2024 12 03
One low-key highlight during our incredible wedding weekend this September was staying at The Robey. You know, that tall building in The Crotch of Wicker Park that used to be abandoned and is now a boutique hotel. We splurged on a corner suite on a high floor and, while expensive, I loved it so much it had me wanting to live there.
“How long will you be staying with us, sir?”
“Indefinitely, I’m being sued for divorce,” I joked with myself in my head, hours before getting married (it’s a Rushmore reference, for those confused).
In the early-morning hours, the sun creeps up over the skyline before blasting you in the face with a nice natural wake-up call. Surely, if I lived here, I’d get comfortable with the blackout blinds, but seeing as I only had two morning to enjoy the views, I was up early snapping photos while I should’ve been catching some beauty Z’s.
It has been interesting to see the city’s downtown creep westward in recent years, as the West Loop and Fulton Market continue to be hot. Part of me regrets not grabbing a loft back when they were somewhat affordable, but I still love our home in the more modest and somewhat chill westside neighborhood off The 606, which has shaped my life quite dramatically in the last decade, though I still long for those million dollar city views. One day, perhaps.
-Clayton
Skyline views from The Robey Hotel. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
One low-key highlight during our incredible wedding weekend this September was staying at The Robey. You know, that tall building in The Crotch of Wicker Park that used to be abandoned and is now a boutique hotel. We splurged on a corner suite on a high floor and, while expensive, I loved it so much it had me wanting to live there.
“How long will you be staying with us, sir?”
“Indefinitely, I’m being sued for divorce,” I joked with myself in my head, hours before getting married (it’s a Rushmore reference, for those confused).
In the early-morning hours, the sun creeps up over the skyline before blasting you in the face with a nice natural wake-up call. Surely, if I lived here, I’d get comfortable with the blackout blinds, but seeing as I only had two morning to enjoy the views, I was up early snapping photos while I should’ve been catching some beauty Z’s.
It has been interesting to see the city’s downtown creep westward in recent years, as the West Loop and Fulton Market continue to be hot. Part of me regrets not grabbing a loft back when they were somewhat affordable, but I still love our home in the more modest and somewhat chill westside neighborhood off The 606, which has shaped my life quite dramatically in the last decade. I still long for those million dollar city views, though. One day, perhaps.
-Clayton
2024 12 01
Off Day!
Out looking at trees. One of them will come home with us. I’ve never had a “real” Christmas tree before. It always seemed like a bit of a weird tradition to me, as much as I like having the decorations up to set a nice mood. It’s mostly the part about the mass killing of trees just for a few weeks of use that bothers me. I guess today is the day I embrace the tree slaughter and participate in this human tradition.
-Clayton
Bare trees. Rockford, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Off Day!
Out looking at trees. One of them will come home with us. I’ve never had a “real” Christmas tree before. It always seemed like a bit of a weird tradition to me, as much as I like having the decorations up to set a nice mood. It’s mostly the part about the mass killing of trees just for a few weeks of use that bothers me. I guess today is the day I embrace the tree slaughter and participate in this human tradition.
-Clayton
2024 11 29
This year has been an eventful one for me in so many ways. One event I was proud of was the photo show and discussion I hosted at my space with photographer Nathan Pearce and photographer/photobook publisher Clint Woodside of Deadbeat Club. I’m aiming to do more events and shows of this nature, but running an event space mostly by myself, on top of all my other jobs and the “day job” of the space, makes ambitious regular programing not quite possible. This is further complicated by the building I’m in being in a bit of a defining phase. Is it an arts building or is it a professional’s office building? Time will tell and money talks.
Much like the building, I myself am in a transitional phase, and I’m not quite sure which direction I will be heading in a few years. I write about it quite a lot on this here blog, but my core business of commercial photography is quite turbulent lately and the longer-term outlook is hazy. There are so many challenges facing photographers like myself, and I think we’re all sort of wondering what we should be focusing on.
