2024 12 31
Becoming a Bar Owner in 2025
Today is New Years Eve ā who wouldnāt want to own a bar on New Years Eve?!$!$?
This is slight sarcasm. Iām not a huge fan of crowded gatherings, and am generally of mixed feelings on socializing generally, however, I love bars. I could spend every day in a bar (not necessarily drinking, I like the vibes and the human dynamic, mom!) and Iāve long wanted to own a bar, though had never made a serious effort to do so myself ā until this year. While itās true I did make an effort to re-open some kind of bar/restaurant concept in the former Orkenoy space inside the Kimball Arts Center (where my studio is located), the level of my effort was fairly minimal. It didnāt go far beyond talking to basically everyone I know about it. Thinking, talking, researching, talking, thinking. Enough time went by that the space got leased out to an office tenant and the dream diedā¦ sort of.
Now, thereās another bar on the market and available that checks most of my boxes and is already quite aligned on concept (at least one concept Iāve been stewing on). Still, this idea is quite a long shot at this point, but itās one Iām seriously considering. Much like the photobook shop dream and having a family member in that business, I also have family on both sides of the bar business (ownership and alcoholism). The latter reality causes both of my parents to think this is a terrible idea, and their perspective needs to be considered.
Of course, owning a bar introduces a slew of other new challenges and life adjustments. It would be a 180-degree career pivot and I would realistically need to give up most, if not all, of my photography ambitions. This is the main reason Iāve mostly been stewing on the idea rather than acting on it. But with the commercial photo landscape being quite down from where it once was and its future also very much in question, the idea started to sound like it might actually make some sense (and, possibly, cents).
One of my biggest takeaways from the last three years of running a studio is how much Iāve enjoyed curating and hosting events. Iām going to dig more into this topic in a few days, however, there are quite a lot of parallels to what Iām already doing today with owning and operating a bar; Iām just currently doing it without a liquor license.
My two biggest takeaways from investigating the bar idea further were:
First, that I bring more to the table than I had realized! It was an ego-boost of sorts, hearing confidence from a number of people, including a partner at a big restaurant group, that I should open a bar and that I have more to offer than I gave myself credit for. My self-deprecating style had initially caused me to doubt the whole endeavor strictly because I have no experience running a bar myself.
Second, and even more reassuringly, was the amount of help, openness, and enthusiasm I received from existing bar owners and operators that I reached out to for advice. Initially, I was hesitant to even do so, thinking they would see me more as future competition. In reality, I had people sending me complicated documents filled with projections and numbers I wouldāve never considered; I had people coming out to see the space and give me their honest, experienced opinions; I had people running numbers for me and giving me free consultation. It was a reassuring experience, and while I know running a bar would be wildly challenging and likely all-consuming, I love the idea that I wouldnāt be doing it alone.
On that note, back to stewing on it. Until then, if anyone wants to invest $20,000-$100,000 into an exciting new bar opportunity, you know where to find me!
-Clayton
One of my many bar inspirations: Sportsmanās Club. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Becoming a Bar Owner in 2025
Today is New Years Eve ā who wouldnāt want to own a bar on New Years Eve?!$!$?
This is slight sarcasm. Iām not a huge fan of crowded gatherings, and have mixed feelings on socializing generally, however, I love bars. I could spend every day in a bar (not necessarily drinking, I like the vibes and the human dynamic, mom!) and Iāve long wanted to own a bar, though had never made a serious effort to do so myself ā until this year. While itās true I did make an effort to re-open some kind of bar/restaurant concept in the former Orkenoy space inside the Kimball Arts Center (where my studio is located), the level of my effort was fairly minimal. It didnāt go far beyond talking to basically everyone I know about it. Thinking, talking, researching, talking, thinking. Enough time went by that the space got leased out to an office tenant and the dream diedā¦ sort of.
Now, thereās another bar on the market and available that checks most of my boxes and is already quite aligned on concept (at least one concept Iāve been stewing on). Still, this idea is quite a long shot at this point, but itās one Iām seriously considering. Much like the photobook shop dream and having a family member in that business, I also have family on both sides of the bar business (ownership and alcoholism). The latter reality causes both of my parents to think this is a terrible idea, and their perspective needs to be considered.
Of course, owning a bar introduces a slew of other new challenges and life adjustments. It would be a 180-degree career pivot and I would realistically need to give up most, if not all, of my photography ambitions. This is the main reason Iāve mostly been stewing on the idea rather than acting on it. But with the commercial photo landscape being quite down from where it once was and its future also very much in question, the idea started to sound like it might actually make some sense (and, possibly, cents).
One of my biggest takeaways from the last three years of running a studio is how much Iāve enjoyed curating and hosting events. Iām going to dig more into this topic in a few days, however, there are quite a lot of parallels to what Iām already doing today with owning and operating a bar; Iām just currently doing it without a liquor license.
My two biggest takeaways from investigating the bar idea further were:
First, that I bring more to the table than I had realized! It was an ego-boost of sorts, hearing confidence from a number of people, including a partner at a big restaurant group, that I should open a bar and that I have more to offer than I gave myself credit for. My self-deprecating style had initially caused me to doubt the whole endeavor strictly because I have no experience running a bar myself.
Second, and even more reassuringly, was the amount of help, openness, and enthusiasm I received from existing bar owners and operators that I reached out to for advice. Initially, I was hesitant to even do so, thinking they would see me more as future competition. In reality, I had people sending me complicated documents filled with projections and numbers I wouldāve never considered; I had people coming out to see the space and give me their honest, experienced opinions; I had people running numbers for me and giving me free consultation. It was a reassuring experience, and while I know running a bar would be wildly challenging and likely all-consuming, I love the idea that I wouldnāt be doing it alone.
On that note, back to stewing on it. Until then, if anyone wants to invest $10,000-$100,000 into an exciting new bar opportunity, you know where to find me!
-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, see 2024 12 25.
