2025 05 27
Checking in on myself. Self portrait, Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
If youāre like me (a US-based commercial photographer with decades of experience in the industry), chances are youāre experiencing the same issues Iām struggling to navigate: less projects to bid on; unrealistic-to-impossible expectations for many of the bids that do come in; projects mysteriously fading away. To be blunt, things are kind of shit these days. What keeps me going, in part, is that these challenges are not new and downturns are standard in this business. What worries me beyond the norm, however, is that this time things feel different ā like the downturn may never pick back up again.
The headwinds arenāt going away. At best, they will get less forceful.
When considering the state of the industry, I imagine myself navigating an epic journey ā camera backpack on with overly-heavy bag of lights and grip on my shoulder, while facing sustained headwinds whipping in my face as I try to advance. These headwinds are the many challenges facing the industry, and the thing that worries me is that I canāt imagine them going away anytime soon.
What Are The Big Challenges?
Supply & Demand: increasingly more photographers, influencers, content creators, work-for-themselves types & increasingly less projects at increasingly lower rates
Social Media: the way ads are now served has completely changed and everything is moving to video-first, lower quality is fine if not preferred
Barriers to Entry: itās increasingly cheap and easy to get a camera, lighting, etc and learn how to use it
Ai: this one, I think, had previously been over-hyped but will soon be under-hyped as it cuts out upwards of half of all paid photography needs
Commoditization: a new entry! See below
My mental list, already difficult to navigate, has gained a new bullet point after a conversation with my agent. While Iād already felt myself becoming a literal cog in the machine, as the industry becomes commoditized and we go the way of commercial airline pilots (letās talk about that Rehearsal finale over beers, huh?!), Iād failed to visualize the global scale of this shift. When Hollywood unions went on strike a few years back, the New Economy content streamers didnāt sit on the sidelines and wait things out, they went global. Production was shifted outside of the US and kept right on going. This motivated companies to shoot jobs in foreign countries with lower costs ā essentially, globalization of the creative industry.
I live in the Rust Belt, so it was perhaps silly of me to not see this one coming. But as Iāve written about previously and touched on here, there are so many talented photographers all over the world. It makes business-sense to hire the kid in Mexico (see: 2025 02 18) if heās going to deliver you a project better than you can get locally and at a third of the price.
Photography isnāt going away, but my baseline thinking is that weāre already living in a New Reality, which makes making a living through photography all the more challenging. As a hobby, photography is more popular than ever. More people are making photos than at any point in history, and this trend will probably only continue, even after Ai takes over the world. I think itās important for us to shift our thinking in terms of how we can make money through photography, if youāre like me and thatās all you really want to do.
Admittedly, my perspective on all of this is likely far more skewed and niche than most, as Iāve been fortunate enough to have made a good living doing higher-end commercial projects for large brands. Many younger photographers, or photographers focused on small to mid-sized business, may completely disagree with everything I am saying, understandably. Itās true, there still are vast opportunities out there for photographers, however, the amount of hustle required to find them is likely forever on the rise.
For me, there are a number of pivots I am currently navigating and exploring:
Iām doing more ācontentā photography through my various blogs (this one, everyoneisfamous.com), which could lead to payment in other ways (sponsorships, collabs, events, direct payments, yada yada). Itās a hustle.
Iām also pivoting quite hard towards motion, as Iām finding most of the projects that do come our way are video-first. I just landed one assignment that a video production company won, and was bidding on and lost another project that a video production company won (and then reached out to see if I could do photography for).
Iām exploring a more artistic approach (Doing personal work; selling prints, zines, eventually a photobook, etc, etc). Thatās also a hustle and an entirely new role, as the worlds are like oil and water in many ways.
Previously, Iād given myself a new job as a photo studio (See You Soon) manager and owner. This has worked well in some ways (networking, exploring things, having fun) and poorly in others (not making money and taking away most of my free time). While itās been a huge challenge, I havenāt given up on it yet. Tweaking the model and bringing in new and motivated partners, while using the space to re-focus my own career in a number of ways, is where my head is at currentlyā¦
Studio portraits is something I have never chosen to focus on until recently, but am now finding myself both enjoying it and considering it as a path towards more consistent income though photography.
