2024 11 30
Nothing is forever. Entire industries change. Cities change. Countries change. Things go through cycles and once prosperous places turn to ghost towns.
Pittsburgh had a population of nearly 700,000 people in the 1950’s. Today it is around 300,000. Back in 1950, my industry of commercial photography, had (guesstimate) 3,000 members nationwide. Today, that number is (guesstimate) 250,000,000. It’s hard to stand out in a crowd of two-hundred and fifty million people!
Frustrated with some of what’s happening in my biz, I jotted down the following, while venting to myself. I try to keep things mostly positive around here, but it’s also nice to pay attention to why things are no longer working like they once had.
Here’s our director, he’s on the computer figuring out motion graphics. (scene in youtube promo for a production company that I watched)
Here’s our director of photography, we’re making him edit the spots we just shot, which he hates but what can you do? (scene in youtube promo for a production company that I watched)
I recently mentioned to a DP candidate on a doc project we are doing that we need a good colorist and his immediate response was, “I’m a colorist, bro!”
“I’m a messenger without a message,” the creative director of a company told us today in reply to his company not being happy with the work done by the creative agency and production company that hired me to shoot photos.
It’s a free-for-all SHIT SHOW out there. Everyone is doing everything themselves and billing whatever-the-fuck some guy on social media told them makes sense. Meanwhile, our clients are asking to sign contracts with $5 million in errors and omissions coverage on a job they don’t quite have enough of a budget to actually produce. People sign these contracts without actually reading them, desperate for work.
We shot some test videos a few days back and I joked that we should’ve instead hired a kid to capture some behind-the-scenes videos on their cellphone to post to tiktok if we really wanted to find some new clients.
-Clayton
One of the many bridges of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. August, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Nothing is forever. Entire industries change. Cities change. Countries change. Things go through cycles and once-prosperous places turn to ghost towns.
Pittsburgh had a population of nearly 700,000 people in the 1950’s. Today it is around 300,000. Back in 1950, my industry of commercial photography, had (guesstimate) 3,000 members nationwide. Today, that number is (guesstimate) 250,000,000. It’s hard to stand out in a crowd of two-hundred and fifty million people!
Frustrated with some of what’s happening in my biz, I jotted down the following, while venting to myself. I try to keep things mostly positive around here, but it’s also nice to pay attention to why things are no longer working like they once had.
Here’s our director, he’s on the computer figuring out motion graphics. (scene in youtube promo for a production company that I watched)
Here’s our director of photography, we’re making him edit the spots we just shot, which he hates but what can you do? (scene in youtube promo for a production company that I watched)
I recently mentioned to a DP candidate on a doc project we are doing that we need a good colorist and his immediate response was, “I’m a colorist, bro!”
“I’m a messenger without a message,” the creative director of a company told us today in reply to his company not being happy with the work done by the creative agency and production company that hired me to shoot photos.
It’s a free-for-all SHIT SHOW out there. Everyone is doing everything themselves and billing whatever-the-fuck some guy on social media told them makes sense. Meanwhile, our clients are asking to sign contracts with $5 million in errors and omissions coverage on a job they don’t quite have enough of a budget to actually produce. People sign these contracts without actually reading them, desperate for work.
We shot some test videos a few days back and I joked that we should’ve instead hired a kid to capture some behind-the-scenes videos on their cellphone to post to tiktok if we really wanted to find some new clients.
-Clayton
2024 11 19
If I had a bunch of money, I’d buy some funky old houses in Pittsburgh, fix them up, and then… I’m not sure. I guess I could live in one of them but what do you do with the rest? Sell them? To who? A big part of why Pittsburgh is great is because it’s not Washington DC or Austin or Boston or Charlotte. Sure, Pittsburgh probably would still be great if it did become a trendy tech hub filled with rich bros. At least my house renovation dreams would make financial sense instead of just being fun to imagine. The problem with some of these ideas, however, is they only make sense in the hypothetical world you have built up in your head. Like Kamala Harris becoming president, or opening a bar inside the building you work at, some ideas are destined to remain fantasy.
-Clayton
Houses for sale! Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. August, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
If I had a bunch of money, I’d buy some funky old houses in Pittsburgh, fix them up, and then… I’m not sure. I guess I could live in one of them but what do you do with the rest? Sell them? To who? A big part of why Pittsburgh is great is because it’s not Washington DC or Austin or Boston or Charlotte. Sure, Pittsburgh probably would still be great if it did become a trendy tech hub filled with rich bros. At least my house renovation dreams would make financial sense instead of just being fun to imagine. The problem with some of these ideas, however, is they only make sense in the hypothetical world you have built up in your head. Like Kamala Harris becoming president, or opening a bar inside the building you work at, some ideas are destined to remain fantasy.