2024 12 29
Becoming a Top Commercial Food & Beverage Photographer in 2025
A big part of why I decided to make a photo studio happen in the waning days of the covid lockdowns was that prior to covid Iād been getting a lot of food/beverage job inquiries, didnāt have a studio space, and I thought people would be itching to get back out and do shit, make shit, mingle, once the lockdowns were over. While I wasnāt too off in my assessment, where I went wrong was determining what the shit was. I suspected the photo studio would mostly be busy with photo shoots, both of my own and other photographers. While surely, we have done a number of large projects in the space over the last ~three years, it has been more heavily used as an event space and portrait studio than the food and beverage studio which I imagined. This is largely on me. All of those food/beverage job inquiries Iād been getting sort of organically stopped happening once I had the studio in place, and I didnāt put much effort into changing that. Instead, I focused on the portrait and people work and put lots of effort into hosting events, which I was really enjoying, and various side projects.
I donāt regret any of this, but I have been wondering if I should put my focus back on the food/beverage work that Iād imagined primarily utilizing the space for. Last week, we wrapped a large food project that I really enjoyed. I did a cookbook shoot earlier in the year which I also really loved and wish I could do more of. Neither of those projects actually happened in the studio I designed to accommodate them, ironically.
As is sometimes the case in life, when you expect something will happen, the world has a funny way of making sure the opposite thing happens. That said, the studio is still an amazing place to do food/beverage photography, and it would be a no brainer for me to put more effort into make that happen next year, be it my own shoots or those of others. After a challenging few years in the commercial photography industry, things are trending better right now and I hope it continues into the new year.
Additionally, there are already plans to do more high end motion spec work to help land new clients. Of course, at the end of the day, these things are time consuming, challenging, and it will be an ongoing process and big commitment to get where I think we can, if we stick with it. Iām consistently inspired and motivated by the Cleveland shop BurkleHagen, and think we could be a similar resource for brands looking for top tier, beautiful, fresh food/beverage photography and video. The challenge is that I really love pursuing lots of different creative avenues, and this idea would largely require a full-time, all-in effort. I think I have some decisions to make and I think the health of the commercial market will likely help guide me in making them, but thatās a more complicated subject for a different day.
-Clayton
Do not eat. Wilmette, Illinois. October, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Becoming a Top Commercial Food & Beverage Photographer in 2025
A big part of why I decided to make a photo studio happen in the waning days of the covid lockdowns was that prior to covid Iād been getting a lot of food/beverage job inquiries, didnāt have a studio space, and I thought people would be itching to get back out and do shit, make shit, mingle, once the lockdowns were over. While I wasnāt too off in my assessment, where I went wrong was determining what the shit was. I suspected the photo studio would mostly be busy with photo shoots, both of my own and other photographers. While surely, we have done a number of large projects in the space over the last ~three years, it has been more heavily used as an event space and portrait studio than the food and beverage studio Iād imagined. This is largely on me. All of those food/beverage job inquiries Iād been getting sort of organically stopped happening once I had the studio in place, and I didnāt put much effort into changing that. Instead, I focused on the portrait and people work and put lots of effort into hosting events, which I was really enjoying, along with various side projects.
I donāt regret any of this, but I have been wondering if I should put my focus back on the food/beverage work that Iād imagined primarily utilizing the space for. Last week, we wrapped a large food project that I really enjoyed. I did a cookbook shoot earlier in the year which I also really loved and wish I could do more of. Neither of those projects actually happened in the studio I designed to accommodate them, ironically.
As is sometimes the case in life, when you expect something will happen, the world has a funny way of making sure the opposite thing happens. That said, the studio is still an amazing place to do food/beverage photography, and it would be a no brainer for me to put more effort into making that happen next year, be it my own shoots or those of others. After a challenging few years in the commercial photography industry, things are trending better right now and I can only hope it continues.
Additionally, there are already plans to do more high end motion spec work to help land new clients. Of course, at the end of the day, these things are time consuming, challenging, and it will be an ongoing process and big commitment to get where I think we can, if we stick with it. Iām consistently inspired and motivated by the Cleveland shop BurkleHagen, and think we could be a similar resource for brands looking for top tier, beautiful, fresh food/beverage photography and video. The challenge is that I really love pursuing lots of different creative avenues, and this idea would largely require a full-time, all-in effort. I think I have some decisions to make and I think the health of the commercial market will likely help guide me in making them, but thatās a more complicated subject for a different day.
-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, see 2024 12 25.
2024 12 27
Becoming a Documentary Filmmaker in 2025
My slow and reluctant pivot back to video is underway, though admittedly much slower-paced than it should be. The move back to shooting video is both personally and professionally-driven. Before I became a photographer, I was a videographer. Itās my first artistic passion and one that I want to further explore before it gets too late in life. Beyond that, my industry of commercial photography is now demanding that all photographers are also motion directors, so itās basically required if I wish to continue making money in that field.
In the new year, I will obsess over video and dedicate a huge amount of my time to manning a video camera again. Part of why my video pitch has stalled is my instinct is to operate. I must be operating the camera to be fully engaged in the production process. And that requires a time-consuming re-learning process, familiarizing myself with new camera systems and methods that didnāt exist when I was running MiniDV cams in the early 2000ās.
Fortunately, a friend reached out to me a few months back with the idea of partnering on a doc project featuring a mutual artist friend of ours (Iām keeping all the specific details out of it for now as weāre in the super early stages of this and I donāt want to jinx anything). We have already begun production and are now seeking additional financing so that we can move full-steam ahead in the new year (hit me up and Iāll send you the pitch deck!). Iām excited because I think this project has a lot of potential to be something great, though I also know itās going to be a beast of a process and take up a huge amount of my time.
With so much content being made and shared these days, Iām very sensitive to making sure this project stands out and is elevated from the pack. I donāt want to make just another āfeature-length documentaryā that gets tossed onto YouTube for a few thousand people to passively watch and forget. There are themes I hope to explore that, I think, will resonate with lots of people; if we handle the project right, it has a chance to really become something that goes beyond Chicago and touches people worldwide. But again, I donāt want to jinx it, so letās keep it casual!
