2024 11 11
It’s been a minute since I’ve done a proper Life Update and this week will be no different, however, the topic loosely applies. I’m in the early phase of a Pivot to Video, largely spurred by a collapse in demand for commercial photography, but also aided by a lifelong love of video and filmmaking (it’s complicated why I’m not already more focused on it). In this phase, I’m spending a lot of time watching youtube videos. I swear, it’s productive… at least to an extent. Film school is what I keep calling it. Realistically, there’s just a lot of new shit that I need to get up to speed on. Of course, I’m well aware that the only way to be successful at this new venture is not by watching videos but by doing it. Every damn day.
Most, if not all, of the credit to my success in commercial photography can be summed up by putting in the work. Spending the time. Consistent focus and dedication.
In my recent film schooling sessions, I came across a channel by DP Luc Forsyth because he did some camera tests I was curious about. Digging deeper into his channel, I watched this video linked below, which so brilliantly summed up these ideas on success within the industry, ideas I already fully agree with and believe in, but ideas I found interesting specifically because he put them in terms of growing his youtube channel as a working DP. This idea of starting a channel is one I’ve been dwelling on for years now, without taking the leap, mostly because I fully understand the challenges involved. It’s frustrating when I post some photos on Threads and they get zero likes. It’s frustrating when I post a blog to give away a print and get zero engagement. It’s likely far more frustrating to spend hours or your life painstakingly crafting and posting videos for them to go completely ignored by the eight or so billion people living in this world.
Luc summed up his growth projections so well and accurately:
1 year of weekly posting = 1,000 subscribers
2 years of weekly posting = 10,000 subscribers
3 years of weekly posting = 100,000 subscribers
This chart is the sole reason I don’t yet have a youtube channel. I know in my bones it’s accurate, if not optimistic, and the sheer amount of time, energy, effort and focus required to put towards making a new video each and every week, without fail, is daunting. The idea that committing to this for a full year, after which you may get you a thousand subs is almost comical. But that’s not the reason to do it. It’s for year three. Year ten. Year twenty.
I’m already in my forties so the feeling that it’s now or never, the feeling that I’m running short on time is very real and the biggest thing holding me back from going all-in on video. I still love still photography as well and not yet fully convinced I can’t make it work for another twenty years. Anyway, these are the things I am spending a lot of time thinking about lately.
-Clayton
To be great it takes years of consistent dedication. Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga photographed during a portrait shoot for Chicago Magazine at Wrigley Field. Chicago, Illinois. June, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
It’s been a minute since I’ve done a proper Life Update and this week will be no different, however, the topic loosely applies. I’m in the early phase of a Pivot to Video, largely spurred by a collapse in demand for commercial photography, but also aided by a lifelong love of video and filmmaking (it’s complicated why I’m not already more focused on it). In this phase, I’m spending a lot of time watching youtube videos. I swear, it’s productive… at least to an extent. Film school is what I keep calling it. Realistically, there’s just a lot of new shit that I need to get up to speed on. Of course, I’m well aware that the only way to be successful at this new venture is not by watching videos but by doing it. Every damn day.
Most, if not all, of the credit to my success in commercial photography can be summed up by putting in the work. Spending the time. Consistent focus and dedication.
In my recent film schooling sessions, I came across a channel by DP Luc Forsyth because he did some camera tests I was curious about. Digging deeper into his channel, I watched this video linked below, which so brilliantly summed up these ideas on success within the industry, ideas I already fully agree with and believe in, but ideas I found interesting specifically because he put them in terms of growing his youtube channel as a working DP. This idea of starting a channel is one I’ve been dwelling on for years now, without taking the leap, mostly because I fully understand the challenges involved. It’s frustrating when I post some photos on Threads and they get zero likes. It’s frustrating when I post a blog to give away a print and get zero engagement. It’s likely far more frustrating to spend hours or your life painstakingly crafting and posting videos for them to go completely ignored by the eight or so billion people living in this world.
Luc summed up his growth projections so well and accurately:
1 year of weekly posting = 1,000 subscribers
2 years of weekly posting = 10,000 subscribers
3 years of weekly posting = 100,000 subscribers
This chart is the sole reason I don’t yet have a youtube channel. I know in my bones it’s accurate, if not optimistic, and the sheer amount of time, energy, effort and focus required to put towards making a new video each and every week, without fail, is daunting. The idea that committing to this for a full year, after which you may get you a thousand subs is almost comical. But that’s not the reason to do it. It’s for year three. Year ten. Year twenty.
I’m already in my forties so the feeling that it’s now or never, the feeling that I’m running short on time is very real and the biggest thing holding me back from going all-in on video. I still love still photography as well and not yet fully convinced I can’t make it work for another twenty years. Anyway, these are the things I am spending a lot of time thinking about lately.
-Clayton
2024 11 10
As I sit on my couch this beautiful summer fall afternoon (it’s sixty-two degrees today!), I find it appropriate to post yet another Busted Car image. While Trump and his crew of Elites (wait I thought they hated elites?) figure out how to best pillage this nation’s fine institutions in the name of tax breaks for themselves (that we voted for!), I think to myself, it could be worse; I could be a Bears fan.Wait, fuck.
