2024 12 26
Becoming a Fine Art Photographer in 2025
This past year has really been a re-focusing of my photography career in many ways. Headwinds working against the commercial photography business have pushed me in many new directions, including more towards the art photography world. To be candid, Iām grateful for it. Iāve spent years neglecting my core passions of photography largely because the money was good. Itās been, and will continue to be, a process getting over the feeling of āselling out.ā This process will continue and hopefully only thrive in the new year, as I make a prioritized effort towards making my own personal work from a more artistic perspective (in addition to the commercial work that pays the bills ā the worry is that by trying to do both, I could dilute them both and fail spectacularly, forcing myself to become a bartender). Making money through photography is not a bad thing, donāt get me wrong. Iām just working to find a better balance and not shun the type of work that brings me joy.
At the core of this new artistic endeavor, at least as of right now, is a loosely defined Illinois Project aka Ill Wandering. The general idea behind this project is to explore the state Iāve resided in my entire life, while excluding the one county (Cook) that I spend 99% of my time in. Chicago gets all the attention (like my commercial photo career has been) but the state is so much bigger and more interesting than this one city, as great as it is. I aim to explore and document the history, people, textures, decay, nature, landscapes, and mystery contained in all one-hundred and one counties of the state that donāt include the city of Chicago.
The end goal is to turn this project into a photobook, although what exactly that book is is very much a mystery to even me at this point. Iām also considering the idea of making the project more web-based, like this here blog, with the aim of gaining exposure to the project as I collect images and stories over the coming months and, likely, years. One big challenge Iāve had so far is that I havenāt shared much, if any, of the work Iāve made so far publicly. That has been hard! I tend to be an over-sharer, so my thinking has been that this new approach (to me) in making more artistic and thoughtful work should be handled differently than my previous work, which would be blasted out onto the internet as it was made. Art is made in the decisions and juxtaposition of images, which create meaning and narrative.
My current struggle is the feeling that Iām only sharing my second tier work with the world. All of the best stuff, be it work made for commission or work made for myself, is hiding away on hard drives, not being shared. There are many justifications for this (including: fear the good work isnāt actually all that good and I will be discovered; fear of sharing all the work up front will take away from the moment when it is finally reveled; fear that sharing more of my commercial work will muddle my vision for pivoting more towards artistic photography), but the biggest reason is simply that in holding back the new work I am now creating, I can sculp and shape it into whatever becomes of it down the road. Meaning, connection, and narrative should form organically as the project is carried out.
In the end, my newfound push towards getting my ass out of the house to make work that speaks directly to me has been driven and motivated by countless other photographers, through their books, websites, YouTube videos, and instagram accounts. Iāve been diving deep into the world of photography that Iāve regrettably neglected while the gettinā was good. Getting back to my roots and putting in the effort to schooling myself on these things has been wildly inspiring, and in the end, the sole purpose of this effort is not in seeking fame or fortune (chances at either of those through this project are slim). This is about self-growth and personal discovery both in my photography and in myself. If Iām able to take a few people along for the ride and give them some new perspective as well, that would be super exciting.
Likelihood it will happen: HIGH!
-Clayton
Quiet street at sundown. Grayville, Illinois. April, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Becoming a Fine Art Photographer in 2025
This past year has really been a re-focusing of my photography career in many ways. Headwinds working against the commercial photography business have pushed me in many new directions, including more towards the art photography world. To be candid, Iām grateful for it. Iāve spent years neglecting my core passions of photography largely because the money was good. Itās been, and will continue to be, a process getting over the feeling of āselling out.ā This process will continue and hopefully only thrive in the new year, as I make a prioritized effort towards making my own personal work from a more artistic perspective (in addition to the commercial work that pays the bills ā the worry is that by trying to do both, I could dilute them both and fail spectacularly, forcing myself to become a bartender). Making money through photography is not a bad thing, donāt get me wrong. Iām just working to find a better balance and not shun the type of work that brings me joy.
At the core of this new artistic endeavor, at least as of right now, is a loosely defined Illinois Project aka Ill Wandering. The general idea behind this project is to explore the state Iāve resided in my entire life, while excluding the one county (Cook) that I spend 99% of my time in. Chicago gets all the attention (like my commercial photo career has been) but the state is so much bigger and more interesting than this one city, as great as it is. I aim to explore and document the history, people, textures, decay, nature, landscapes, and mystery contained in all one-hundred and one counties of the state that donāt include the city of Chicago.