Iām exploring more of a focus towards small-to-mid-sized clients. The thing is, I just love to make images ā if I could fill my calendar with interesting lower-rate jobs in exchange for never shooting another big-budget production again in my lifetime, it would be a deal I would take. The catch is, this also requires a time-consuming new approach towards finding clients and comes with a ding to your reputation; big-shot commercial photographers arenāt working for the local plumber and neither are top-tier art photographers.
Iāve also recently given myself a new job running a photobook popup with my friend Jack called Realm (IG: @realm.chicago, website coming later!). Weāre both excited about this, however, understand that any success will realistically be modest and also require a lot of hard work.
So thatās where my head is at right now. It has been a mental grind these last few years, and Iām hopeful that finding a more sustainable approach towards making a living through photography can be found. As I get older, the bang and bust lifestyle gets tiring, and Iām finding myself seeking consistency. Do what you love, they say. While this is loaded advice ā oftentimes the things you love, when they become a job, lose their luster. All that said, Iām more in love with photography now than I have been in my two decades of working with it, so I think itās a clear sign that dedicating the remainder of my life to it might not be a bad idea.
-Clayton
A previous version of this post had misspelled ānicheā as nitche, likely because the author was thinking all big and philosophically. Itās cool that weāve built Ai into every app and website, but havenāt mastered the spell check.
2025 05 26
Show me your point and shoot. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
One major reason I started this here blog was that I was finding myself spending far too much time consuming and not nearly enough time creating.
This video is filled with great little reminders about the importance of being creative and making things.
-Clayton
2025 05 25
Road consruction. Galesburg, Illinois. March, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Today was our second Realm photobook popup. The response thus far has been very good and has us excited about the future potential for our ideas.
Loosely speaking, for a few years now myself and Jack Garland have been obsessing over the idea that Chicago needs a shop dedicated to photography ā specifically photobooks. The aim is to open up a physical space, once we can prove there is a demand for this through popping up (what the kids do, these days), that will sell photobooks, zines, and other photography merch, while also hosting openings, gatherings and workshops. The exact concept is still being formulated and will depend on the realities of things, namely: rent, labor costs, government bureaucracy, and assessed demand. That said, considering how the first two popups have gone (we have three more now scheduled), I think itās safe to say you will be hearing a lot more from me about all of this on this here blog in the coming months.
Enjoy the holiday, yāall.
-Clayton
2025 05 24
North & Kedzie. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Right angles and straight lines are easier.
Hereās a nice video that popped into my feed.
-Clayton
2025 05 22
Warlord, Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
My sister still swears the fries at Warlord are shipped in from McDonaldās, which I think is funny.
I wonder if thereās an actual business model there? You open up a cool dining room right next to an existing restaurant ā your entire menu is outsourced to the actual restaurant, but you charge a significant mark up for the elevated dining experience. Honestly, I think it would work. Itās sort of what the actual economy is becoming anyway. We interact with slick āskinā layer without much thought about all of the layers below. Maybe weād call the place WinAmp and swap out the theme every few months to keep up with whatās in style.
Now Hiring: Image Consultant, Marketing Manager, and Social Media Liaison
-Clayton
2025 05 21
Where weāre going, there wonāt be roads. Oregon, Illinois. May, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Kylaās newsletter continues to be my favorite thing to read these days. Sheās able to describe the ominous feels of our current existence in ways that make it make economic sense, and which make me better understand my own urge for the weird and the inconvenient.
And not to get too abstract here in my economic newsletter - but rejection, convenience, and absence of surprise are all economic questions. When enough people choose friction over convenience, markets respond. We're seeing early signs of this: the (slow) revival of independent bookstores, the rise of deinfluencing, the growing market for durability over disposability, especially as the economy turns.
These are emerging from the simple recognition that the frictionless life is ultimately unsatisfying. Even the secular, modern, economic soul hungers for something deeper than convenience!