-Clayton
Another busted car (this one’s a big one!). Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
As I sit on my couch this beautiful summer fall afternoon (it’s sixty-two degrees today!), I find it appropriate to post yet another Busted Car image. While Trump and his crew of Elites (wait I thought they hated elites?) figure out how to best pillage this nation’s fine institutions in the name of tax breaks for themselves (that we voted for!), I think to myself, it could be worse; I could be a Bears fan.Wait, fuck.
-Clayton
2024 11 08
There’s this thing that happens when you (or, me, I should clarify) walk into any bar in rural Illinois. It’s the stereotypical record scratch you see on television. An instantaneous recognition from everyone inside that an outsider has entered. Things go quiet for a brief moment, which can feel like eternity depending on your level of anxiety, as you make your way inside, assessing which seat might be least awkward to claim for yourself.
My goal is to eventually embody a presence that goes largely unnoticed in these situations. Currently, my city-slicker outsider vibe is far too strong to go unnoticed, which is a bit unfortunate because I take blending in to my environment very seriously. I’ve long thought observation to be one of, if not my most important strengths. I can use it to my advantage in my pursuits of photography, and now writing.
A week ago I drove down south with Lincoln, Illinois in my crosshairs. I spent the day wandering and photographing various towns along the way. It’s endlessly remarkable to me how many towns exist which feel completely lost to time.
Two larger takeaways occurred to me on this day:
One: my still-vaguely defined “Illinois Project” photobook was the main motivator for this trip. I haven’t been putting enough time into it and I’ve hit some snags in the process. I’m finding much of the work I’ve made has been too wide. Landscapes, mostly, devoid of people and any intimacy. One goal on this specific day was to involve humans in my work. The challenge was finding people — any people. There just aren’t many people out here wandering these towns and rural places, meaning the images I have forming in my head would likely require me to “produce” them by bringing people along with me. I’m not sure this is the route I want to take. Perhaps, I should lean into the desolation and capture a more true-to-life portrait of a place? The worry is that much like these empty towns themselves, most people will not be interested in seeing this work, and that’s the opposite of my goal. I want people to see the beauty in these places, and therefore I’m thinking I should instead begin to share the work more widely as I make it, instead of squirreling it away on hard drives for some hypothetical future date when I will do a show or release a book. My inbox helped me come to this conclusion after getting another gem of a piece from Meaghan Garvey’s substack Scary Cool Sad Goodbye, in which she so beautifully captures the spirit of the Midwest through her adventures. Now, I’m thinking a more ongoing web presence, in some form, is a better way to go about this project, as I learn what this project even is. Ill Wandering.
Two: I have a vision in my head of a Plan For a New Illinois. This plan, while likely an impossible pipe dream, would see massive resources and money directed at Central Illinois with the goal of increasing the region’s population to three times what it is now, at roughly 2 million people. Perhaps I will post the Plan here for my tens of readers to check out! Maybe one of y’all knows the governor and can send it along to him. While it’s clear Illinois is broken in many ways, it also gets a lot of over-dramatic hate tossed its way. That said, I’m not sure an influx of more people is the fix we need. Places like Austin, Texas lose what made them great as a glut of tech money and influence bros move in and completely change the dynamic of a place. This week’s election has muddied my vision as well. I get frustrated seeing places that are so clearly past their prime, and my instinct is to shine a light on them and figure out ways to help them prosper once again. But now, I’m not sure more people or more attention is what these places want. It’s likely the exact opposite (worth exploring in this project of mine, perhaps!).
-Clayton
Majestic Theater. Past its prime. Streator, Illinois. November, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
There’s this thing that happens when you (or, me, I should clarify) walk into any bar in rural Illinois. It’s the stereotypical record scratch you see on television. An instantaneous recognition from everyone inside that an outsider has entered. Things go quiet for a brief moment, which can feel like eternity depending on your level of anxiety, as you make your way inside, assessing which seat might be least awkward to claim for yourself.
My goal is to eventually embody a presence that goes largely unnoticed in these situations. Currently, my city-slicker outsider vibe is far too strong to go unnoticed, which is a bit unfortunate because I take blending in to my environment very seriously. I’ve long thought observation to be one of, if not my most important strengths. I can use it to my advantage in my pursuits of photography, and now writing.
A week ago I drove down south with Lincoln, Illinois in my crosshairs. I spent the day wandering and photographing various towns along the way. It’s endlessly remarkable to me how many towns exist which feel completely lost to time.