-Clayton
2024 10 30
Previously, I wrote about the Rick Rubin book on creativity (see: 2024 03 27).
Today, a quote from the book popped into my feeds and I thought it was worth posting as a reminder to myself the sole reason I put time into this here blog.
“Living life as an artist is a practice. You are either engaging in the practice Or you’re not.
It makes no sense to say you’re no good at it. It’s like saying, “I’m not good at being a monk.” You are either living as a monk or you’re not.
We tend to think of the artist’s work as the output. The real work of the artist is a way of being in the world.”
— Rick Rubin
-Clayton
Randyland. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. August, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Previously, I wrote about the Rick Rubin book on creativity (see: 2024 03 27).
Today, a quote from the book popped into my feeds and I thought it was worth posting as a reminder to myself the sole reason I put time into this here blog.
“Living life as an artist is a practice. You are either engaging in the practice Or you’re not.
It makes no sense to say you’re no good at it. It’s like saying, “I’m not good at being a monk.” You are either living as a monk or you’re not.
We tend to think of the artist’s work as the output. The real work of the artist is a way of being in the world.”
-Clayton
2024 10 15
Relying on any one source for a majority of your information intake is never a good idea, no matter how fair and balanced that source is. Yesterday morning, on twitter, I read a demoralized tweet from a buddy about how Kamala’s campaign was focusing way too much on catering to Jeb Bush Republicans. Reading this plunged me into a hole of despair. He was right, there’s no enthusiasm and she is not doing enough to get out there and convince new voters she can be the change candidate or excite existing voters to actually show up to the polls! Or so I thought, likely because all of the shit I’ve been reading on twitter has seeped into my brain and caused me to believe the situation is as grim as it is.
I’ve always been someone who likes to explore all sides to a story, to see every perspective. I’m strong enough not to allow clear narrative manipulation to rub off on me, right?
Later that night, while working late at the studio, I got a push notification from WSJ about how drones have been flying over military installations for weeks now and The Pentagon has no idea where they are coming from—possibly from space (!!!). This is the kind of headline that a decade ago would’ve made people very curious to learn more but now usually gets completely ignored. It was exciting to think about how, when I got home, I could open up what has become a mecca for conspiracy theorists (twitter) to get all the “takes” on what is actually going on. Surely if the mainstream media and US military are openly reporting on it, there has to be a ton of people looking into it. I shut down the computer and headed home.
Arriving home, I was distracted with dinner waiting for me and Bob’s Burgers so forgot about the drone attack report for a few hours. Then, we switched on CNN and they were doing a big segment on the election. Immediately, I was releived. The coverage of Kamala’s campaign was far more positive than twitter (of course) but it also seemed like she was doing well and saying the right things. Positive and enthusiastic. Their campaign strategy is clearly less traditional, and likely for good reason, however, it seems to be giving the appearance to some of us (me!) that she’s not out there enough — front-and-center. The problem is, front-and-center is now inside our pockets and different for everyone. You can run an entire presidential campaign from your basement (Joe Biden proved it!) and probably win if you’re hitting the right podcasts and youtube channels.
Finally, I remembered the push notification and opened the twitter app, excited to hear more. It was crickets. Nothing. I had to search and still had a hard time finding anyone talking about the mysterious surveillance drones circling military bases. Crazy allegations about Tim Walz were plentiful, however. Brutal fights and car crashes and gun battles plentiful. People dying right in front of my eyes. Twitter has become the gnarly video repository to show everyone the proof that everything Trump and Fox News says is true. They are eating the cats. They are destroying the cities. They are controlling the weather and stealing our land. They are killing and sex trafficking the children. Of course, some of this stuff is happening (shoutout Diddy!) but if you spend too much time on twitter, as I do, you start to feel like it’s happening all around you. It seeps into your brain, even if you know what they’re doing and think you’re strong enough to combat it.
-Clayton
Where we are headed. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Relying on any one source for a majority of your information intake is never a good idea, no matter how fair and balanced that source is. Yesterday morning, on twitter, I read a demoralized tweet from a buddy about how Kamala’s campaign was focusing way too much on catering to Jeb Bush Republicans. Reading this plunged me into a hole of despair. He was right, there’s no enthusiasm and she is not doing enough to get out there and convince new voters she can be the change candidate or excite existing voters to actually show up to the polls! Or so I thought, likely because all of the shit I’ve been reading on twitter has seeped into my brain and caused me to believe the situation is as grim as it is.
