2025 04 23
Another Day, Another Busted Car. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025 © Clayton Hauck
I’ll get to that zine printing one of these days…
-Clayton
2025 04 22
A building filled with dreams? Off the Belt Line in Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024 © Clayton Hauck
Two thoughts today:
First. Commercial photography is in a funk. It’s easy to be pessimistic (guilty!), but it’s also constructive to take a step back and think things through. Last year, it wasn’t until May that I had my first large production, and the year turned out to be (not amazing, not terrible) solid. The overhead I carry as a studio owner is something that has made me far more sensitive to any gaps in revenue, which is something I am still fairly new to and learning to better navigate.
On the topic of being a studio owner, this building in Atlanta was one that I stumbled upon one afternoon while exploring the Belt Line. It reminded me of my building back home (The Kimball Arts Center) which is just off our version of Atlanta’s Belt Line, The 606 Trail. Immediately, my brain began to contemplate what I could do in the space. Perhaps a See You Soon Atlanta might be a fun endeavor, I thought!
Realistically, the studio business is a challenging one, and I’m struggling just to stay afloat inside the one location I do have, so opening another seven hundred miles from home is maybe not such a great idea. But this is how my brain works. I get excited about big ideas. They motivate me.
It was Chicago’s Daniel Burnham who famously said:
Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will not themselves be realized. Make big plans, aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever growing insistency. Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us.
These days, “popping up” is the safe path towards pursuing a big idea. This new Big Idea exists in my brain and resides inside of another building off Chicago’s 606, however, I learned my lesson by going big the last time. This time, we’ll pop up and start small. If there’s demand, the big idea may follow. Time will tell, and I’ll get more into this another day, but it’s something that is keeping me motivated to push onward and forge ahead into the dark unknown.
-Clayton
2025 04 21
Greenview, Illinois. March, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
I stumbled upon this building while out Illinois Wandering last month and I loved the juxtaposition. Lately, this project is feeling increasingly close to home. It might be a stretch, but my brain is connecting these towns to the difficult times my commercial photo industry is now going through. After the industries and jobs left these places, they sit there today a reminder of what happens when society goes through big shifts. What this next shift will leave us with, I do not know, but I’m finding myself increasingly interested in exploring the last shift in hopes to better understand our likely future.
-Clayton
2025 04 20
“The best view in town.” Peoria, Illinois. March, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
-Clayton
2025 04 18
Note from a vaguely anonymous artist. Dont Fret. Home Away From Home, Chicago, Illinois. February, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
We lost a real one today. More thoughts another day, as I have yet to fully process the stark reality.
Today, we fret.
-Clayton
2025 04 17
A mysteriously artificial man in Alton, Illinois. March, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
In search of Robert Wadlow in Alton, Illinois. He still exists within the photons of light residing in the cells of our brains.
-Clayton
2025 04 16
Studio plant. See You Soon, Chicago, Illinois. March, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Haven’t had any spare time to write lately, which has been bumming me out. I think that’s a good thing, though! The part about me wanting to write, that is.
A few months back I had a story idea that came to me in a dream. I’m convinced it was delivered to me by creative powers beyond my comprehension and that my lack of action in writing the idea will lead to undesired consequences, such as the withholding of future divine inspiration.
-Clayton
2025 04 15
A house in winter. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Sometimes my inner voice just tells me I need to make a photo of something. This house was one of those instances.
As I was making this photo, a man walked out of the front door to grab the mail.
“I like your house.” I told him, to take an edge off of the awkward moment.
“Really?” he asked, calling my bluff. “It’s probably going to be for sale soon.”
I told him I already had a house as I walked off, regretting not asking him a dozen other questions (why are you selling? where are you going? how did we get here?).
Curiosity is how I got here. I know that much.
-Clayton
2025 04 11
Another Busted Car. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Some days you find the Busted Car, and some days the Busted Car finds you.
-Clayton
2025 04 07
Haley, somewhere in northern Illinois. December, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
I started an account on the new Foto app. While I’m not super optimistic it will become the next big thing in photography sharing, I do like what they seem to be trying to do. Social media has transformed drastically since the innocent early days of Instagram, and I’m finding myself less interested in again reshaping instant-gratification-based phone apps and more interested in slow & steady approaches, such as this here blog and my new site, everyoneisfamous.
All that said, there is no doubt in the potential power social apps hold, and I’m simultaneously finding myself considering a much-reluctant sign up to Tik Tok, as my career pivot will be far more reliant on consistent eye balls than it had been previously. And TikTok is where the eye balls are.
Anyway, if you do happen to be on the Foto app, give me a follow @claytonhauck (be my tenth friend)! The devs will apparently be rolling out a web-based presence later this year, which might be a nice compliment to the mobile app, which has been enjoyable in my experience thus far.