Two larger takeaways occurred to me on this day:
One: my still-vaguely defined “Illinois Project” photobook was the main motivator for this trip. I haven’t been putting enough time into it and I’ve hit some snags in the process. I’m finding much of the work I’ve made has been too wide. Landscapes, mostly, devoid of people and any intimacy. One goal on this specific day was to involve humans in my work. The challenge was finding people — any people. There just aren’t many people out here wandering these towns and rural places, meaning the images I have forming in my head would likely require me to “produce” them by bringing people along with me. I’m not sure this is the route I want to take. Perhaps, I should lean into the desolation and capture a more true-to-life portrait of a place? The worry is that much like these empty towns themselves, most people will not be interested in seeing this work, and that’s the opposite of my goal. I want people to see the beauty in these places, and therefore I’m thinking I should instead begin to share the work more widely as I make it, instead of squirreling it away on hard drives for some hypothetical future date when I will do a show or release a book.
My inbox helped me come to this conclusion after getting another gem of a piece from Meaghan Garvey’s substack Scary Cool Sad Goodbye, in which she so beautifully captures the spirit of the Midwest through her adventures. Now, I’m thinking a more ongoing web presence, in some form, is a better way to go about this project, as I learn what this project even is. Ill Wandering.
Two: I have a vision in my head of a Plan For a New Illinois. This plan, while likely an impossible pipe dream, would see massive resources and money directed at Central Illinois with the goal of increasing the region’s population to three times what it is now, at roughly 2 million people. Perhaps I will post the Plan here for my tens of readers to check out! Maybe one of y’all knows the governor and can send it along to him. While it’s clear Illinois is broken in many ways, it also gets a lot of over-dramatic hate tossed its way. That said, I’m not sure an influx of more people is the fix we need. Places like Austin, Texas largely lose what made them great, as a glut of tech money and influence bros move in and completely change the dynamic of the place.
This week’s election has muddied my vision as well. I get frustrated seeing places that are so clearly past their prime, and my instinct is to shine a light on them and figure out ways to help them prosper once again. But now, I’m not sure more people or more attention is what these places want. It’s likely the exact opposite (worth exploring in this project of mine, perhaps!).
-Clayton
2024 11 07
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
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
2024 11 06
Here we go again. Hold on to your butts. Last night was a gut punch for many of us, but here we are. Lots of people will have lots to say, with hindsight on their side, but I think my biggest takeaway is that we don’t have an effective opposition to Trump populism. The Democratic party is run by a largely-senile president who was pushed out of office against his own wishes and was nowhere to be seen throughout the election; along with a former president who is nowhere to be seen until it’s time to campaign for a few weeks leading up to the vote; along with a former Speaker who, while smart, is an 84-year old millionaire none of us can relate to or connect with. This isn’t the kind of leadership that wins elections and unless something changes, it will continue to happen over and over again.
Kamala was not a perfect candidate, but she ran a pretty dang good campaign, all things considered. Sure, she could’ve done many things differently, but I don’t think it would’ve changed the outcome one bit. It was an impossible task and now we live in a world where the only two female presidential candidates in our countries’ history have both been defeated by Donald Trump. It stings, bad. It’s a grim reality, but it is our reality and if we want it to change, we’ll need to stay engaged, stay focused, and stick together.
-Clayton
Today, we stare into the void. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Here we go again. Hold on to your butts. Last night was a gut punch for many of us, but here we are. Lots of people will have lots to say, with hindsight on their side, but I think my biggest takeaway is that we don’t have an effective opposition to Trump populism. The Democratic party is run by a largely-senile president who was pushed out of office against his own wishes and was nowhere to be seen throughout the election; along with a former president who is nowhere to be seen until it’s time to campaign for a few weeks leading up to the vote; along with a former Speaker who, while smart, is an 84-year old millionaire none of us can relate to or connect with. This isn’t the kind of leadership that wins elections and unless something changes, it will continue to happen over and over again.
Kamala was not a perfect candidate, but she ran a decent campaign, all things considered. Sure, she could’ve done many things differently, but I don’t think it would’ve changed the outcome one bit. It was an impossible task and now we live in a world where the only two female presidential candidates in our countries’ history have both been defeated by Donald Trump. It stings, bad. It’s a grim reality, but it is our reality and if we want it to change, we’ll need to stay engaged, stay focused, and stick together.
-Clayton
PS - I think Jon sums it up well here, and Jonathan does a pretty entertaining job as well, below that:
2024 11 03
Yesterday, Sunday, I took my day off so seriously that I forgot to post anything at all. I blame the Bears, who so demoralized me, I lost the will to do anything at all. Chicago sports is remarkable, really. Our teams experience occasional brilliant glory and then spend the next decade or two toiling away among the worst and most poorly-run organizations in all of sports. We’ll get ‘em next year, I’ll say again next year!
-Clayton
Another Mr Peepers. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Yesterday, Sunday, I took my day off so seriously that I forgot to post anything at all. I blame the Bears, who so demoralized me, I lost the will to do anything at all. Chicago sports is remarkable, really. Our teams experience occasional brilliant glory and then spend the next decade or two toiling away among the worst and most poorly-run organizations in all of sports. We’ll get ‘em next year, I’ll say again next year!
-Clayton
2024 11 01
Another one of Paulie B’s great Walkie Talkie videos dropped and it’s Chicago street photographer Amando de Leon so I have to shout it out! Peep the video below… a few fun standout moments for me were:
Amando says: 35mm in Chicago, 28mm in NYC are the perfect focal lengths and that feels so right. I love the sentiment.