Semi-relatedly, Kartemquin Films is moving their office directly below my studio inside the Kimball Arts Center. Iāve very much been ālistening to the universeā lately, and this feels like a clear sign that I should pay attention to. I also aim to make a monthly screening night happen in our studio space, which weāve dubbed Cinema 606. While this wonāt be strictly doc-focused, I do want to make sure documentaries are a large part of the night.
With Ai blowing up and affecting lots of industries, including my own world of commercial photography, I love the idea of adding documentary filmmaking to my core competency of offerings. On top of that, I have no shortage of ideas for various subjects and people that I would love to explore in moving-visual form. Of course, time and money are always the main deterrents, so it will be very revealing to know just how much this project takes out of me before I make grand plans to become the next Werner Herzog.
Some themes weāre likely to explore in this project include: the business end of art; what it means to be an artist; the unwavering dedication to a city that doesnāt always love you back; substance abuse in relation to artist endeavor.
Iād consider it a huge win to complete the project, be proud of it, and have other people choose to watch it on their own accord. Perhaps, if things go well, a modest run of screenings around the country would be an amazing end cap. It will be interesting to look back at this post a year from now, as I realize thereās a lot of actual work to be done and this here talk is cheap. Itās time to get moving and make a damn movie!
-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.
Caught in the act of art. Chicago, Illinois. October, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Becoming a Documentary Filmmaker in 2025
My slow and reluctant pivot back to video is underway, though admittedly much slower-paced than it should be. The move back to shooting video is both personally and professionally-driven. Before I became a photographer, I was a videographer. Itās my first artistic passion and one that I want to further explore before it gets too late in life. Beyond that, my industry of commercial photography is now demanding that all photographers are also motion directors, so itās basically required if I wish to continue making money in that field.
In the new year, I will obsess over video and dedicate a huge amount of my time to manning a video camera again. Part of why my video pivot has stalled is my instinct is to operate. I must be operating the camera to be fully engaged in the production process. And that requires a time-consuming re-learning process, familiarizing myself with new camera systems and methods that didnāt exist when I was running MiniDV cams in the early 2000ās.
Fortunately, a friend reached out to me a few months back with the idea of partnering on a doc project featuring a mutual artist friend of ours (Iām keeping all the specific details out of it for now as weāre in the super early stages of this and I donāt want to jinx anything). We have already begun production and are now seeking additional financing so that we can move full-steam ahead in the new year (hit me up and Iāll send you the pitch deck!). Iām excited because I think this project has a lot of potential to be something great, though I also know itās going to be a beast of a process and take up a huge amount of my time.
With so much content being made and shared these days, Iām very sensitive to making sure this project stands out and is elevated from the pack. I donāt want to make just another āfeature-length documentaryā that gets tossed onto YouTube for a few thousand people to passively watch and forget. There are themes I hope to explore that, I think, will resonate with lots of people; if we handle the project right, it has a chance to really become something that goes beyond Chicago and touches people worldwide. But again, I donāt want to jinx it, so letās keep it casual!
Semi-relatedly, Kartemquin Films is moving their office directly below my studio inside the Kimball Arts Center. Iāve very much been ālistening to the universeā lately, and this feels like a clear sign that I should pay attention to. I also aim to make a monthly screening night happen in our studio space, which weāve dubbed Cinema 606. While this wonāt be strictly doc-focused, I do want to make sure documentaries are a large part of the night.
With Ai blowing up and affecting lots of industries, including my own world of commercial photography, I love the idea of adding documentary filmmaking to my core competency of offerings. On top of that, I have no shortage of ideas for various subjects and people that I would love to explore in moving-visual form. Of course, time and money are always the main deterrents, so it will be very revealing to know just how much this project takes out of me before I make grand plans to become the next Werner Herzog.
Some themes weāre likely to explore in this project include: the business end of art; what it means to be an artist; the unwavering dedication to a city that doesnāt always love you back; substance abuse in relation to artistic endeavor.
Iād consider it a huge win to complete the project, be proud of it, and have other people choose to watch it on their own accord. Perhaps, if things go well, a modest run of screenings around the country would be an amazing end cap. It will be interesting to look back at this post a year from now, as I realize thereās a lot of actual work to be done and this here talk is cheap. Itās time to get moving and make a damn movie!
-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 25
Merry Christmas, yāall! Yesterday I mentioned jotting down some thoughts on what I plan to be focusing on going into the new year. Weāve been quite distracted watching holiday movies (Home Alone, The Family Stone, White Christmas), so Iāll get into those individual posts beginning tomorrow. Looking back, 2024 was quite honestly one of my personal favorite years, despite some big challenges, but Iām also very much looking forward to 2025. Iām also quite proud Iāve manager to get through an entire year of daily posts. Itās been something Iād wanted to do for like a decade and finally made it happen.
Topics weāll explore in the next string of days include:
The Illinois Project aka Ill Wandering
Documentary Project
Photobook Store
Commercial Food & Beverage Photography
Portrait Studio
Opening a Bar
Street Photography
This Here Blog
The Studio As An Event Space
Itās like the nine days of Christmas, or something! Anywayā¦ back to the holiday cheer. See you soon.
-Clayton
Is it Santa or just an icy rock pummeling through space? Benton Harbor, Michigan. October, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Merry Christmas, yāall! Yesterday I mentioned jotting down some thoughts on what I plan to be focusing on going into the new year. Weāve been quite distracted watching holiday movies (Home Alone, The Family Stone, White Christmas), so Iāll get into those individual posts beginning tomorrow. Looking back, 2024 was quite honestly one of my personal favorite years, despite some big challenges, but Iām also very much looking forward to 2025. Iām also quite proud Iāve managed to get through an entire year of daily posts. Itās been something Iād wanted to do for like a decade and finally made it happen.
It was around this time last year that the idea hit me to start this here blog, so it seemed only fitting I would dedicate some time towards pondering what projects next year might bring.
Topics weāll explore in the next string of days include:
The Studio As An Event Space
Itās like the nine days of Christmas, or something! Anywayā¦ back to the holiday cheer. See you soon.