I’ve always been someone who likes to explore all sides to a story, to see every perspective. I’m strong enough not to allow clear narrative manipulation to rub off on me, right?
Later that night, while working late at the studio, I got a push notification from WSJ about how drones have been flying over military installations for weeks now and The Pentagon has no idea where they are coming from—possibly from space (!!!). This is the kind of headline that a decade ago would’ve made people very curious to learn more but now usually gets completely ignored. It was exciting to think about how, when I got home, I could open up what has become a mecca for conspiracy theorists (twitter) to get all the “takes” on what is actually going on. Surely if the mainstream media and US military are openly reporting on it, there has to be a ton of people looking into it. I shut down the computer and headed home.
Arriving home, I was distracted with dinner waiting for me and Bob’s Burgers so forgot about the drone attack report for a few hours. Then, we switched on CNN and they were doing a big segment on the election. Immediately, I was releived. The coverage of Kamala’s campaign was far more positive than twitter (of course) but it also seemed like she was doing well and saying the right things. Positive and enthusiastic. Their campaign strategy is clearly less traditional, and likely for good reason, however, it seems to be giving the appearance to some of us (me!) that she’s not out there enough — front-and-center. The problem is, front-and-center is now inside our pockets and different for everyone. You can run an entire presidential campaign from your basement (Joe Biden proved it!) and probably win if you’re hitting the right podcasts and youtube channels.
Finally, I remembered the push notification and opened the twitter app, excited to hear more. It was crickets. Nothing. I had to search and still had a hard time finding anyone talking about the mysterious surveillance drones circling military bases. Crazy allegations about Tim Walz were plentiful, however. Brutal fights and car crashes and gun battles plentiful. People dying right in front of my eyes. Twitter has become the gnarly video repository to show everyone the proof that everything Trump and Fox News says is true. They are eating the cats. They are destroying the cities. They are controlling the weather and stealing our land. They are killing and sex trafficking the children. Of course, some of this stuff is happening (shoutout Diddy!) but if you spend too much time on twitter, as I do, you start to feel like it’s happening all around you. It seeps into your brain, even if you know what they’re doing and think you’re strong enough to combat it.
-Clayton
2024 02 09
Seeking Spaces Corners.
Before departing Pittsburgh on my way out to New Jersey, I stopped by the Spaces Corners space, however, they were closed, and I didn’t have an appointment, and don’t know them personally, so I just wandered the cute lil neighborhood for a bit (have I mentioned how much I love Pittsburgh?) and snapped a few photos before hitting the road.
I’d been planning to use this entry to pen some thoughts on a new photo book by Ed Panar, one of the Spaces Corners owners, which I’ve been really excited to receive, however, the book hasn’t been delivered yet (I think my order is being help up by the Sofia Coppola book not being in stock so Baltimore Photo Space is waiting for that before shipping). Ed is a favorite photographer of mine and, considering the book features one of my favorite cities, I’ve been super excited to check it out.
I might just be romanticizing it but Pittsburgh seems like a cheat code for making great images. The angles, the textures, the people, the grit, the seasons, the topography. I continue to tell anyone who will listen it’s one of the most underrated cities in the country. Another underrated city in my opinion is Baltimore, which is home to the aforementioned bookstore I ordered Ed’s book from. Since the book hasn’t arrived yet and I can’t talk about it, I’ll instead talk about photo book stores.
Weird transition aside, I’ve been a bit obsessed with the idea of opening up some kind of photo book store for like a year now. The idea, generally, would be to use my existing See You Soon studio location as a home base and open the place up to customers, similar to what BPS does, either by appointment or on limited weekend hours. To make the whole endevour make financial sense, I’d need to do a solid amount of web sales, which is mostly what’s holding me back (packing, shipping, order fulfillment, emails, more shipping, more emails, are not exactly my favorite things to spend my time on). But I love the idea of setting up the space as a bit of a hub for photography, with photo books being a main aspect, in addition to hosting shows, talks, meetups, etc. Chicago is a bit lacking in options for where to buy and browse new photo books (otherwise known as a business opportunity?).
Perhaps writing about the idea and putting it out into the world will somehow help me decide if this idea is worth pursuing or not. If you have thoughts, leave a comment! — side note: Upon writing this I realized the comment box was not visible on the blog. I’d been getting bummed about nobody leaving comments over a month into this daily posting (each blog ending with a large “Comments (0)” but hadn’t ever noticed there was no way to comment, as the form had been hidden until I switched a setting to enable it. There has to be some kind of extrapolation in this? Focusing on the negatives without assessing the issue. Sure a photo book store will create a lot of unwanted busy work, but perhaps the upside will be a worth the effort: a plethora of new comments, friends, and opportunity!