“I love flash. You look like you’re just having a party!" Being out here [photographing on the street] is like being at a party”
He wants to publish more DIY zines and get a website up to sell them to fund his photo projects … I’m aiming to create a lil web shop on my see you soon site for this exact kind of thing. Hopefully early next year it’ll be a reality. It’s been stewing in my brain for a long time now, it’s just finding the time to make it a reality that has been the challenge. Ideally, I would love to help in my own tiny way to support these photographers who are out there putting in the time making their art. I’d also love to be out there myself more but know that realistically it will probably never happen, at least as much as I’d like it to.
Amando likes to photograph in bars. This was my life for a while! I think Amado and I need to meet and I need to buy the guy a couple beers! Hit me up, Amado!
Gary Stochl and Vivian Maier doing it themselves without a community or social media to keep pushing them.
Why do you take photos? “because it makes me feel like I’m here, I’m present.”
-Clayton
Hyde Park and downtown through the trees of South Shore, Chicago. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Another one of Paulie B’s great Walkie Talkie videos dropped and it’s Chicago street photographer Amando de Leon so I have to shout it out! Peep the video below… a few fun standout moments for me were:
Amando says: 35mm in Chicago, 28mm in NYC are the perfect focal lengths and that feels so right. I love the sentiment.
“I love flash. You look like you’re just having a party!" Being out here [photographing on the street] is like being at a party”
He wants to publish more DIY zines and get a website up to sell them to fund his photo projects … I’m aiming to create a lil web shop on my see you soon site for this exact kind of thing. Hopefully early next year it’ll be a reality. It’s been stewing in my brain for a long time now, it’s just finding the time to make it a reality that has been the challenge. Ideally, I would love to help in my own tiny way to support these photographers who are out there putting in the time making their art. I’d also love to be out there myself more but know that realistically it will probably never happen, at least as much as I’d like it to.
Amando likes to photograph in bars. This was my life for a while! I think Amado and I need to meet and I need to buy the guy a couple beers! Hit me up, Amado!
Gary Stochl and Vivian Maier doing it themselves without a community or social media to keep pushing them.
Why do you take photos? “because it makes me feel like I’m here, I’m present.”
-Clayton
2024 10 24
I live at my studio now. I don’t sleep there, but I live there. It’s a nice space and people ask me all the time if I live there. I do, I just happen to leave late at night to go to my second home to sleep before waking up early and returning to the studio. It’s, perhaps, not the most economically-sensible approach to life, but it’s what I do.
See you at 7:30am (soon)!
-Clayton
Some filming going on at my studio space. Chicago, Illinois. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
I live at my studio now. I don’t sleep there, but I live there. It’s a nice space and people ask me all the time if I live there. I do, I just happen to leave late at night to go to my second home to sleep before waking up early and returning to the studio. It’s, perhaps, not the most economically-sensible approach to life, but it’s what I do.
See you at 7:30am (soon)!
-Clayton
2024 10 23
Something that always fascinates me is how fragile life on Earth is. We are doing our best to disrupt the planet’s fragile ecosystems, and we do a great job of it, but beyond our own stupidity, it’s remarkable that life on Earth exists at all! We would not be here without the moon, for example, which stabilizes and calms our planet’s orbit and allows for the seasons, giving us time to grow crops and smell the flowers.
This morning, I read another fascinating bit of information that would also be a deal-breaker for us had science decided to act just a bit differently. That is — ice.
Most of the time, when an element in a liquid state transforms into its solid state, it gets much smaller and more dense. Water (H20), on the other hand, expands when it solidifies. This scientific anomaly is another in many that allow us humans to exist at all. Had ice followed the rules and shrunk as it formed, it wouldn’t float. If ice were to sink, the world’s oceans would’ve fully solidified and life on Earth would not be possible, or at the very least, would have been a whole lot more difficult and we would probably be single-cell organisms, frolicking in the ice while attempting to figure out how to migrate to land.
-Clayton
Chased a waterfall. Starved Rock State Park, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Something that always fascinates me is how fragile life on Earth is. We are doing our best to disrupt the planet’s fragile ecosystems, and we do a great job of it, but beyond our own stupidity, it’s remarkable that life on Earth exists at all! We would not be here without the moon, for example, which stabilizes and calms our planet’s orbit and allows for the seasons, giving us time to grow crops and smell the flowers.
This morning, I read another fascinating bit of information that would also be a deal-breaker for us had science decided to act just a bit differently. That is — ice.
Most of the time, when an element in a liquid state transforms into its solid state, it gets much smaller and more dense. Water (H20), on the other hand, expands when it solidifies. This scientific anomaly is another in many that allow us humans to exist at all. Had ice followed the rules and shrunk as it formed, it wouldn’t float. If ice were to sink, the world’s oceans would’ve fully solidified and life on Earth would not be possible, or at the very least, would have been a whole lot more difficult and we would probably be single-cell organisms, frolicking in the ice while attempting to figure out how to migrate to land.