-Clayton
2024 12 23
While at a holiday party a few nights back, the subject of Ai came up and sent me off into a dark headspace. My animator/editor friend had just seen some new examples of Googleās Ai video capabilities and it sent her spiraling into doom, declaring her job was now dead and gone. Sadly, I largely agree with her, tho of course itās more complicated and wonāt happen overnight. Iāve been largely ignoring (avoiding) checking in on Ai advancements over the last six months because I know it will only bum me out, and Iāve been too busy anyway, thus had been feeling more optimistic about the state of our creative industry. That moment at the party was like pouring cold water over my head.
This morning, I awoke to a post showcasing a fully-Ai-generated short film (see below). All of the sound, music and editing was done by a human but the visuals are fairly impressive, considering they were made by typing commands into a computer (Iād love to know how much time he spent repeating commands over and over before throwing his computer out the window). Surely, this will only get much better in the coming months. That said, Iām still not fully convinced Ai will ever become so good that it replaces all human-made visuals. Art is in the choices, and outsourcing a majority of your decisions to a computer will dilute your art and/or take lots of time to perfect, thus minimizing the advantage it provides in the first place. Also, while impressive for what it is, the film is kind of shit.
The sun setting on my photographic career. St Germain, Wisconsin. July, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
While at a holiday party a few nights back, the subject of Ai came up and sent me off into a dark headspace. My animator/editor friend had just seen some new examples of Googleās Ai video capabilities and it sent her spiraling into doom, declaring her job was now dead and gone. Sadly, I largely agree with her, tho of course itās more complicated and wonāt happen overnight. Iāve been largely ignoring (avoiding) checking in on Ai advancements over the last six months because I know it will only bum me out, and Iāve been too busy anyway, thus had been feeling more optimistic about the state of our creative industry. That moment at the party was like pouring cold water over my head.
This morning, I awoke to a post showcasing a fully-Ai-generated short film (see below). All of the sound, music and editing was done by a human but the visuals are fairly impressive, considering they were made by typing commands into a computer (Iād love to know how much time he spent repeating commands over and over before throwing his computer out the window). Surely, this will only get much better in the coming months. That said, Iām still not fully convinced Ai will ever become so good that it replaces all human-made visuals. Art is in the choices, and outsourcing a majority of your decisions to a computer will dilute your art and/or take lots of time to perfect, thus minimizing the advantage it provides in the first place. Also, while impressive for what it is, the film is kind of shit.
Last week, I hosted a Filmmaker Fridays event at my studio and the topic was film festivals. Two panelists were invited to talk about their roles in choosing which films are accepted to the festivals they work for. My broad takeaway from the event was that there is such a robust and enthusiastic demand for filmmaking generally, that I canāt even imagine a world in which the art form is completely outsourced to automation, regardless of how profitable it may become to do so (Iām not convinced this will be the case, either!). That said, Ai will surely transform the industry in ways comparable or even greater than the recent mega-change from film to digital. That change ushered in an explosion of new participants (myself included) and content is now so plentiful itās impossible to watch even a small percentage of what is made annually. Sundance supposedly sees fourteen-thousand submissions each year, of which they likely donāt even view many of the entrantsā films because thereās just not enough time to do so.
At the event, I ran into the younger brother of a friend who I hadnāt seen in over a decade. He mentioned that he wrapped a feature horror film which he made for $3,000 and premiered to a sold-out audience at The Music Box. Check out the trailer below. Itās laughable how much better it is when compared to the Ai-made video above.
None of us have any clue whatās next. Nuclear war or impending alien invasion may soon make all of this a moot subject. While I will surely still go through periods of depression about how my job is about to be replaced by robots, Iām choosing to largely disregard these dark proclamations and barrel ahead with a positive mental attitude and the understanding that things will change, perhaps quite dramatically, but the world has a need to remain more or less in balance in order for anything to get accomplished.
-Clayton
2024 12 18
Back on set again this morning for what is likely the last shoot day of the year. This year has been a weird one, from a work perspective. Fortunately, it was busier than last year, however, still far from normal. Or, perhaps more likely, it is the new normal and I am still familiarizing myself with it.
One thing that stands out to me on shoot days is how much data is flowing, and how a blockage of data flow (be it images going to the computer, or the internet failing, or a client being indecisive about approving an image) can totally derail a shoot. This image popped up and reminded of of this sentiment and made me appreciate how much infrastructure we take for granted in this world. Modern plumbing alone is a marvel of human achievement, let alone wireless communications and the world wide web!
Anyway, back to workā¦
-Clayton
Another Pittsburgh street scene. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. September, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Back on set again this morning for what is likely the last shoot day of the year. This year has been a weird one, from a work perspective. Fortunately, it was busier than last year, however, still far from normal. Or, perhaps more likely, it is the new normal and I am still familiarizing myself with it.
One thing that stands out to me on shoot days is how much data is flowing, and how a blockage of data flow (be it images going to the computer, or the internet failing, or a client being indecisive about approving an image) can totally derail a shoot. This image popped up and reminded of of this sentiment and made me appreciate how much infrastructure we take for granted in this world. Modern plumbing alone is a marvel of human achievement, let alone wireless communications and the world wide web!
Anyway, back to workā¦
-Clayton
2024 12 17
Last week, I realized I posted almost an identical image twice without realizing it. Getting better at editing my images has been one of the main goals of this here blog and clearly I still have some work to do. Being super busy of late hasnāt helped.
Today, another near duplicate but this time on purpose. I also enjoy visiting the same scene repeatedly over time, and this shot of a couple dogs in the window is one that has been posted here previously (see: 2024 07 29), only this time he has a friend.
Anyway, back to work. The day job is called and weāre shooting hot dogs this morning at the studio.
-Clayton
Two Mr Peepers in the window. Chicago, Illinois. August, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Last week, I realized I posted almost an identical image twice without realizing it. Getting better at editing my images has been one of the main goals of this here blog and clearly I still have some work to do. Being super busy of late hasnāt helped.