Just now, I hung sixteen prints in the lobby of my building, the Kimball Arts Center. Learning to print, learning to frame, learning to hang. These are all skills I’ve neglected as a photographer and I feel like this, in addition to a bunch of other stuff I’m spending time on lately, is myself revisiting fundamentals that I largely skipped in my younger years. It’s really the little wins that keep me going, as hard as it has been. While being enthusiastic and excited about printing your work is nice, making it sustainable financially is a completely different scenario. I was joking with a fellow photographer/director, who is also going through a slow patch, that booking commercial projects is far easier than selling fine art photo prints. It’s hard to even give these things away! I get it, though. This is not a get rich quick scheme. It’s hardly even a business endeavor. It’s fundamentals. Hard hat, lunch pail. Put in the reps. Put in the work. It leads somewhere. Where, exactly, I’m not sure, but I’m doing my best to make sure I’m enjoying the path and learning while I go.
-Clayton
Hanging a photo show with Nathan Pearce at my See You Soon studio. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
This year has been an eventful one for me in so many ways. One event I was proud of was the photo show and discussion I hosted at my space with photographer Nathan Pearce and photographer/photobook publisher Clint Woodside of Deadbeat Club. I’m aiming to do more events and shows of this nature, but running an event space mostly by myself, on top of all my other jobs and the “day job” of the space, makes ambitious regular programing not quite possible. This is further complicated by the building I’m in being in a bit of a defining phase. Is it an arts building or is it a professional’s office building? Time will tell and money talks.
Much like the building, I myself am in a transitional phase, and I’m not quite sure which direction I will be heading in a few years. I write about it quite a lot on this here blog, but my core business of commercial photography is quite turbulent lately and the longer-term outlook is hazy. There are so many challenges facing photographers like myself, and I think we’re all sort of wondering what we should be focusing on.
Just now, I hung sixteen prints in the lobby of my building, the Kimball Arts Center, as a homeless man dozed off on the coffee shop bench. Learning to print, learning to frame, learning to hang. These are all skills I’ve neglected as a photographer and I feel like this, in addition to a bunch of other stuff I’m spending time on lately, is myself revisiting fundamentals that I largely skipped in my younger years. It’s really the little wins that keep me going, as hard as it has been. While being enthusiastic and excited about printing your work is nice, making it sustainable financially is a completely different scenario. I was joking with a fellow photographer/director, who is also going through a slow patch, that booking commercial projects is far easier than selling fine art photo prints.
It’s hard to even give these things away!
I get it, though. This is not a get rich quick scheme. It’s hardly even a business endeavor. It’s fundamentals. Hard hat, lunch pail. Put in the reps. Put in the work. It leads somewhere. Where, exactly, I’m not sure, but I’m doing my best to make sure I’m enjoying the path and learning while I go, while doing my best at not also becoming a homeless person myself.
-Clayton
2024 11 28
Happy Thanksgiving!
-Clayton
Art in the wild. Don’t Fret. Chicago, Illinois. October, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Happy Thanksgiving!
-Clayton
2024 11 26
Only half a post today because I am so behind on… everything. This image has always jumped out to me for some reason and I finally figured out why I (and likely only I) like it. Back in my college years, I had a big old boat Oldsmobile. It looked very much like this car, only much longer. This car, pictured here, is interesting as I can’t recall seeing many cars like it. A baby boat.
-Clayton
Big old car, but smaller. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Only half a post today because I am so behind on… everything. This image has always jumped out to me for some reason and I finally figured out why I (and likely only I) like it. Back in my college years, I had a big old boat Oldsmobile. It looked very much like this car, only much longer. This car, pictured here, is interesting as I can’t recall seeing many cars like it. A baby boat.
-Clayton
2024 11 25
This morning, I woke up a bit grumpy, thinking about how success at my job has increasingly more to do with being good at sales than it does being good at photography. This isn’t just true for commercial photography but fine art, crafts, trades, etc.