-Clayton
2024 10 22
Here is another film image made this summer. I must say, film does have a little way with making mundane images just that much better. This same angle as seen from a digital camera would likely not make it to this here blog. The on-camera flash also adds an interesting element while mixed with the nice end-of-day light in the background.
I wish I hadn’t fully given up on film a decade ago and only now re-started shooting some film, now that it is a trendy and expensive way to make mundane images just a smidge more interesting.
-Clayton
An alley tree. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Here is another film image made this summer. I must say, film does have a little way with making mundane images just that much better. This same angle as seen from a digital camera would likely not make it to this here blog. The on-camera flash also adds an interesting element while mixed with the nice end-of-day light in the background.
I wish I hadn’t fully given up on film a decade ago and only now re-started shooting some film, now that it is a trendy and expensive way to make mundane images just a smidge more interesting.
-Clayton
2024 10 21
Lately I’ve been doing too much. Or, better put, I’ve been trying to do too much. Spreading myself too thin. The blog has suffered as a result, nearly missing some days and putting in bare minimum effort others. I’ve missed writing my Morning Pages more days than not. I find I’m most successful in life when I focus my attention into one or two things. This blog isn’t a thing because I’m trying to make it into a business, but it is a thing because I’m using it to focus my attention on something. Get my thoughts down onto digital paper. And to keep me motivated to make and share new images. It has been successful at times and less so at others.
There are a few more in-depth posts I will make a priority to share this week when I’m not busy doing my “real” jobs. Today, we are filming a documentary project as part of my slow and reluctant pivot towards video. Wednesday I am photographing a different project. Otherwise I am printing, working on art, working on a book shop, studio managing, event planning, life planning, invoicing, catching up on my personal life. It’s all too much, really. I’m starting to get the sense that if I continue to try and carry all of these bags, I’m going to drop them.
We recently lost a few photography jobs because we were too expensive. Today, we took a call with a prospective client who is looking for someone cheaper then their existing photographer partner. It all feels a bit too on the nose. It’s like life is delivering me a clear choice and I need to decide which path I will go down. Work for less or work less.
-Clayton
Eve of Funeral Potatoes in the kitchen at Moonflower. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Lately I’ve been doing too much. Or, better put, I’ve been trying to do too much. Spreading myself too thin. The blog has suffered as a result, nearly missing some days and putting in bare minimum effort others. I’ve missed writing my Morning Pages more days than not. I find I’m most successful in life when I focus my attention into one or two things. This blog isn’t a thing because I’m trying to make it into a business, but it is a thing because I’m using it to focus my attention on something. Get my thoughts down onto digital paper. And to keep me motivated to make and share new images. It has been successful at times and less so at others.
There are a few more in-depth posts I will make a priority to share this week when I’m not busy doing my “real” jobs. Today, we are filming a documentary project as part of my slow and reluctant pivot towards video. Wednesday I am photographing a different project. Otherwise I am printing, working on art, working on a book shop, a bar, a creative studio, studio managing, event planning, life planning, invoicing, catching up on my personal life. It’s all too much, really. I’m starting to get the sense that if I continue to try and carry all of these bags, I’m going to drop them.
We recently lost a few photography jobs because we were too expensive. Today, we took a call with a prospective client who is looking for someone cheaper than their existing long-term photographer partner. It all feels a bit too on the nose. It’s like life is delivering me a clear choice and I need to decide which path I will go down. Work for less or work less.
Allison & I had a very nice dinner at Houndstooth last week. While the food was delicious, my biggest takeaway was how calm and orderly the kitchen prepared our food while we sat and watched at the chef’s counter. It was inspiring! It made me dream of a life so structured and orderly… being able to do something you’re passionate about in a calm and sustaining manner. But as is always the case in life, there’s so much more going on behind the scenes, for the better and for the worse, in order to be able to get to a place of such stability.
-Clayton
2024 10 19
While out on a short getaway this week, I came to a realization that in the near future, everyone will be have a bed & breakfast. It’s really the perfect job for participants in today’s manic economy. You have not one measly job but quite literally all of the jobs, while being fully responsible for participating them twenty-four hours a day, three-hundred and sixty-five days a year (you get one day off every four years on February 29th).
I joke, but the joke it deeply rooted in my own reality. Photographers first and foremost need to be skilled not in the act of making nice images but in sales and marketing (along with finance, studio managing, tax accounting, law, etc). They don’t teach you this in art school, of course. The fun stuff (making photos) is a shockingly small portion of the time you spend being a photographer. If you are good enough at sales, you can get enough paid jobs to save up enough money, buy a dilapidated building in a small but charming midwest town, and then live the good life as full-time inn operator.
-Clayton
Photographers wear many hats. See You Soon. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
While out on a short getaway this week, I came to a realization that in the near future, everyone will be have a bed & breakfast. It’s really the perfect job for participants in today’s manic economy. You have not one measly job but quite literally all of the jobs, while being fully responsible for participating in them twenty-four hours a day, three-hundred and sixty-five days a year (you get one day off every four years on February 29th).