Today, another near duplicate but this time on purpose. I also enjoy visiting the same scene repeatedly over time, and this shot of a couple dogs in the window is one that has been posted here previously (see: 2024 07 29), only this time he has a friend.
Anyway, back to work. The day job is called and weāre shooting hot dogs this morning at the studio.
-Clayton
2024 12 16
Banks, like churches, used to be built grand to inspire confidence and awe. These days, only publicly-funded sports stadiums are constructed in this manner. As a result, there are many beautiful old banks scattered around the country in towns that have dried up and evaporated around them. Iāve had a long-running vision of converting these old banks into boutique hotels, catering to our new leisure-based economy instead of the population growth and commerce that spurred their initial creation.
Of course, this idea sounds cool in theory, while in practice would likely be unsustainably expensive and challenging. Hard, but not impossible. If you know someone with a bunch of money they are looking to spend on something fun and interesting, send them my way and weāll talk. Iāve got expensive ideas.
-Clayton
Grand old bank. Holland, Michigan. October, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Banks, like churches, used to be built grand to inspire confidence and awe. These days, only publicly-funded sports stadiums are constructed in this manner. As a result, there are many beautiful old banks scattered around the country in towns that have dried up and evaporated around them. Iāve had a long-running vision of converting these old banks into boutique hotels, catering to our new leisure-based economy instead of the population growth and commerce that spurred their initial creation.
Of course, this idea sounds cool in theory, while in practice would likely be unsustainably expensive and challenging. Hard, but not impossible. If you know someone with a bunch of money they are looking to spend on something fun and interesting, send them my way and weāll talk. Iāve got expensive ideas, and perhaps a way to make this vision a reality, however, not the time or capital to do so.
-Clayton
2024 12 15
The internet is many things these days, however, it is still a remarkable place to discover new work that you really connect with. Yesterday, through a photography youtube video, I was made aware of Terra Fondriestās Ozark Life project and really fell in love with it. Filled with such beautiful human moments, itās a realy special project that fuels my enthusiasm for both photography and life, generally. Being a city boy myself, itās nice to get such an intimate glimpse into other peoplesā realities and quality photo essays such as this one are perhaps the best way to communicate other perspectives.
Also, a quick update to yestetdayās entry (see: 2024 12 14): After posting I was delivered a plate of food, so that comment turned out to be inaccurate. Also, while I did no meet a cat that night, I did run into a buddy and we discussed our cats for a few minutes, so Iāll count it. Then, we ended up at Warlord where I was able to consume one of Chicagoās best burgers. Iāll count the night as a prophecy granted. Perhaps today I can find a bucket of no-strings-attached money.
-Clayton
Is that tree stump smiling at me? St Germain, Wisconsin. July, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
The internet is many things these days, however, it is still a remarkable place to discover new work that you really connect with. Yesterday, through a photography youtube video, I was made aware of Terra Fondriestās Ozark Life project and really fell in love with it. Filled with such beautiful human moments, itās a really special project that fuels my enthusiasm for both photography and life generally. Being a city boy myself, itās nice to get such an intimate glimpse into other peoplesā realities. Quality photo essays, such as this one, are perhaps the best way to communicate other perspectives and a huge part of why Iām so obsessed with photography.
Also, a quick update to yestetdayās entry (see: 2024 12 14): After posting, I was delivered a plate of food, so that comment turned out to be inaccurate. Also, while I did not meet a cat that night, I did run into a buddy and we discussed our cats for a few minutes, so it sort of qualifies. Then, we ended up at Warlord where I was able to consume one of Chicagoās best burgers. Iāll count the night as a prophecy granted. Perhaps today I can find a bucket of no-strings-attached money.
-Clayton
2024 12 14
I havenāt been meeting enough cats lately. I miss having a cat.
Yesterday I realized I posted basically the same photo to the blog twice. Iāve been too busy to catch details like this.
Itās been a while since Iāve had a good cheeseburger. Maybe Iāll get a cheeseburger tonight.
Thereās a dinner at my studio tonight. There was a dinner at my studio last night. I didnāt eat at either of them.
Yesterday we did a food shoot and we also didnāt eat any of the food we photographed.
Itās odd being around food so much and not eating any of it. I had a great breakfast burrito this morning, though.
Iām not meeting enough cats lately. I miss having a cat.
Thereās a book of poetry Iām currently reading, which is clearly rubbing off on me today.
His (Kevin) poems are far more interesting than whatever this is, however.
One thing it made me realize is that as we get older we long for our youth. Nostalgia is a powerful drug.
I met Kevinās mom last night at the dinner I hosted in my space.
I was afraid of dogs when I was a kid, which is probably why Iām more of a cat person.
Iām not meeting enough cats lately. Maybe Iāll find a new street cat friend tonight, take his picture, and add it to this here collection.
-Clayton
Meeting a street cat. Chicago, Illinois. October, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
I havenāt been meeting enough cats lately. I miss having a cat.
Yesterday I realized I posted basically the same photo to the blog twice. Iāve been too busy to catch details like this.
Itās been a while since Iāve had a good cheeseburger. Maybe Iāll get a cheeseburger tonight.
Thereās a dinner at my studio tonight. There was a dinner at my studio last night. I didnāt eat at either of them.
Yesterday we did a food shoot and we also didnāt eat any of the food we photographed.
Itās odd being around food so much and not eating any of it. I had a great breakfast burrito this morning, though.
Iām not meeting enough cats lately. I miss having a cat.
Thereās a book of poetry Iām currently reading, which is clearly rubbing off on me today.
His (Kevin) poems are far more interesting than whatever this is, however.
One thing it made me realize is that as we get older we long for our youth. Nostalgia is a powerful drug.
I met Kevinās mom last night at the dinner I hosted in my space (that I did not eat at).
I was afraid of dogs when I was a kid, which is probably why Iām more of a cat person.
Iām not meeting enough cats lately. Maybe Iāll find a new street cat friend tonight, take his picture, and add it to this here collection.
