, as found on a random page on reddit:

1. UAE - 36.09

2. Monaco - 25.61

3. Qatar - 19.58

4. Singapore - 16.39

5. Panama - 15.45

6. Bahrain - 12.05

7. Malaysia - 8.72

8. Australia - 5.82

9. South Korea - 5.37

10. Kuwait - 3.64

One thing I learned about the UAE by going there is that nobody wants to be outside, so it kind of makes sense to build upwards. That said, I’ll bet that within one hundred years, many of these buildings which have popped up like weeks in Dubai will need to be demolished as it will be cheaper than maintaining them.

-Clayton

2024 06 15

A fork in the road. Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Gone Shootin’

I’m out today exploring Illinois and making photos for a personal project I haven’t said much about on here yet. None of the images I’ve made thus far have been posted here, or anywhere, and likely won’t be until I figure out whatever this project is going to become. It’s just a vague idea at this point and I’m seeing where it takes me. Really, the only guiding restriction is that images must be made within the state of Illinois and outside of Cook County (Chicago).

As I make images, I have been printing all my selects as 4x6” working prints to get a better feel for how they work, or don’t work. This has been a really enjoyable process, as the images hit so much harder (and different) when you can hold them in your hands. Also, I don’t need to apply a 10% Gaussian blur just to get the file size small enough, like here on this blog!

I’m so far getting quite a lot of wide landscape images, which are nice, but am lacking more impactful human moments. Certain photobooks are becoming a clear inspiration as to how this project takes shape. I will write more about those specific books to better understand what I like, or don’t like, about them. Realistically, this project will drag on for years, which I think I’m fine with. It’s also a nice excuse to explore areas I haven’t previously explored.

More on all this in the coming months (or years).

-Clayton