I joke, but the joke is deeply rooted in my own reality. Photographers first and foremost need to be skilled not in the act of making nice images but in sales and marketing (along with client relations, finance, studio managing, tax accounting, law, etc). They don’t teach you this in art school, of course. The fun stuff (making photos) is a shockingly small portion of the time you spend being a photographer. If you are good enough at sales, you can get enough paid jobs to save up enough money, buy a dilapidated building in a small but charming midwest town, and then live the good life as full-time inn operator.
-Clayton
2024 10 18
Missed another post yesterday. The excuse is that my wife and I were out and about all dang day! We started the morning in Douglas, Michigan where we had a fabulous dinner the night before. This was followed by Saugatuck, Benton Harbor, St Joseph, Sawyer, and rural destinations in between. I’ve always been more of a Wisconsin guy, largely because my family is from there, however we both loved and kinda fell for Michigan. The sunset over the lake is an added bonus that is hard to beat for someone used to living across the pond. Silly analogies aside, the natural landscapes and charming towns in the Saugatuck area really had me feeling like we have a little slice of Europe right here in America.
-Clayton
Cool ride, bro. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Missed another post yesterday. The excuse is that my wife and I were out and about all dang day! We started the morning in Douglas, Michigan where we had a fabulous dinner the night before. This was followed by Saugatuck, Benton Harbor, St Joseph, Sawyer, and rural destinations in between. I’ve always been more of a Wisconsin guy, largely because my family is from there, however we both loved and kinda fell for Michigan. The sunset over the lake is an added bonus that is hard to beat for someone used to living across the pond. Silly analogies aside, the natural landscapes and charming towns in the Saugatuck area really had me feeling like we have a little slice of Europe right here in America.
-Clayton
2024 10 17
I like this image but hadn’t posted it, mostly because there was a sliver of a person’s head poking out behind the woman and it really annoyed me. Figuring I would scrap it, I gave Photoshop’s generative fill a chance to remove the face, thinking it wouldn’t do a great job because of all the hair and building texture involved. It was nearly perfectly removed on the first try.
I continue to have complicated feelings towards Ai, however, it is clear it’s not going away. It’s also clear many jobs will be going away as a result (I still think, while the creative job losses are most obvious now, it will be the non-creative job losses that will really change society in ways we can’t yet imagine). I’m not making any profound statements here. Everyone knows this, but figured I’d post it as a quiet little reminder that I need to get my ass some better Ai training to help me “fix” my commercial photos.
-Clayton
Two people pose for a portrait in Pilsen. Chicago, Illinois. June, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
I like this image but hadn’t posted it, mostly because there was a sliver of a person’s head poking out behind the woman and it really annoyed me. Figuring I would scrap it, I gave Photoshop’s generative fill a chance to remove the face, thinking it wouldn’t do a great job because of all the hair and building texture involved. It was nearly perfectly removed on the first try.
I continue to have complicated feelings towards Ai, however, it is clear it’s not going away. It’s also clear many jobs will be going away as a result (I still think, while the creative job losses are most obvious now, it will be the non-creative job losses that will really change society in ways we can’t yet imagine). I’m not making any profound statements here. Everyone knows this, but figured I’d post it as a quiet little reminder that I need to get my ass some better Ai training to help me “fix” my commercial photos.
-Clayton
2024 10 14
Lee Friedlander is a favorite of mine. I stumbled upon this nice video, linked below, while avoiding watching football on Sunday afternoon. While I’ve always been attracted to Friendlander’s images, I haven’t put much effort into getting to know the man. That’s the case for me, generally, when it comes to historic photographer figures. I think a part of it is a worry that getting to know them as people will take away a bit of the magic. Perhaps it’s that I’m lazy and making excuses.
“Art is too big a word for me. It has too many letters in it.”
— Lee Friedlander
Lee was a bit of a rascal, it seems, which shows in his work and gives it personality. I often wonder what it is that gives talented photographers an edge and makes their work stand out. I also often wonder if my special skills aren’t accidental and knowing more about the craft and its masters will only reveal me as a fraud. As I get older, I’m coming to realize this is self-sabotage and I would be better served knowing, learning from, and embracing the people I am most impressed with.
“It seems to me if you had the answer why ask the question? The thing is there are so many questions. I wonder what it is going to look like if I stand here or if I stand there. I don’t know. If fifty years of doing it meant that every time you picked up the camera you made a good one you wouldn’t have to take many. I make a lot of stupid pictures. Most of them are stupid because I’m trying to figure where to be or where to focus. I don’t think the problems area any different now. I grow wiser as time passes only because I know a little bit more about what is possible, only because I’ve done it for so long. I am used to being a craftsman. But maybe it’s not that. Maybe it’s infatuation. Age has no patent on infatuation.”
— Lee Friedlander
It would be smart of me to start a casual little series of posts investigating works of other photographers. This youtube channel is a great starting point, as Graeme is clearly full of knowledge and has a great eye for strong images. I previously wrote about his video covering another favorite, Nadav Kander (see: 2024 04 01). Now I just need to make some better images to go along with these posts about the all-time greats.