-Clayton
Troy Hill neighborhood. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
Seeking Spaces Corners.
Before departing Pittsburgh on my way out to New Jersey, I stopped by the Spaces Corners space, however, they were closed, and I didn’t have an appointment, and don’t know them personally, so I just wandered the cute lil neighborhood for a bit (have I mentioned how much I love Pittsburgh?) and snapped a few photos before hitting the road.
I’d been planning to use this entry to pen some thoughts on a new photo book by Ed Panar, one of the Spaces Corners owners, which I’ve been really excited to receive, however, the book hasn’t been delivered yet (I think my order is being help up by the Sofia Coppola book not being in stock so Baltimore Photo Space is waiting for that before shipping). Ed is a favorite photographer of mine and, considering the book features one of my favorite cities, I’ve been super excited to check it out.
I might just be romanticizing it but Pittsburgh seems like a cheat code for making great images. The angles, the textures, the people, the grit, the seasons, the topography. I continue to tell anyone who will listen it’s one of the most underrated cities in the country. Another underrated city in my opinion is Baltimore, which is home to the aforementioned bookstore I ordered Ed’s book from. Since the book hasn’t arrived yet and I can’t talk about it, I’ll instead talk about photo book stores.
Weird transition aside, I’ve been a bit obsessed with the idea of opening up some kind of photo book store for like a year now. The idea, generally, would be to use my existing See You Soon studio location as a home base and open the place up to customers, similar to what BPS does, either by appointment or on limited weekend hours. To make the whole endevour make financial sense, I’d need to do a solid amount of web sales, which is mostly what’s holding me back (packing, shipping, order fulfillment, emails, more shipping, more emails, are not exactly my favorite things to spend my time on). But I love the idea of setting up the space as a bit of a hub for photography, with photo books being a main aspect, in addition to hosting shows, talks, meetups, etc. Chicago is a bit lacking in options for where to buy and browse new photo books (otherwise known as a business opportunity?).
Perhaps writing about the idea and putting it out into the world will somehow help me decide if this idea is worth pursuing or not. If you have thoughts, leave a comment! — side note: Upon writing this I realized the comment box was not visible on the blog. I’d been getting bummed about nobody leaving comments over a month into this daily posting (each blog ending with a large “Comments (0)” but hadn’t ever noticed there was no way to comment, as the form had been hidden until I switched a setting to enable it. There has to be some kind of extrapolation in this? Focusing on the negatives without assessing the issue. Sure a photo book store will create a lot of unwanted busy work, but perhaps the upside will be a worth the effort: a plethora of new comments, friends, and opportunity!
-Clayton
2024 02 08
Humans of Pittsburgh dot com? Another one from my quick wanderings in Pittsburgh late last year. Have I mentioned how much I love that city and kinda sorta want to live there? Maybe I could live there part time? The reason I ran into this person was because I was walking around the Lawrenceville neighborhood where I’ve been Zillow surfing and found a building I loved that was also affordable… which got me thinking I could try to pull of a See You Soon Pittsburgh… which I realize is insane so I never acted on it… but I enjoy living the dream out in my head.
I’ve long admired Studs Terkel and have thought it would be fun to emulate his career, wandering the land documenting people and their stories through photos and words. This dream, too, remains one I live out mostly in my head, but perhaps some day might pursue. There are some youtubers (this word is so lame and makes this thought lose credibility) who do a great job of living the Studs Terkel Life. Bald And Bankrupt is perhaps my favorite of the bunch, though a polarizing figure. Yes, he posts plenty of clickbait content solely designed to grow his audience, however, some of his wanderings in obscure post-Soviet towns forgotten by time are among my favorite things to watch. They have provided a context to me as I hear these places mentioned on the news as they’re bombed into oblivion by their neighbors and the rest of the world mostly ignores it. Ho hum.
Slice of Life for life. It’s a big world full of endless slices. When you can enjoy the mundane details, you’re set.
-Clayton
Stranger on the street. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November, 2023 © Clayton Hauck
Humans of Pittsburgh dot com? Another one from my quick wanderings in Pittsburgh late last year. Have I mentioned how much I love that city and kinda sorta want to live there? Maybe I could live there part time? The reason I ran into this person was because I was walking around the Lawrenceville neighborhood where I’ve been Zillow surfing and found a building I loved that was also affordable… which got me thinking I could try to pull of a See You Soon Pittsburgh… which I realize is insane so I never acted on it… but I enjoy living the dream out in my head.