-Clayton
2024 12 12
I often wonder how my life would be today had a few things played out slightly differently. Specifically, had I decided early on in my photography career to pursuit the path of art instead of (selling out and focusing on) commercial work. Selling prints was always wildly intimidating and confusing to me, so I much preferred to do an assignment, deliver the images, and be done with it. Figuring out how to print images, ship images, price images, sell imagesā¦ that wasnāt for me. The art world was a scary place and I felt like I was an imposter being in it.
Flash forward a few decades and here I am now, figuring out how to print images, ship images, price imagesā¦ and sell images? I am learning to become an art photographer, in addition to my main gig as commercial photographer, and let me tell you: it is not easy!
I have many more thoughts and takeaways I plan to put into a larger blog piece at some point, however, wanted to share a few quick insights while they are fresh on my mind, having just participated in a holiday market with my table full of prints for sale over the weekend (I sold three prints!).
The biggest challenge is: people do not like to spend money on photography! Of course, there are exceptions, however, I think photography has always been sort of the ugly step child of the art world. Paying for a picture seems weird to most people compared to say, paying for a drawing someone made, then photographed, then reprinted a bunch of copies of to sell. Iāve been focusing on a limited-edition series Iāve dubbed The Camera You Have and the three main goals are:
Keep the images fun, light, and loose. Things that people might want to hang on a wall in their home opposed to tucking away in some drawer to save as an āinvestmentā. Conversation pieces. Images with a story. Put out new images fairly regularly. There are now sixteen in the series.
Make the images affordable ā without compromising quality! Iāve bought some prints from galleries in the past and have been immediately turned off by the clear indication they were bought en masse from Costco. Iām now printing all the images I sell myself, to ensure the quality is where I want it to be. Of course, this takes time. I think, as photographers, we really need to go above and beyond to differentiate ourselves as worthy artists.
Do small runs and make them limited edition to give them a bit more of a special appeal (I still do feel like limited editions are a bit of a gimmick, but I reluctantly also like that at adds some quantity control). I love the idea of dropping a new image and having it sell out, then moving on to something new (none of the sixteen are sold out yet, however, one of them has just one measly print remaining!). I donāt want to be pumping out the same few images for the rest of my life.
While I think I have succeeded in the first objective, Iām getting pushback on the second and therefore failing at the third.
The consistent pushback I got at the market, either directly or through facial expressions, was that even my most affordable option of $99 is out the many peopleās price range. Of course, the most obvious remedy is to focus on a different target market. Go big, limit where Iām showing to ālegitā galleries not holiday markets and coffee shops, become a mysterious with a big following, and sell to collectors who have money. This is kinda-sorta-maybe my longer term plan, however, right now Iām in the have-fun-and-figure-this-out phase and I honestly love the idea of selling more work to more people for less money, while also making sure I am benefiting enough financially to keep the whole effort worthwhile. This is the hard part!
This morning, I woke up from a stress dream with a new idea on how to make the smaller 8x10 editions even more affordable. Previously, Iād been using $99 as my lowest offering, but I may increase the number of prints offered and lower the price on those for future editions. Really, I just want to move more prints!
Iāve been joking with people lately that booking $100k+ budget commercial projects is far easier than selling $99 photography prints to strangers. Thereās a lot of truth to this, but itās also a world I am not yet versed in and learning from the ground up. Finding any audience at all is a big part of the challenge and I donāt have massive social audiences to tap into like many photographers who successfully sell prints do. Every single one of my sales so far has taken place from an interaction in the real world, either directly or via my prints hanging in a physical location.
One of the biggest motivating forces pushing me ahead is that I really just want to print more! Iāve really been enjoying it, however, Iām now also developing an inventory, which gets expensive, and Iād love to move some of these things before adding more and more to the pile.
After a year (or two?) of casually pushing my prints, I just added up my total sales for the first time, and I gotta say Iām rather impressed!
Twenty-Six (26) total prints totaling roughly $5,200
On the flip side, Iāve spent well over $10,000 at this point on getting prints made and framed, followed by purchasing a nice printer and lots of paper and ink. So yeah, weāre still not turning a profit, but itās been an enjoyable side hustle. Buy a print of mine, wonāt you? Iāve still yet to sell one to a stranger on the internet. It could be you!
-Clayton
My future photography store? Ocean City, Maryland. August, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
I often wonder how my life would be today had a few things played out slightly differently. Specifically, had I decided early on in my photography career to pursuit the path of art instead of (selling out and focusing on) commercial work. Selling prints was always wildly intimidating and confusing to me, so I much preferred to do an assignment, deliver the images, and be done with it. Figuring out how to print images, ship images, price images, sell imagesā¦ that wasnāt for me. The art world was a scary place and I felt like I was an imposter being in it.
Flash forward a few decades and here I am now, figuring out how to print images, ship images, price imagesā¦ and sell images? I am learning to become an art photographer, in addition to my main gig as commercial photographer, and let me tell you: it is not easy!
The biggest challenge is: people do not like to spend money on photography! Of course, there are exceptions, however, I think photography has always been sort of the ugly step child of the art world. Paying for a picture seems weird to most people compared to say, paying for a drawing someone made, then photographed, then reprinted a bunch of copies of to sell. Iāve been focusing on a limited-edition series Iāve dubbed The Camera You Have and the three main goals are:
Keep the images fun, light, and loose. Things that people might want to hang on a wall in their home opposed to tucking away in some drawer to save as an āinvestmentā. Conversation pieces. Images with a story. Put out new images fairly regularly. There are now sixteen in the series.
Make the images affordable ā without compromising quality! Iāve bought some prints from galleries in the past and have been immediately turned off by the clear indication they were bought en masse from Costco. Iām now printing all the images I sell myself, to ensure the quality is where I want it to be. Of course, this takes time. I think, as photographers, we really need to go above and beyond to differentiate ourselves as worthy artists.
Do small runs and make them limited edition to give them a bit more of a special appeal (I still do feel like limited editions are a bit of a gimmick, but I reluctantly also like that at adds some quantity control). I love the idea of dropping a new image and having it sell out, then moving on to something new (none of the sixteen are sold out yet, however, one of them has just one measly print remaining!). I donāt want to be pumping out the same few images for the rest of my life.