Additionally, this interview was where I pulled the two quotes and is worth a read.
-Clayton
Another busted car. Chicago, Illinois. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Lee Friedlander is a favorite of mine. I stumbled upon this nice video, linked below, while avoiding watching football on Sunday afternoon. While I’ve always been attracted to Friendlander’s images, I haven’t put much effort into getting to know the man. That’s the case for me, generally, when it comes to historic photographer figures. I think a part of it is a worry that getting to know them as people will take away a bit of the magic. Perhaps it’s that I’m lazy and making excuses.
“Art is too big a word for me. It has too many letters in it.”
Lee was a bit of a rascal, it seems, which shows in his work and gives it personality. I often wonder what it is that gives talented photographers an edge and makes their work stand out. I also often wonder if my special skills aren’t accidental and knowing more about the craft and its masters will only reveal me as a fraud. As I get older, I’m coming to realize this is self-sabotage and I would be better served knowing, learning from, and embracing the people I am most impressed with.
“It seems to me if you had the answer why ask the question? The thing is there are so many questions. I wonder what it is going to look like if I stand here or if I stand there. I don’t know. If fifty years of doing it meant that every time you picked up the camera you made a good one you wouldn’t have to take many. I make a lot of stupid pictures. Most of them are stupid because I’m trying to figure where to be or where to focus. I don’t think the problems area any different now. I grow wiser as time passes only because I know a little bit more about what is possible, only because I’ve done it for so long. I am used to being a craftsman. But maybe it’s not that. Maybe it’s infatuation. Age has no patent on infatuation.”
It would be smart of me to start a casual little series of posts investigating works of other photographers. This youtube channel is a great starting point, as Graeme is clearly full of knowledge and has a great eye for strong images. I previously wrote about his video covering another favorite, Nadav Kander (see: 2024 04 01). Now I just need to make some better images to go along with these posts about the all-time greats.
Additionally, this interview was where I pulled the two quotes and is worth a read.
-Clayton
2024 10 10
Blog out of order. Today was one of those days the content just wasn’t there. Like listening to a rap song on the radio when a stretch of bad words are silenced, today it was illegal to post good content on the internet for free, therefor we had to skip a day in order to be compliant with the law. Don’t blame me, blame the government. Much like they control the weather, they have infiltrated our creative hobbies, as well. Fuck.
-Clayton
Urinal out of order. Chicago, Illinois. August, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Blog out of order. Today was one of those days the content just wasn’t there. Like listening to a rap song on the radio when a stretch of bad words are silenced, today it was illegal to post good content on the internet for free, therefore we had to skip a day in order to be compliant with the law. Don’t blame me, blame the government. Much like they control the weather, they have infiltrated our creative hobbies, as well. Fuck.
-Clayton
2024 10 08
It’s been a busy few months and I’m still way behind on photo editing and life. I’m still working through a backlog of images from mid-summer. My to-do list of projects is long and I’m hopeful I will be able to start digging into some of the projects I aim to do as the days get colder, the sunlight less abundant, and the idea of staying in to buckle down on work starts to make more sense.
I pulled a photobook off my shelf this afternoon while waiting on batch processing of portrait edits. It was Tim Barber’s Untitled Photographs book, which I hadn’t peeked at in years. This led me to Tim’s website, which I also hadn’t been to in years. His website kept my attention through the entire series of one-at-a-time images and I thought the minimalist approach was something I might want to steal. As I get older, the urge to re-focus my photography web presence also grows. My site is currently far more catered to a commercial client audience, which makes sense as this is how I’ve made a living for two decades. But I’m beginning to wonder if a less on-the-nose and more minimal and artistic approach might be a smart move. Looking at Tim’s website got me excited. Much like after leaving an inspiring photo exhibit at a museum, I was walking around the studio seeing inanimate objects in a new light and taking photos of things I’d normal ignore. I love when this urge takes over and drives me to create new work. The trick is to make sure the subjects aren’t dying flowers on the kitchen counter. Get out and live a little, after you catch up on the photo editing, that is.
-Clayton
Cat on farm. Thawville, Illinois. June, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
It’s been a busy few months and I’m still way behind on photo editing and life. I’m still working through a backlog of images from mid-summer. My to-do list of projects is long and I’m hopeful I will be able to start digging into some of the projects I aim to do as the days get colder, the sunlight less abundant, and the idea of staying in to buckle down on work starts to make more sense.
I pulled a photobook off my shelf this afternoon while waiting on batch processing of portrait edits. It was Tim Barber’s Untitled Photographs book, which I hadn’t peeked at in years. This led me to Tim’s website, which I also hadn’t been to in years. His website kept my attention through the entire series of one-at-a-time images and I thought the minimalist approach was something I might want to steal. As I get older, the urge to re-focus my photography web presence also grows. My site is currently far more catered to a commercial client audience, which makes sense as this is how I’ve made a living for two decades. But I’m beginning to wonder if a less on-the-nose and more minimal and artistic approach might be a smart move. Looking at Tim’s website got me excited. Much like after leaving an inspiring photo exhibit at a museum, I was walking around the studio seeing inanimate objects in a new light and taking photos of things I’d normal ignore. I love when this urge takes over and drives me to create new work. The trick is to make sure the subjects aren’t dying flowers on the kitchen counter. Get out and live a little, after you catch up on the photo editing, that is.