I’ve long admired Studs Terkel and have thought it would be fun to emulate his career, wandering the land documenting people and their stories through photos and words. This dream, too, remains one I live out mostly in my head, but perhaps some day might pursue. There are some youtubers (this word is so lame and makes this thought lose credibility) who do a great job of living the Studs Terkel Life. Bald And Bankrupt is perhaps my favorite of the bunch, though a polarizing figure. Yes, he posts plenty of clickbait content solely designed to grow his audience, however, some of his wanderings in obscure post-Soviet towns forgotten by time are among my favorite things to watch. They have provided a context to me as I hear these places mentioned on the news after they’re bombed into oblivion by their neighbors. Ho hum.
Slice of Life for life. It’s a big world full of endless slices. When you can enjoy the mundane details, you’ve got a lot to live for.
-Clayton
2024 02 07
I love simple images like this. Do I wish there was a striking woman in a blue dress holding a red balloon and a cake on her way to a birthday party slightly off-center in frame? Yes. Should I use AI to make it happen? No. But I did!
You gotta hand it to AI: matching the dress (even tho I specified a different color) with the window shades was a brilliant move. The mutilated face also adds a nice touch and makes you wonder the backstory to this woman. Was she just splashed with a cup of acid while still keeping a positive attitude about it? I’d love to know her story and it’s truly what makes this an iconic image, fully thanks to AI.
-Clayton
Street scene in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
I love simple images like this. Do I wish there was a striking woman in a blue dress holding a red balloon and a cake on her way to a birthday party slightly off-center in frame? Yes. Should I use AI to make it happen? No — but I did!
You gotta hand it to AI: Matching the dress (even tho I specified a different color) with the window shades was a brilliant move. The mutilated face also adds a nice touch and makes you wonder the backstory to this woman. Was she just splashed with a cup of acid while still keeping a positive attitude about it? I’d love to know her story and it’s truly what makes this an iconic image, fully thanks to AI.
-Clayton
2024 02 06
I used to have a therapist, now I have a daily blog.
-Clayton
Dog peeking out window (Mr. Peepers) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
I used to have a therapist, now I have a daily blog.
Also, I have a new series going with these window creatures I’m affectionately calling Mr. Peepers. You can peep it here: refrakt series window-creatures-mr-peepers
(more images in the series to be added soon!)
I really like the Refrakt site, so check it out if you’re not familiar; I’m behind on adding new images to my page, though, as I’m busy posting here every damn day. 😛
-Clayton
2024 02 05
One of my favorite things in life is, any opportunity I’m given to do so, bragging that I’ve read Robert Caro’s The Power Broker. It is a large, imposing book. It is also an amazingly detailed, informative (esp for urbanist nerds but also full of great general human stories), and well written.
I recently stumbled upon this video below while browsing YouTube and pondering if I will finally start up my own channel after years of contemplating it. This video both got me excited to finally crack Caro’s four book LBJ series (I just have to do this — book review to follow in approx. twelve years time) and start my own YouTube channel… not for social media fame but simply for the motivation to make new stuff and put it out there. There are so many pages that just exist, filled with great content and not many views. While I imagine this is turnoff for most content creators, I love the idea of consistently making work, largely for myself, grinding away in true Robert Caro style, and putting it out there for people to discover, or more likely completely ignore.
-Clayton
Street scene I stumbled upon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
One consistent thing in life is, any opportunity I’m given to do so, bragging that I’ve read Robert Caro’s The Power Broker (have I mentioned I’ve read Robert Caro’s The Power Broker? Every last word of it!). It is a large, imposing book. It is also an amazingly detailed, informative (esp for urbanist nerds but also full of great general human stories), and well written.
I recently stumbled upon this video (below) while browsing youtube and pondering if I will finally start up my own channel after years of contemplating it. The video both got me excited to finally crack Caro’s four book LBJ series (I just have to do this — book review to follow in approx. twelve years) and start my own youtube channel… not for social media fame but simply for the motivation to make new stuff and put it out there. There are so many channels that just exist; they are filled with great content but not many views. While I imagine this is turnoff for most content creators, I love the idea of consistently making work, largely for myself, grinding away in true Robert Caro fashion, day in, day out — shoot, edit, post, repeat — and putting it out there for people to discover; or more likely completely ignore. Sometimes it’s the process that has the most value.
-Clayton
2024 02 04
Came across this quote via Scott Galloway while listening to an episode of Pivot and I think this really sums up humanity quite well.
“People are wonderful. I love individuals. I hate groups of people. I hate a group of people with a ‘common purpose’. ‘Cause pretty soon they have little hats. And armbands. And fight songs. And a list of people they’re going to visit at 3am. So, I dislike and despise groups of people but I love individuals. Every person you look at; you can see the universe in their eyes, if you’re really looking.”