While I think I have succeeded in the first objective, Iām getting pushback on the second and therefore failing at the third.
The consistent pushback I got at the market I participated in over the weekend, either directly or through facial reactions, was that even my most affordable option of $99 is out of many peopleās budget. Of course, the most obvious remedy is to focus on a different target market. Go big, limit where Iām showing to ālegitā galleries only and not holiday markets and coffee shops, become a mysterious artist with a big following, and sell to collectors who have money. This is kinda-sorta-maybe my longer term plan, however, right now Iām in the have-fun-and-figure-this-out phase and I honestly love the idea of selling more work to more people for less money, while also making sure I am benefiting enough financially to keep the whole effort worthwhile. This is the hard part!
This morning, I woke up from a stress dream with a new idea on how to make the smaller 8x10 editions even more affordable. Previously, Iād been using $99 as my lowest offering, but I may increase the number of prints offered and lower the price on those for future editions. Really, I just want to move more damn prints!
Iāve been joking with people lately that booking $100k+ budget commercial projects is far easier than selling $99 photography prints to strangers. Thereās a lot of truth to this, but largely itās a world I am not yet versed in and learning from the ground up. Finding any audience at all is a big part of the challenge and I donāt have massive social followings to tap into like many photographers who successfully sell prints do. Every single one of my sales so far has taken place from an interaction in the real world, either directly or via my prints hanging in a physical location.
One of the biggest motivating forces pushing me ahead is that I really just want to print more! Iāve really been enjoying it, however, Iām now also developing an inventory, which gets expensive, and Iād love to move some of these things before adding more and more to the pile.
After a year (or two?) of casually pushing my prints, I just added up my total sales for the first time, and I gotta say Iām rather impressed!
Twenty-Six (26) total prints sold, totaling roughly $5,200
On the flip side, Iāve spent well over $10,000 at this point on getting prints made and framed (before I started to do it myself), followed by purchasing a nice printer and lots of paper and ink. So yeah, weāre still not turning a profit in the print shop, but itās been an enjoyable (while wildly challenging) side hustle. Buy a print of mine, wonāt you? Iāve still yet to sell one to a stranger on the internet. It could be you!
-Clayton
2024 12 11
Today, a dad joke, because thatās all I have time for at the moment, as the world spirals towards wherever itās heading and this dog meekly looks on.
A man walks into a zoo. The only animal in there is a dog.
It's a shitzu.
-Clayton
Dog on leash at night. Chicago, Illinois. October, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Today, a dad joke, because thatās all I have time for at the moment, as the world spirals towards wherever itās heading and this dog meekly looks on.
A man walks into a zoo. The only animal in there is a dog.
It's a shitzu.
-Clayton
2024 12 10
This selection of crapy movies (and an uneaten Taco Bell burrito) appeared outside my studio recently as if attempting to lure a lonely man into its web of wasted time. I looked up in search of an anvil or large rope-tie mechanism but none were to be found. Apparently, it was merely a pile of discarded dreams. Perhaps an inspired attempt by a man with a new-found female companion to appear a bit less like a college student.
Today, I photographed a scene that is set to be next monthās cover of Chicagoās biggest (and last?) remaining glossy mag. While not quite the honor it mightāve been even a few years ago, I was still up much of the night stress-dreaming about lighting schemes. The shoot location was a bit complicated and challenging, and I was unable to secure an assistant on last minute notice, so my nerves were high. Fortunately, things went smoothly and Iām optimistic weāll have a solid cover on our hands; but no matter how good your cover image, or how much you prepare or stress over your cover shoot, itās likely to be soon forgotten just like this scrap heap of yesterdayās covers.
-Clayton
Pile of crappy movies.. and a burrito, apparently. Chicago, Illinois. October, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
This selection of crapy movies (and an uneaten Taco Bell burrito) appeared outside my studio recently as if attempting to lure a lonely man into its web of wasted time. I looked up in search of an anvil or large rope-tie mechanism but none were to be found. Apparently, it was merely a pile of discarded dreams. Perhaps an inspired attempt by a man with a new-found female companion to appear a bit less like a college student.
Today, I photographed a scene that is set to be next monthās cover of Chicagoās biggest (and last?) remaining glossy mag. While not quite the honor it mightāve been even a few years ago, I was still up much of the night stress-dreaming about lighting schemes. The shoot location was a bit complicated and challenging, and I was unable to secure an assistant on last minute notice, so my nerves were high. Fortunately, things went smoothly and Iām optimistic weāll have a solid cover on our hands; but no matter how good your cover image, or how much you prepare or stress over your cover shoot, itās likely to be soon forgotten just like this scrap heap of yesterdayās covers.
-Clayton
2024 12 09
Now that weāre almost a year into this daily blogging, Iāve been thinking a lot about what I want to focus on next year. My current aim is to keep this thing going, although if I miss a day here and there Iām not going to stress about it. Weāll see if that leads to a total unraveling or not. Iām kind of an all-or-nothing guy.
One consideration is attempting a weekly street photo session. Iāve really been missing doing more of that kind of shooting. Getting back to my roots, yet again, but in a different sort of way. Weāll see.
Another strong consideration is finally opening that photobook shop for real this time. I have an ongoing vision that I will do so, and weāll also sell Allisonās baked goods, which will end up being far more popular than photobooks, so weāll end up with a bakery. I guess that wouldnāt be a bad thing if thatās how it plays out. You donāt know til you try, so they say.
-Clayton
Allison has something in her eye. Chicago, Illinois. October, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Now that weāre almost a year into this daily blogging, Iāve been thinking a lot about what I want to focus on next year. My current aim is to keep this thing going, although if I miss a day here and there Iām not going to stress about it. Weāll see if that leads to a total unraveling or not. Iām kind of an all-or-nothing guy.
One consideration is attempting a weekly street photo session. Iāve really been missing doing more of that kind of shooting. Getting back to my roots, yet again, but in a different sort of way. Weāll see.