Slightly on this topic, and also because my existing ājobā isnāt quite working like it used to, Iām opening up a photobook shop! Well, at the very least, we are running a āproof of conceptā that a photobook-dedicated shop is, in fact, the good idea we strongly feel it is. Last Sunday was our first popup and this Sunday is our second. If you want to come check it out, we will be at New Wave Coffee (2557 N Milwaukee Ave) from 10am-2pm on May 25th. After two dates are in the books, and after we assess the response (early signs: good!), I will get into more detail here about what we plan to do.
Give us a follow on Instagram in the meantime (actual website coming later) @Realm.Chicago ā oh yeah, weāre called Realm.
-Clayton
2025 05 20
Traveling salesmen for god, or whatever. Chicago, Illinois. May, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
What better time of year to feel the optimism of new and exciting projects than spring? Birds chirping, weeds popping, trees leafing out. Passing these two youts while driving home from an editorial assignment, I felt the urge to pull over and make a photo of them. Really, I wanted to interview them as well and post it all on my new blog, however, the reality is that I have far too many hobbies these days and far too few jobs. Perhaps one of these hobbies will start bering fruit before the season ends and the firm hold of winter takes hold yet again.
-Clayton
2025 05 19
Midewin Tallgrass Prairie, Wilmington, Illinois. June, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
A former wartime bunker in a former tallgrass prairie which is being redeveloped back into a tallgrass prairie.
-Clayton
2025 05 18
Joliet, Illinois. June, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Nature attempts to foil manās attempt at sanctuary. Donāt forget to pay the landscaping invoice.
-Clayton
2025 05 17
Rust belt remnants. Joliet, Illinois. June, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
This used to be an iron mill. Now itās a pile of rubble, but thereās a park alongside of it, so weāll call it a win.
-Clayton
2025 05 16
Cool red car at Caseyās. Franklin Grove, Illinois. May, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
As my hands were filled of gas station snacks, I fumbled for my camera but didnāt get to it before this classic vehicle drove off. Alas, this iphone snap was all I came away with. It is, however, a nice reminder to myself that Iāve really been enjoying my time out in rural Illinois. This town, in particular, is one I will likely be spending much more time in in the years ahead.
-Clayton
2025 05 15
Man walks downtown. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
This afternoon, I have a portrait shoot downtown. Perhaps I will have some time to sneak away and do some street shooting. In reality, I wonāt. In a wild and depressing Sign of the Times: I am being paid more to make corporate portraits than I would be had I accepted a commercial project that is also shooting today. Commercial jobs are how I built a life in photography, and for the rates to be as bad as they have become, the struggle to stay afloat in the endless hustle of photography is real.
This is why Iām considering getting a āreal job*.ā But more on this another day, soon.
*job will still be of my own making and fully photography-focused.
-Clayton
2025 05 14
Date right on the photo? What a concept! Roadside trees, somewhere outside of Dixion, Illinois. May, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Soon, I will start to post more ārealā photos from my Illinois Wandering trips. Until I find the time to edit said images, I figured I would stay on the Roadside Tree theme and post a phone image. The immediacy of the iPhone is hard to defeat, I will admit. I leaned on the phone for this purpose for far too long and am still struggling to fight the urge. Apps like Lapse make it even more fun and convenient.
Side note: I love this time of year, when the trees are leafing out, yet not so full that you canāt see through them.
-Clayton
2025 05 13
Emily, keeping it 100 at See You Soon, Chicago, Illinois. February, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Previously, I wrote about the origin of this āKeep it 100ā portrait setup Iāve been doing, along with some of the challenges I faced. (See: 2025 03 24)
This will be a short update, of sorts. In the spirit of transparency (I like when people work through challenges publicly via social media and whatnot ā even if, in reality, itās more done as a marketing ploy), I thought it might be beneficial to some to see some actual numbers. In reality, it will mostly be beneficial to myself, as I struggle to figure out how financially viable it is to offer one-hundred unique portraits for one-hundred and fifty dollars.