— George Carlin
-Clayton
People don’t look up. I love looking up while exploring. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
Came across this quote via Scott Galloway while listening to an episode of Pivot and I think this really sums up humanity quite well.
“People are wonderful. I love individuals. I hate groups of people. I hate a group of people with a ‘common purpose’. ‘Cause pretty soon they have little hats. And armbands. And fight songs. And a list of people they’re going to visit at 3am. So, I dislike and despise groups of people but I love individuals. Every person you look at; you can see the universe in their eyes, if you’re really looking.”
-Clayton
2024 02 03
The world is ending!
While, yes, shit is wild these days. I do think a large part of our perception of this feeling is because social media curates and feeds us all the craziest shit, as if these things are happening all around us at all times. This, in turn, affects our moods and causes some of us to emulate the madness ourselves, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy of madness.
Thus, a simple one photo a day is how we focus our energy around here.
Stay sane.
-Clayton
Dark & moody street scene featuring a parking-dibs chair. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
The world is ending!
While, yes, shit is wild these days. I do think a large part of our perception of this feeling is because social media curates and feeds us all the craziest shit, as if these things are happening all around us at all times. This, in turn, affects our moods and causes us to emulate the insanity ourselves, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy of madness. Unless it’s bolder and crazier than the last round of content, nobody takes notice. Soon, we’ll all be Florida.
Thus, a simple one photo a day is how we focus our energy around here.
Stay sane. ✌️
-Clayton
2024 02 02
So why Pointing at Stuff, anyway?
The name hit me as being quite a brilliant way of looking at photography. “Photography is like pointing at things you see in life,” as observed by Richard Avedon and noted by myself while reading What Becomes a Legend Most, a biography of Avedon by Philip Gefter. Pointingatthings.com was not available but this domain was, so I went with stuff.
More recently, I came across another bit of Avedon wisdom via the great podcast A Small Voice: Conversations With Photographers. In episode 195 Ben talks with photographer Aaron Schuman about a time when Aaron wrote to Richard Avedon, inviting him to his simple college exhibition. Avedon wrote back, apologizing for being too busy to attend, but added:
“The only advice I have is that you do something connected to photography every day of your life and you’ll be surprised what happens.”
— Richard Avedon
Aaron took this advice to heart, saturating his life with things connected to photography (reading about it, attending exhibitions, talking with friends, studying, interning, assisting, etc) opposed to “constantly making pictures without reflecting on them.”
Admittedly, I tend to be the guy constatnly making pictures without reflecting on them. This blog is a small way to expand my photography vision into things beyond the act of making pictures.
-Clayton
Simple scene from one of my favorite cities, Pittsburgh, PA. November, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
So why Pointing at Stuff, anyway?
The name hit me as being quite a brilliant way of looking at photography. “Photography is like pointing at things you see in life,” as observed by Richard Avedon and noted by myself while reading What Becomes a Legend Most, a biography of Avedon by Philip Gefter. Pointingatthings.com was not available but this domain was, so I went with stuff.
More recently, I came across another bit of Avedon wisdom via the great podcast A Small Voice: Conversations With Photographers. In episode 195 Ben talks with photographer Aaron Schuman about a time when Aaron wrote to Richard Avedon, inviting him to his simple college exhibition. Avedon wrote back, apologizing for being too busy to attend, but added:
“The only advice I have is that you do something connected to photography every day of your life and you’ll be surprised what happens.”
Aaron took this advice to heart, saturating his life with things connected to photography (reading about it, attending exhibitions, talking with friends, studying, interning, assisting, etc) opposed to “constantly making pictures without reflecting on them.”
Admittedly, I tend to be the guy constatnly making pictures without reflecting on them. This blog is a small way to expand my photography vision into things beyond the act of making pictures.
-Clayton
2024 02 01
Doing a new post every sinlge day is, admittedly, a bit much. I’ve had the idea to attempt this for years and even started the process once, quickly abandoning it after only a few days. You miss that first day and feel like shit, then let it go a few more because why not, then feel like a failure altogether and write the whole project off as a bad idea to make yourself feel better about the whole thing.
In this attempt, the idea came to me rather suddenly over the holiday break. I was stuck at home with Covid which I tested positive for on Christmas. Thinking the new year was only a few days away, I could quickly get a simple website up and running, and when I found the .com domain was still available, took it as a sign I needed to act fast and make it happen. I spent a full day building a buffer of simple posts to give me some momentum. The buffer is key! It’s like a streaming video service loading ahead, only with my thoughts and photos, in case some days the internet connection otherwise known as my motivation isn’t working as well. I currently have about 20 days worth of posts already scheduled to go live. If I should unexpectedly perish, you’ll still get a couple weeks of dumb thoughts out of me!