Tonight, I read the latest Tim Kreider Loaf piece about how there’s a show at The Met right now consisting of art made by employees of The Met. He sums it up humorously by saying the museum is promoting it as well as if they were hanging their children’s macaroni art up on the fridge. Is art worthy if it was made by the security guard of the art museum?
Is art better if it is made by an attractive female who gains tens of thousands of views via social media posts consisting of high-energy videos of herself? It is worse because of this?
Of course, none of this is new, but I’ve been thinking about the landscape of the art world (you know, bananas taped to the wall and whatnot) a lot lately, as I myself wade deeper into art both through my photography and a documentary project, which is in the early stages of development. That documentary will likely explore these thoughts, ideas, and frustrations in further detail, so I need to figure out what art is. If anyone reading this knows, please leave it in the comment section below.
Thanks!
-Clayton
The art of skating as seen through neon art by Neon Mike. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
This morning, I woke up a bit grumpy, thinking about how success at my job has increasingly more to do with being good at sales than it does being good at photography. This isn’t just true for commercial photography but fine art, crafts, trades, etc.
Tonight, I read the latest Tim Kreider Loaf piece about how there’s a show at The Met right now consisting of art made by employees of The Met. He sums it up humorously by saying the museum is promoting it as well as if they were hanging their children’s macaroni art up on the fridge. Is art worthy if it was made by the security guard of the art museum?
Is art better if it is made by an attractive female who gains tens of thousands of views via social media posts consisting of high-energy videos of herself? It is worse because of this?
Of course, none of this is new, but I’ve been thinking about the landscape of the art world (you know, bananas taped to the wall and whatnot) a lot lately, as I myself wade deeper into art both through my photography and a documentary project, which is in the early stages of development. That documentary will likely explore these thoughts, ideas, and frustrations in further detail, so I need to figure out what art is. If anyone reading this knows, please leave it in the comment section below.
Thanks!
-Clayton
2024 11 23
Today, Streator, Illinois has the same population which it had in the late 1800’s, back when all of Illinois was booming. New towns were being constructed across the empty countryside, each with a grand town square.
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about how Chicago and the state of Illinois struggles in a post-boom cycle. When populations are stagnant or even declining, it becomes very hard to maintain appearances. This is what I fell alseep writing about the other night, specifically about how there used to be am elevated commuter train line running nearby our house. That elevated line was removed, along with many others, while Chicago was struggling as a city in the era of White Flight and Suburbanization. New towns were being constructed in mass-produced cookie-cutter fashion outside of the old city centers, fully enabled by the automobile and Globalized trade.
I find these small town with good bones fascinating. They get my creative visions flowing with all the possibilities. But as is always the case, in order to make big things happen you need people. Without people, these places will remain empty storefronts filled with dusty old motorcycles on display, devoid of much function beyond nostalgia and reminiscing. More on all this later, maybe.
-Clayton
Motorcycle in the window. Streator, Illinois.
Today, Streator, Illinois has the same population which it had in the late 1800’s, back when all of Illinois was booming. New towns were being constructed across the empty countryside, each with a grand town square and most with a train connection or two.
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about how Chicago and the state of Illinois struggles in a post-boom cycle. When populations are stagnant or even declining, it becomes very hard to maintain appearances. This is what I fell alseep writing about the other night, specifically about how there used to be am elevated commuter train line running nearby our house. That elevated line was removed, along with many others, while Chicago was struggling as a city in the era of White Flight and Suburbanization. New towns were being constructed in mass-produced cookie-cutter fashion outside of the old city centers, fully enabled by the automobile and Globalized trade.
I find these small town with good bones fascinating. They get my creative visions flowing with all the possibilities. But as is always the case, in order to make big things happen you need people. Without people, these places will remain empty storefronts filled with dusty old motorcycles on display, devoid of much function beyond nostalgia and reminiscing. More on all this later, maybe.