The end goal is to turn this project into a photobook, although what exactly that book is is very much a mystery to even me at this point. Iām also considering the idea of making the project more web-based, like this here blog, with the aim of gaining exposure to the project as I collect images and stories over the coming months and, likely, years. One big challenge Iāve had so far is that I havenāt shared much, if any, of the work Iāve made so far publicly. That has been hard! I tend to be an over-sharer, so my thinking has been that this new approach (to me) in making more artistic and thoughtful work should be handled differently than my previous work, which would be blasted out onto the internet as it was made. Art is made in the decisions and juxtaposition of images, which create meaning and narrative.
My current struggle is the feeling that Iām only sharing my second tier work with the world. All of the best stuff, be it work made for commission or work made for myself, is hiding away on hard drives, not being shared. There are many justifications for this (including: fear the good work isnāt actually all that good and I will be discovered; fear of sharing all the work up front will take away from the moment when it is finally reveled; fear that sharing more of my commercial work will muddle my vision for pivoting more towards artistic photography), but the biggest reason is simply that in holding back the new work I am now creating, I can sculpt and shape it into whatever becomes of it down the road. Meaning, connection, and narrative should form organically as the project is carried out.
In the end, my newfound push towards getting my ass out of the house to make work that speaks directly to me has been driven and motivated by countless other photographers, through their books, websites, YouTube videos, and instagram accounts. Iāve been diving deep into the world of photography that Iāve regrettably neglected while the gettinā was good. Getting back to my roots and putting in the effort to schooling myself on these things has been wildly inspiring, and in the end, the sole purpose of this effort is not in seeking fame or fortune (chances at either of those through this project are slim). This is about self-growth and personal discovery both in my photography and in myself. If Iām able to take a few people along for the ride and give them some new perspective as well, that would be super exciting.
-Clayton
This is one entry in a multi-part series of self-exploration and contemplation-out-loud in advance of the new calendar year. Some of this may happen; none of this may happen.
For the complete list of posts, please see 2024 12 25.
2024 12 19
As the year (and my nonstop busy schedule) winds down, Iām excited to look ahead to next year and some projects that are getting me excited. Namely: my Illinois Project aka Ill Wandering aka Plan For a New Illinois aka Untitled Clayton Hauck Photobook Project and a documentary project in the very early stages of filming. The doc, I think, will delve into the subject of art broadly and what it means to be an artist specifically.
Last night, I had an interesting conversation with a commercial film producer friend about this topic. His summary of what makes someone an artist is if they create work that people choose to look at (versus being forced to look at, as is often the case in our world of commercial photography). I liked that summary and am excited to explore these avenues, both physically and metaphorically, more thoroughly in the coming year.
Will you be looking?
-Clayton
Black & white test. Lincoln, Illinois. November, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
As the year (and my nonstop busy schedule) winds down, Iām excited to look ahead to next year and some projects that are getting me excited. Namely: my Illinois Project aka Ill Wandering aka Plan For a New Illinois aka Untitled Clayton Hauck Photobook Project and a documentary project in the very early stages of filming. The doc, I think, will delve into the subject of art broadly and what it means to be an artist specifically.
Last night, I had an interesting conversation with a commercial film producer friend about this topic. His summary of what makes someone an artist is if they create work that people choose to look at (versus being forced to look at, as is often the case in our world of commercial photography). I liked that summary and am excited to explore these avenues, both physically and metaphorically, more thoroughly in the coming year.
Will you be looking?
-Clayton
2024 11 23
Today, Streator, Illinois has the same population which it had in the late 1800ās, back when all of Illinois was booming. New towns were being constructed across the empty countryside, each with a grand town square.
Iāve 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 1800ās, 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.