This post date, however, is only a few days out as I write this and had been sitting empty in the draft folder. Awaiting inspiration. Maybe the image isn’t strong enough to spark an idea? This is sort of a bland image that I’ve considered deleting on multiple occasions but just has something about it I like, which led me to leave it in, awaiting that inspiration. While it may be a stretch, it finally hit me: the house appears as a bit of a blank slate. This blog is also a canvas of sorts which I’m using to try things, experiment, play, see what happens.
I woke up this morning while a dream was playing out in my head. The specific details don’t matter, but my mind seemed to be working out some kind of project, which led me to contemplate things a bit deeper after I was awake, which led to some constructive progress on a possible future project. I feel strongly that doing work consistently, putting in the time, this blog, is a key way to train your brain and keep it on task. All of the best ideas come when you’re sound asleep and they can formulate without the pesky distractions of life and anxiety-fueled second guessing. Doing something every day is a great way to keep it top of mind when you go to sleep and have the freedom of unrestricted thought.
With that, goodnight, and see you tomorrow.
-Clayton
Mundane street scene, which has a little something going for it which I can’t fully articulate in my awakened state. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
Doing a new post every sinlge day is, admittedly, a bit much. I’ve had the idea to attempt this for years and even started the process once, quickly abandoning it after only a few days. You miss that first day and feel like shit, then let it go a few more because why not, then feel like a failure altogether and write the whole project off as a bad idea to make yourself feel better about the whole thing.
In this attempt, the idea came to me rather suddenly over the holiday break. I was stuck at home with Covid, which I tested positive for on Christmas. Thinking the new year was only a few days away, I could quickly get a simple website up and running, and when I found the .com domain was still available, took it as a sign I needed to act fast and make it happen. I spent a full day building a buffer of simple posts to give me some momentum. The buffer is key! It’s like a streaming video service loading ahead, only with my thoughts and photos, in case some days the internet connection otherwise known as my motivation isn’t working as well. I currently have about 20 days worth of posts already scheduled to go live. If I should unexpectedly perish, you’ll still get a couple weeks of dumb thoughts out of me!
This post date, however, is only a few days out as I write this and had been sitting empty in the draft folder. Awaiting inspiration. Maybe the image isn’t strong enough to spark an idea? This is sort of a bland image that I’ve considered deleting on multiple occasions but just has something about it I like, which led me to leave it in, awaiting that inspiration. While it may be a stretch, it finally hit me: the house appears as a bit of a blank slate. This blog is also a canvas of sorts which I’m using to try things, experiment, play, see what happens.
I woke up this morning while a dream was playing out in my head. The specific details don’t matter, but my mind seemed to be working out some kind of project; this led me to contemplate things a bit deeper after I was awake; this led to some constructive progress on a possible future project. I feel strongly that doing work consistently, putting in the time, this blog, is a key way to train your brain and keep it on task. All of the best ideas come when you’re sound asleep (or in the shower or on a run) and they can formulate without the pesky distractions of life and anxiety-fueled second guessing. Doing something every day is a great way to keep it top of mind when you go to sleep and have the freedom of unrestricted thought.
With that, goodnight, and see you tomorrow.
-Clayton
2024 01 31
I was once nominated for a photojournalism award for a project I worked on for Chicago Magazine.
I lost to John White, obviously.
Here’s a nice mini-doc about legendary Chicago photojournalist John White via CBS News Chicago. Direct link here.
Look — we made it a whole month posting daily! Thanks for stopping by!
-Award-nominated photographer Clayton Hauck
Reflection in puddle. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
I’m so glad I don’t shoot weddings anymore…
I was once nominated for a photojournalism award for a project I worked on for Chicago Magazine.
I lost to John White, obviously.
Here’s a nice mini-doc about legendary Chicago photojournalist John White via CBS News Chicago. Direct link here.
Look — we made it a whole month posting daily! Thanks for stopping by!
-Award-nominated non-wedding photographer Clayton Hauck
2024 01 30
The powers that control society — government, military, corporations, media, billionaires, etc, etc — used to have quite a firm grip on The Narrative that drives society. It used to be that creating content was an expensive and difficult pain in the ass. These days, we all have a media outlet in our pocket.
News outlets in developing countries are usually protected by barbed wire walls and high security access because these locations can be used as tools of chaos in the hands of the wrong people. These days, the bad people all have a Twitter and TikTok account and largely don’t need the news outlet.