Another strong consideration is finally opening that photobook shop for real this time. I have an ongoing vision that I will do so, and weāll also sell Allisonās baked goods, which will end up being far more popular than photobooks, so weāll end up with a bakery. I guess that wouldnāt be a bad thing if thatās how it plays out. You donāt know til you try, so they say.
-Clayton
2024 12 08
Off day! Hereās a photo from work; behind the scenes on a portrait shoot at the studio. See you tomorrow when Iām hopefully recovered from my crazy self-imposed work schedule the last few weeks.
-Clayton
Behind the scenes on a portrait shoot at my See You Soon studio space. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Off day! Hereās a photo from work; behind the scenes on a portrait shoot at the studio. See you tomorrow when Iām hopefully recovered from my crazy self-imposed work schedule the last few weeks.
-Clayton
2024 12 07
Yesterday, while walking to work early in the morning, I was noticing things I hadnāt noticed before. This was, I think, because the early-morning light was different from what I normally encounter. It got me thinking about how even myself, who I consider an extremely observant person, will experience things quite differently depending on the details of the moment. The weather, the lighting conditions, your mood, current events and politics, any people around you, these things will all affect your perspective and potentially change it quite dramatically.
Anyway, the reason I didnāt post yesterday is because I was at the holiday market (which I organized) the entire day and am still exhausted the following morning even after sleeping nine hours. Iām not sure what it is about hosting events. They can destroy me mentally and physically, yet I somehow enjoy the abuse and each time only want to come back bigger and better on the next one. Eventually, one of them will break me and Iāll move on to knitting or something a bit more casual. Or maybe photography?
-Clayton
Rainy Brewers stadium. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. August, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Yesterday, while walking to work early in the morning, I was noticing things I hadnāt noticed before. This was, I think, because the early-morning light was different from what I normally encounter. It got me thinking about how even myself, who I consider an extremely observant person, will experience things quite differently depending on the details of the moment. The weather, the lighting conditions, your mood, current events and politics, any people around you, these things will all affect your perspective and potentially change it quite dramatically.
Anyway, the reason I didnāt post yesterday is because I was at the holiday market (which I organized) the entire day and am still exhausted the following morning even after sleeping nine hours. Iām not sure what it is about hosting events. They can destroy me mentally and physically, yet I somehow enjoy the abuse and each time only want to come back bigger and better on the next one. Eventually, one of them will break me and Iāll move on to knitting or something a bit more casual. Or maybe photography?
-Clayton
2024 12 06
āAll department stores will become museums, and all museums will become department storesā -Warhol
This amazing quote was revealed to me during a great podcast episode with photographer Christian Patterson and host Sasha Wolf. Christian mentioned it in referece to his new photobook project Gong Co, in which he documented a rural, ailing store over the course of many years. I loved hearing about the project and how he originally discovered this store by chance while driving from Memphis to New Orleans. It reminded me of some of the places Iāve stumbled upon on my brief stints in rural Illinois this year.
Excited to see this book once it hits my doorstep, as I just ordered it from BPS. Anyway, back to workā¦ setting up a market in my photo studio (lol).
-Clayton
Empty table. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
āAll department stores will become museums, and all museums will become department storesā -Warhol
This amazing quote was revealed to me during a great podcast episode with photographer Christian Patterson and host Sasha Wolf. Christian mentioned it in referece to his new photobook project Gong Co, in which he documented a rural, ailing store over the course of many years. I loved hearing about the project and how he originally discovered this store by chance while driving from Memphis to New Orleans. It reminded me of some of the places Iāve stumbled upon on my brief stints in rural Illinois this year.
Excited to see this book once it hits my doorstep, as I just ordered it from BPS. Anyway, back to workā¦ setting up a market in my photo studio (lol).
-Clayton
2024 12 05
The most incredible thing happened today! I awoke to a message from a buddy. He was wondering if I knew the meaning behind a message scrawled on the dumpster next to Bang Bang pie shop.
āIsuzu is good for the brown paint industry,ā it reads.
My buddy was so curious about this message that he decided to google it. Incredibly, the search brought him to this here blog, as I previously wrote about the dumpster (see: 2024_10_12). Itās amazing that a not-insignificant portion of the traffic this blog sees is directed by a dumpster.
-Clayton
I want to start a family so I can use these car decals. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
The most incredible thing happened today! I awoke to a message from a buddy. He was wondering if I knew the meaning behind a message scrawled on the dumpster next to Bang Bang pie shop.
āIsuzu is good for the brown paint industry,ā it reads.
My buddy was so curious about this message that he decided to google it. Incredibly, the search brought him to this here blog, as I previously wrote about the dumpster (see: 2024_10_12). Itās amazing that a not-insignificant portion of the traffic this blog sees is directed by a dumpster.
-Clayton
2024 12 04
Prepping a market, printing, framing, prepping a market, printing framingā¦
I think it was Warhol that once said: eventually every photo studio will become a mall and every mall will become dead/a location to film music videos.
Or maybe it was Bukowski.
Anyway.
Back to framing and printing and prepping a market and possibly sleeping.
-Clayton
Armitage Produce. Birds love it! Chicago, Illinois. August, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Prepping a market, printing, framing, prepping a market, printing framingā¦
I think it was Warhol that once said: eventually every photo studio will become a mall and every mall will become dead/a location to film music videos.
Or maybe it was Bukowski.
Anyway.
Back to framing and printing and prepping a market and possibly sleeping.
-Clayton
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.
āHow long will you be staying with us, sir?ā
āIndefinitely, Iām being sued for divorce,ā I joked with myself in my head, hours before getting married (itās 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, Iād 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 shouldāve been catching some beauty Zās.
It has been interesting to see the cityās 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. Ā© 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.
āHow long will you be staying with us, sir?ā
āIndefinitely, Iām being sued for divorce,ā I joked with myself in my head, hours before getting married (itās 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, Iād 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 shouldāve been catching some beauty Zās.
It has been interesting to see the cityās 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