Iāve 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 08
Thereās this thing that happens when you (or, me, I should clarify) walk into any bar in rural Illinois. Itās 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. Iāve 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. Itās 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 āIllinois Projectā photobook was the main motivator for this trip. I havenāt been putting enough time into it and Iāve hit some snags in the process. Iām finding much of the work Iāve 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 ā any people. There just arenāt many people out here wandering these towns and rural places, meaning the images I have forming in my head would likely require me to āproduceā them by bringing people along with me. Iām 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 thatās the opposite of my goal. I want people to see the beauty in these places, and therefore Iām 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 Garveyās substack Scary Cool Sad Goodbye, in which she so beautifully captures the spirit of the Midwest through her adventures. Now, Iām 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 regionās 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 yāall knows the governor and can send it along to him. While itās clear Illinois is broken in many ways, it also gets a lot of over-dramatic hate tossed its way. That said, Iām 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 weekās 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, Iām not sure more people or more attention is what these places want. Itās likely the exact opposite (worth exploring in this project of mine, perhaps!).
-Clayton
Majestic Theater. Past its prime. Streator, Illinois. November, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Thereās this thing that happens when you (or, me, I should clarify) walk into any bar in rural Illinois. Itās 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. Iāve 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. Itās 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 āIllinois Projectā photobook was the main motivator for this trip. I havenāt been putting enough time into it and Iāve hit some snags in the process. Iām finding much of the work Iāve 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 ā any people. There just arenāt many people out here wandering these towns and rural places, meaning the images I have forming in my head would likely require me to āproduceā them by bringing people along with me. Iām 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 thatās the opposite of my goal. I want people to see the beauty in these places, and therefore Iām 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 Garveyās substack Scary Cool Sad Goodbye, in which she so beautifully captures the spirit of the Midwest through her adventures. Now, Iām 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 regionās 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 yāall knows the governor and can send it along to him. While itās clear Illinois is broken in many ways, it also gets a lot of over-dramatic hate tossed its way. That said, Iām 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 weekās 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, Iām not sure more people or more attention is what these places want. Itās likely the exact opposite (worth exploring in this project of mine, perhaps!).
-Clayton
2024 08 12
Hereās a lil sneak peek post. I had grand ambitions this year to work on a personal photo project, with the aim of turning the work into a photobook, coveringā¦ Illinois. There was no specific vision or goal but more of a visual exploration of the state outside of Chicago (getting to every county outside of Cook was the rough idea). This year has been way busier than anticipated so the amount of time Iāve been able to invest in this project has been far less than Iād wanted. That said, Iām fine with this becoming more of a longer-term ongoing project, which surely will evolve along with myself as the days and years pass.
Iāll write more about this in the future but perhaps the biggest internal struggle Iāve been having has been regarding what the vibe of the project should be. Do I want it to be more artistic, ambiguous, aesthetic or do I want it to be more photojournalistic, authentic, approachable? My worry is that turning this project into a ātour of Illinoisā farmland wonāt be all that exciting and Iām getting the sense I need to tap into the human element as much as, if not more than, the natural landscapes. This photo is beautiful and the tree is incredible, but is a book full of this kind of stuff really worth all the effort? I think it needs to evolve into something capturing a more deeper meaning.
-Clayton
The sun sets over farmland outside Onarga, Illinois. June, 2024.
Hereās a lil sneak peek post. I had grand ambitions this year to work on a personal photo project, with the aim of turning the work into a photobook, coveringā¦ Illinois. There was no specific vision or goal but more of a visual exploration of the state outside of Chicago (getting to every county outside of Cook was the rough idea). This year has been way busier than anticipated so the amount of time Iāve been able to invest in this project has been far less than Iād wanted. That said, Iām fine with this becoming more of a longer-term ongoing project, which surely will evolve along with myself as the days and years pass.
Iāll write more about this in the future but perhaps the biggest internal struggle Iāve been having has been regarding what the vibe of the project should be. Do I want it to be more artistic, ambiguous, aesthetic or do I want it to be more photojournalistic, authentic, approachable? My worry is that turning this project into a ātour of Illinoisā farmland wonāt be all that exciting and Iām getting the sense I need to tap into the human element as much as, if not more than, the natural landscapes. This photo is beautiful and the tree is incredible, but is a book full of this kind of stuff really worth all the effort? I think it needs to evolve into something capturing a more deeper meaning.
Iād love to open up more of a dialogue on this here blog so if youāre seeing this and have some thoughts, whatever they may be, I encourage you to jot them down into the comment section below!
-Clayton