I’m a huge fan of youtuber Jules Terpak, who does commentary on digital media and technology. She dropped this video called The power of TikTok edits which blew my mind and I’ve been obsessing over it ever since, trying to understand what it all means.
As an Old, I’ve made a conscious decision to steer clear of TikTok for a variety of reasons. I’m not yet sure this is a smart decision because I know the power it has and it might be in my best interest to understand how society is interacting with these new forms of media as it’s kind of my job. Jules’ video, posted below, is super worthwhile and was a terrifying peek into some of what’s going on on the platform.
I’m not going to claim to have some profound takeaway from this and I’m still churning through it in my head, however, I’m a bit shocked by how BAD much of this viral content is. The videos that are pulling in millions of views and driving culture are… largely awful and not even original works. There is no quality control anymore. It’s almost like good quality is actually now a negative as it reveals itself as being inauthentic since someone clearly put energy, and therefor money, into making it.
Fuck.
As a former video editor myself, I’ll be the first to tell you how valuable that skill is and I’m now convinced I should probably dust off my Adobe Premiere workstation if I want to have any relevance as a human in society moving forward.
All Hail The Algorithm (and whoever controls them).
-Clayton
US Steel Tower, the city’s tallest building, as seen through an alley in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
The powers that control society — government, military, corporations, media, billionaires, etc, etc — used to have quite a firm grip on The Narrative that drives society. It used to be that creating content was an expensive and difficult pain in the ass. These days, we all have a media outlet in our pocket.
News outlets in developing countries are usually protected by barbed wire walls and high security access because these locations can be used as tools of chaos in the hands of the wrong people. These days, the bad people all have a Twitter and TikTok account and largely don’t need the news outlet.
I’m a huge fan of youtuber Jules Terpak, who does commentary on digital media and technology. She dropped this video called The power of TikTok edits which blew my mind and I’ve been obsessing over it ever since, trying to understand what it all means.
As an Old, I’ve made a conscious decision to steer clear of TikTok for a variety of reasons. I’m not yet sure this is a smart decision because I know the power it has and it might be in my best interest to understand how society is interacting with these new forms of media, esp considering it’s kind of my job. Jules’ video, posted below, is super worthwhile and was an ominous (or is this just my warped perspective as an Old?) peek into some of what’s going on on the platform.
I’m not going to claim to have some profound takeaway from this and I’m still churning through it in my head, however, I’m a bit shocked by how BAD much of this viral content is. The videos that are pulling in millions of views and driving culture are… largely aesthetically awful and not even original works. There is no quality control anymore, I guess? Speed, timing, and the almighty algorithm are vastly more important than aesthetic value in this world. It’s almost like good quality is actually now shunned as it reveals itself as being inauthentic, since someone clearly put energy, and therefore money, into making it.
Fuck.
As a former video editor myself, I’ll be the first to tell you how valuable this skill is and I’m now convinced I should probably dust off my Adobe Premiere workstation if I want to have any relevance as a human in society moving forward. We’ve sure come a long, long way from Battleship Potemkin.
All Hail The Algorithm (and whoever controls them).
-Clayton
2024 01 29
Pittsburgh is one of my favorite places. I fell in love immediately after my first visit as a young kid who loved Sim City, entering on a road trip to New Jersey with my family, emerging from a Turnpike tunnel as the skyline comes into view across the river with bridges lining the horizon in each direction. It really is an epic visual.
In November, I drove out to New Jersey again for a family visit and stopped in Pittsburgh for the night to do a bit of exploring.
On the subject of Pittsburgh and Sim City, there’s a guy recreating the city within the game Cities: Skylines, which is both an amazing game and remarkable project which checks all the boxes of my nerdiness. Check it out (a recent video linked below) if you love cities and transit and simulations and Pittsburgh and Cities: Skylines like I do! 😛
-Clayton
Downtown Pittsburgh’s PPG Tower. November, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
Pittsburgh is one of my favorite places. I fell in love immediately after my first visit as a young kid who loved Sim City, entering on a road trip to New Jersey with my family, emerging from a Turnpike tunnel as the skyline comes into view across the river with bridges lining the horizon in each direction. It really is an epic visual.
In November, I drove out to New Jersey again for a family visit and stopped in Pittsburgh for the night to do a bit of exploring.
On the subject of Pittsburgh and Sim City, there’s a guy recreating the city within the game Cities: Skylines, which is both an amazing game and remarkable project which checks all the boxes of my nerdiness. Check it out (a recent video linked below) if you love cities and transit and simulations and Pittsburgh and Cities: Skylines like I do! 😛
-Clayton