-Clayton
2024 11 21
The pub pup owns the bar floor. Controlling the territory amongst the patrons’ shoes. You attempt a candid photo of the pup but any attention puts him on high alert, excited to be noticed by the figures towering above him, and the moment is lost. Pup’s owner is excited that you notice his child. “Make all the photos you want! Here, let me get him to pose for you!” But you want that candid moment of pub pup resting his weary head among the patrons’ shoes. The moment is not meant to be, but pup is happy to be noticed. Let’s get another round.
-Clayton
Pub pup. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
The pub pup owns the bar floor. Controlling the territory amongst the patrons’ shoes. You attempt a candid photo of the pup but any attention puts him on high alert, excited to be noticed by the figures towering above him, and the moment is lost. Pup’s owner is excited that you notice his child. “Make all the photos you want! Here, let me get him to pose for you!” But you want that candid moment of pub pup resting his weary head among the patrons’ shoes. The moment is not meant to be, but pup is happy to be noticed. Let’s get another round.
-Clayton
2024 11 18
While editing photos (that will be used in social media ads) at the studio until 10pm tonight, this gem of a video popped into my feed. It sort of perfectly sums everything up, doesn’t it? Between social media feeling like a job, my actual job feeling largely impossible lately, and our political reality feeling absolutely insane, it’s no wonder I’ve been finding joy in venturing to rural Illinois to escape and make images of whatever I find interesting, like this plexiglass Paul Bunyan statue which looks rather terrifying as well, now that I think about it.
If you haven’t seen the video below, watch it on repeat like I have been tonight (healthy!).
-Clayton
Paul Bunyan statue. Atlanta, Illinois. November, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
While editing photos (that will be used in social media ads) at the studio until 10pm tonight, this gem of a video popped into my feed. It sort of perfectly sums everything up, doesn’t it? Between social media feeling like a job, my actual job feeling largely impossible lately, and our political reality feeling absolutely insane, it’s no wonder I’ve been finding joy in venturing to rural Illinois to escape and make images of whatever I find interesting, like this plexiglass Paul Bunyan statue which looks rather terrifying as well, now that I think about it.
If you haven’t seen the video below, watch it on repeat like I have been tonight (healthy!).
-Clayton
2024 11 17
Today was an off day for the blog. Clayton, however, spent the entire day working. He was doing portrait sessions at the studio and this image, made over the summer, is one of the hundreds of backdrops he uses in his setup, which is super fun and creative. People get hundreds of unique photos after only a few short minutes in front of the camera. Of course, this also means Clayton has to edit all the photos he makes before sending them to the subjects. Clayton is tired.
Today, Clayton also used a petzval lens for the first time in his career. He got it specifically for his portrait sessions and it worked really well and added a fun, new unique element to the already cool process. The only downside to this fun new lens is that it doesn’t have auto focus, so many of the shots end up blurry. He doesn’t mind too much, though, as softer images aren’t necessarily a bad thing. He is, however, also considering possibly getting the new DJI lidar focus (mostly for video purposes), which would make this cool lens a bit more functional.
Oh yeah, Clayton forgot today is an off day for the blog and he really needs to go to bed right now. Clayton says goodnight.
-Clayton
Big tree on Wooded Island. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Today was an off day for the blog. Clayton, however, spent the entire day working. He was doing portrait sessions at the studio and this image, made over the summer, is one of the hundreds of backdrops he uses in his setup, which is super fun and creative. People get hundreds of unique photos after only a few short minutes in front of the camera. Of course, this also means Clayton has to edit all the photos he makes before sending them to the subjects. Clayton is tired.
Today, Clayton also used a petzval lens for the first time in his career. He got it specifically for his portrait sessions and it worked really well and added a fun, new unique element to the already cool process. The only downside to this fun new lens is that it doesn’t have auto focus, so many of the shots end up blurry. He doesn’t mind too much, though, as softer images aren’t necessarily a bad thing. He is, however, also considering possibly getting the new DJI lidar focus (mostly for video purposes), which would make this cool lens a bit more functional.