Someone on Threads posted asking how people make a living from being portrait photographers. The one-word answer that came to mind, for me, was: hustle. That really kind of sums it all up. Finding willing participants is no easy task. Convincing people to come to you, money in hand, is hard. What keeps me going is the huge amount of very appreciative feedback I am getting from the sessions. Lots of people who otherwise hate getting their photo taken are really enjoying the process. Of course, there are endless intangibles that go into all of this beyond raw numbers, and at the end of the day, itās myself and my decades of experience which is the real value.
February 2025: (19 sessions) $3,250 bookings; $625 tips & add-ons. $3,875 total over 9 days = $430/day.
Not terrible at a glance, and perhaps a sustainable way to make a career as a photographer, especially if you can keep your expenses down. In reality, the only way Iām able to do this setup is because I am pulling from gear accumulated over a decade by three different photographers. The upfront cost, wear & tear on the camera, and all of my time makes it hard to pin an exact number on what all of this costs, but if you were to go and rent all the necessary gear for the nine days, youād likely spend over 100% of revenue on rentals alone.
Then, factor in the space needed to make it all work, and now weāre losing even more money. Not a sustainable business model.
My ideal, best case scenario for this specific setup is not to raise prices, but to figure out creative ways to make it make sense. Iāve been considering things like: making the entire setup go towards charity (not possible in my current financial situation); making a portion of each session go to charity; partnering with nonprofits and allowing participants to donate any number they deem appropriate; trying out a pay-what-you-want model.
What Iām trying to communicate is that the price of this offering is artificially low and should not be interpreted as what you might expect to get when you hand a photographer $150 in exchange for portraits. Iāve been trying to do things like asking for additional tips, high resolution, and/or retouched files in exchange for more money, in hopes that people might help āsubsidizeā the low price for others. Now, I have an entire new website (everyoneisfamous.com) dedicated to both showing the work and gaining more attention to the offering. Since launching, Iāve done one run of portraits, resulting in:
April 2025: (16 sessions) $2,500 bookings; $535 tips & add-ons. $3,035 over 7 days = $433/day.
One month is not a trend, but I will be interested in seeing if I can get the daily revenue number to at least double. Realistically, thatās the only way to make the setup start to make financial sense. This entire project is very much a time-consuming personal side project. Sure, a bit of extra money is nice, but in a way itās likely doing more harm than good, considering I make my living as a commercial photographer with a perceived (and real!) value that is welllllll beyond āguy doing $150 headshotsā. But I donāt care. I enjoy doing this and think there is some kind of longer-term solution that will make it make more sense/cents, both figuratively and literally.
On that note, Iām now booking sessions May 19-24! Tell yours friends! And tip! Or donāt, whatever.
-Clayton
PS - Emily bought one of my prints when she came by for portraits as well. Thanks Emily and shoutout intangible value
2025 05 12
The vices! Chicago, Illinois. April, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Looking at this image, I had all these thoughts rolling around in my brain: the aesthetic of old things being used to design new things; working in an adult video store; the juxtaposition of old Chicago vs new Chicago; shops being open 24 hours; street photography from a car window while out shooting assignment work. But then I went to write something down and nothing specific came to mind. Really, though, I just have far too much on my mind right now. Itās days like today Iām glad to be a fake writer and not have to do this daily to make a living.
-Clayton
2025 05 11
Roadside tree. Outside DeKalb, Illinois. April, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Iāve been kind of obsessed with photographing roadside trees out in rural farmland lately. Maybe this could be a zine projectā¦
-Clayton
2025 10 10
Stop! In the name of law. Mineral Point, Wisconsin. April, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Do you ever wonder about how orderly-society is a construct and weāre just a few bureaucratic government agencies away from absolute chaos? This stop sign, leaning up against an old house, makes me think that. I may need to visit the state psychiatric center to get my brain checked out.
-Clayton
2025 05 09
Are we coming or going? Under the El, Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Kyla is rapidly becoming my favorite writer. Her piece on friction that just hit my inbox, and then seeped directly into my brain, is one that (per her usual) I think we all should digest. I donāt have any grand proclamations to add here, only that I think weāre all sensing these big, structural, and cyclical shifts. And itās causing everything to feel off. Behind the scenes, there is a battle over what our lived world will even be in another decade or two. More thoughts another day, perhaps.
-Clayton