-Clayton
2024 09 28
I know, it’s just bare trees (and the moon), but I really like this image. It’s been sitting in the folder, waiting to get picked, and today is the day. It looks best when not massively compressed for the web, of course, but here we are on the world wide web. Speaking of the web, while editing images today, The Almighty Algorithm served me yet another documentary on Chicago house music which I digested and enjoyed in similar fashion to this post from 2024 07 21.
I was never a big house head and don’t know the history as well as I should, having lived in Chicago my entire life, but I enjoy electronic music (esp classic disco), and also love history, so it’s fascinating to watch these videos on youtube which clearly have a ton of time and energy put into them with little to no fanfare. That’s sort of the thing with house music. That’s sort of the thing with Chicago. We’re out here putting in the time and effort and making things for the love of the game, and all too often are rewarded with the gift of not being discovered and not being turned into a product (downside: not getting the cash). There’s a reason many leave Chicago in search of fame and fortune and there’s a reason some of us stay here and pursue their art via blogs like this here blog.
Check out the video if you have a chance. Back to work, I go. Always be grinding.
-Clayton
Bare trees (and the moon). Chicago, Illinois. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
It’s just bare trees (and the moon), I know, but I really like this image. It’s been sitting in the folder, waiting to get picked, and today is the day. It looks best when not massively compressed for the web, of course, but here we are on the world wide web. Speaking of the web, while editing images today, The Almighty Algorithm served me yet another documentary on Chicago house music which I digested and enjoyed in similar fashion to this post from 2024 07 21.
I was never a big house head and don’t know the history as well as I should, having lived in Chicago my entire life, but I enjoy electronic music (esp classic disco), and also love history, so it’s fascinating to watch these videos on youtube which clearly have a ton of time and energy put into them with little to no fanfare. That’s sort of the thing with house music. That’s sort of the thing with Chicago. We’re out here putting in the time and effort and making things for the love of the game, and all too often are rewarded with the gift of not being discovered and not being turned into a product, remaining human (downside: not getting the cash). There’s a reason many leave Chicago in search of fame and fortune (and trying to get to the moon). And there’s a reason some of us stay here and pursue their art via blogs like this here blog.
Yes, dad, I’ll get back to photographing people again soon.
Check out the video if you have a chance. Back to work, I go. Always be grinding, if you love the grind.
-Clayton
2024 09 27
I love living in a place with defined seasons. I love how the weather became noticeably spookier a few days ago. I love that weather can, in fact, be spooky. I could do without all the spider webs, however.
We’re about to watch a scary movie. Embrace the spooky.
-Clayton
A nighttime stroll. Wilmette, Illinois. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
I love living in a place with defined seasons. I love how the weather became noticeably spookier a few days ago. I love that weather can, in fact, be spooky. I could do without all the spider webs, however.
We’re about to watch a scary movie. Embrace the spooky.
-Clayton
2024 09 25
I’ve always been curious about math, but never so much that I actually wanted to fully learn and understand it. Looking at so many numbers makes me sleepy. So while I’m not certain the math is accurate, I love the sentiment behind a post I saw the other day, which also perfectly encapsulates my thinking behind this here blog.
DO NOTHING AT ALL
vs.
MAKING SMALL CONSISTENT EFFORTS:
(1.00)^365 = 1.00
(1.01)^365 = 37.7
Hard hat, lunch pail. One day at a time. Time to make the donuts. Keep on truckin’.
-Clayton
PS- The Elks National Memorial and Headquarters in Chicago’s Lincoln Park is free and totally worth a visit!
PSS- I’m so over squarespace for this here blog. While I like the look and connectivity of substack, it’s still someone else’s platform. I think I may spend winter migrating over to my own domain and dust off the ole Wordpress. But if anyone reading this has any other ideas, I’m all ears!
Elks Club pin collection. Chicago, Illinois. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
I’ve always been curious about math, but never so much that I actually wanted to fully learn and understand it. Looking at so many numbers makes me sleepy. So while I’m not certain the math is accurate, I love the sentiment behind a post I saw the other day, which also perfectly encapsulates my thinking behind this here blog.
DO NOTHING AT ALL
vs.
MAKING SMALL CONSISTENT EFFORTS:
(1.00)^365 = 1.00
(1.01)^365 = 37.7
Hard hat, lunch pail. One day at a time. Time to make the donuts. Keep on truckin’.
-Clayton
PS- The Elks National Memorial and Headquarters in Chicago’s Lincoln Park is free and totally worth a visit!
PPS- I’m so over squarespace for this here blog. While I like the look and connectivity of substack, it’s still someone else’s platform. I think I may spend winter migrating over to my own domain and dust off the ole Wordpress. But if anyone reading this has any other ideas, I’m all ears!