Oh yeah, Clayton forgot today is an off day for the blog and he really needs to go to bed right now. Clayton says goodnight.
-Clayton
2024 11 16
It’s ten pee em on a Saturday night and I’m at the studio burning the midnight oil; learning to be an artist; printing, mounting, and framing photos I plan to hang downstairs in the building’s lobby for people to ignore for a few months. It could be worse, I could be out there making images of strip malls at sunset!
I have many more thoughts on the topic (of being an artsit and whatnot), which I will get out of me in various ways, but tonight I must get home to eat dinner with the wife. She already doesn’t understand why I’m here, now, doing this. Whatever this is.
For now, two quick thoughts:
this song, linked below, is special. Listen to it. Absorb it.
I have a better(?) Tim Davis (yeah, that one) post that’s been in the works for about three months now. Time, it’s a bitch.
This is my life (iykyk). Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
It’s ten pee em on a Saturday night and I’m at the studio burning the midnight oil; learning to be an artist; printing, mounting, and framing photos I plan to hang downstairs in the building’s lobby for people to ignore for a few months. It could be worse, I could be out there making images of strip malls at sunset!
I have many more thoughts on the topic (of being an artsit and whatnot), which I will get out of me in various ways, but tonight I must get home to eat dinner with the wife. She already doesn’t understand why I’m here, now, doing this. Whatever this is.
For now, two quick thoughts:
this song, linked below, is special. Listen to it. Absorb it.
I have a better(?) Tim Davis (yeah, that one) post that’s been in the works for about three months now. Time, it’s a bitch.
-Clayton
2024 11 13
No post yesterday (until now) because I decided to tell work to fuck off for a bit. I’m kind of buried with work right now, mostly self-imposed of course, and the previous night my buddy Dave invited me to see Dehd at Thalia and I decided I needed to focus on getting shit done. Fast forward 24-hours later and my wife Allison texted me to see if I wanted to go see Dedh at Thalia (they played 3 nights in a row). It was like The Universe was testing me! Of course, my instinct was to say no thanks and keep working (I was in a groove trying to finish printing and framing fifteen pieces for a show in the building that I need to hang soon). After some internal struggle, I decided I should drop my work shit and get my ass outside into the dark, rainy night.
It was the right decision, of course. The music was pretty good, the fresh air was nice, the tacos we got after the show were delicious, and letting my brain decompress for a bit was ideal. More interestingly to me, however, was that we ran into not one, not two, not three, but four people at the show who we knew. On top of that, two of them were helpful with my work I was “neglecting” (planning a holiday market at the studio), so in a weird way, I was being more productive at work while not working. The Universe was showing me the way.
Long story short, down time is non-negotiable. Get your ass out of the house regularly.
-Clayton
Strange girls. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
No post yesterday (until now) because I decided to tell work to fuck off for a bit. I’m kind of buried with work right now, mostly self-imposed of course, and the previous night my buddy Dave invited me to see Dehd at Thalia and I decided I needed to focus on getting shit done. Fast forward 24-hours later and my wife Allison texted me to see if I wanted to go see Dedh at Thalia (they played 3 nights in a row). It was like The Universe was testing me! Of course, my instinct was to say no thanks and keep working (I was in a groove trying to finish printing and framing fifteen pieces for a show in the building that I need to hang soon). After some internal struggle, I decided I should drop my work shit and get my ass outside into the dark, rainy night.
It was the right decision, of course. The music was pretty good, the fresh air was nice, the tacos we got after the show were delicious, and letting my brain decompress for a bit was ideal. More interestingly to me, however, was that we ran into not one, not two, not three, but four people at the show who we knew. On top of that, two of them were helpful with my work I was “neglecting” (planning a holiday market at the studio), so in a weird way, I was being more productive at work while not working. The Universe was showing me the way.
Long story short, down time is non-negotiable. Get your ass out of the house regularly.
-Clayton
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