-Clayton
2025 04 04
Car. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
There’s this car on my block that I have obsessively been making photos of. I don’t know enough about cars to know why I like it, but I think it’s a Japanese import, and I love the old-school lines. This is one of the pictures I made, edited in a style that I don’t normally do. The digital grain melting into the fine snow particles is nice, I thought.
-Clayton
2025 04 03
Some days you just need a flower. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Some days you just need a flower. I spiraled last night, attempting to understand how and why we got to where we are; playing the victim and rolling out middle class-ending taxes to somehow level the global playing field? It’s just madness! But the more you pay attention, the madder you get.
Then, my friend reminded me:
Wisconsin voters showed we are not alone in opposition
Give it time and many more voters will see the madness with their own eyes
Of course, economics are wildly complex and I myself am sympathetic to some of the motivations Trump seems to be justifying his actions on — but I can’t help but think the middle class will again pay the price. We paid for globalization through the hollowing out of our cities and now we’ll pay for deglobalization through a complete loss of purchasing power.
It’s impossible to maintain a functioning economy when there’s zero clarity or confidence in what environment you will be navigating a year or two down the road. Should I get into textiles or tech? I have no idea. Maybe you do?
-Clayton
2025 04 02
Allison, wondering how long I will be looking at used photobooks. Powell’s Books. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Today is officially the day we started a photobook shop. Or, at least, committed to a popup to explore the idea of starting a photobook shop! You gotta pop it up first to gauge interest, learn, and grow into what will hopefully be a physical location one day. More on this soon, hopefully!
-Clayton
2025 03 30
Life finds a way. Wilmette, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
The birds are chirpin’. Spring is here. Maybe.
-Clayton
2025 03 29
Bridal shop. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Don’t tell anyone but I added that blurred out person using generative Ai. I snapped this image as I was driving by in my automobile and I kinda liked it… but it needed some mysterious human energy involved.
The recent release of GPT 4o or whatever it’s called has me moving up the expiration date for my job. If anyone is hiring a college dropout, please let me know!
-Clayton
2025 03 26
The city at night. Chicago, Illinois. February, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Recently I was downtown for an event and afterward, I made an effort to wander a bit. The streets were eerily silent. I dipped into Billy Goat for a burger and a beer along with the three or four other humans (more staff than guests) who seemed to be out, for whatever reason, either running away or towards something.
A great idea then struck my brain: I would get a scooter and ride home like the wind. This led me astray in search of one when the big lights in the distance caught my eyes. “Hooter’s,” it said. Not yet having my fill of adventure, and recalling the news of the likely demise of yet another fine American establishment, I stepped in.
“Seat at the bar okay?” I asked the greeter (again, more staff than guests), and she motioned me inward. The wings came soon after and boy did I wonder why the joint wasn’t full of customers enjoying them. These things are delicious! I kicked myself for being too timid to frequent Hooter’s all my life for the wings alone.
I left as they were locking up. The man alone at the bar turned out to be an undercover security guard or manager, as I suspected (more staff than guests). I guess everyone gets their wings delivered to them from some other chain these days?
Across the street sat a fully charged scooter glowing in the darkness with my name on it. I rode like the wind just as I’d imagined I would, turning here and there into which ever dark street didn’t look familiar. This was an adventure and I had the city to myself. All the way home I rode and contemplated how cool it would be to start a scooter gang. Surely, this must be how the first gang was formed way back before the police cornered the market on gangs.
-Clayton
2025 03 25
Hawk? Chicago, Illinois. February, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
I’ve been seeing this guy around the neighborhood lately.
-Clayton
2025 03 23
Jack and I enjoyed one too many adult beverages. Chicago, Illinois. February, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Jack and I might be cooking something new up. This year is shaping up to be a transformative one for me in many ways. More soon.
Also, Jack has a new photobook out that is great and you should check it out and buy a copy. We might be able to help you with that soon.
-Clayton
2025 03 22
Armitage Avenue, in need of some new shops. Chicago, Illinois. February, 2025 © Clayton Hauck
Why I’m such a sucker for tiny shops like this one, I don’t fully understand. But this lil spot is so cute that I’ve been dreaming of putting a business inside of it for more years than I can remember. One day, perhaps.
-Clayton
2025 03 21
Good Boy wants to go outside. EZ Inn, Chicago, Illinois. February, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Open yourself up to chance.
Today I walked to work, as I usually do, and I took a different path than usual, as I always try but usually fail to do. As a reward, I ran into a friend and got to hear about her trip to Europe. I then encountered some animals and made a few photos of scenes I encountered.
Then, as I ate my lunch at the studio, this Alec Soth video (below) played.
Open yourself up to chance as often as you can and rewards will follow.
-Clayton