2024 05 13
It’s common sense, but interesting to me, how without experiencing something firsthand you tend to not notice it happening all around you. I’ve never been a dog owner in my forty plus years on earth and it was only recently that I learned, while watching dogs for friends, that a dog will tuck its tail firmly between its legs when sensing trouble. This is not a profound realization by any stretch, but now that I know it, I notice it all the time.
It was never a goal to make this blog a personal life update space, but perhaps a weekly check-in might be useful? Let’s give it a shot, since I don’t have anything else lined up.
Life Updates (in no particular order):
My buddy (and owner of Buddy) Mr. Kenneth Yoder is screening his feature-length documentary tonight at Consignment Lounge. It’s picture lock, he claims, so maybe this beast is finally in the can. I give him shit, because the project has dragged on for years, but I am super proud of him nonetheless!
I might (might!) be venturing down the path of becoming a documentarian myself. More on this later.
Planning a wedding is stressful.
I now own a “pro” printer and will be spending much time in the coming weeks learning to make (and possibly even sell?!) really quality photo prints.
Planning a wedding is expensive.
I’m doing a photo show in my studio with a cool photographer later this year. More info on that as it becomes official.
I’m planning to document both the DNC and RNC, for myself, both in words and images. I have no special access and this might be a challenge. Also, if a fancy commercial project comes up, I’ll prob skip it and take the money. Sorry, it’s politics.
Planning a wedding is time consuming.
I have another great idea for a group photo show I’m hoping to host at my space later this year. More on that later.
I now have some prints showing at the Kimball Arts Center, where my studio is located.
Even when you “win” in the stock market, you often lose. I’ve been buying stock in this website (Squarespace) because I think longer term the company will be at least 5x what it’s currently valued at. Apparently, a private equity firm agreed with me and bought the company for slightly more than its current valuation, meaning I will no longer have access to further financial gains via an increase in stock price. Back to bitcoin, I go.
Planning a wedding sucks, but the wedding will be awesome and my partner is even more awesome, so it’s all worth it!
-Clayton
Buddy the dog being timid at the bar. Chicago, Illinois. October, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
It’s common sense, but interesting to me, how without experiencing something firsthand you tend to not notice it happening all around you. I’ve never been a dog owner in my forty plus years on earth and it was only recently that I learned, while watching dogs for friends, that a dog will tuck its tail firmly between its legs when sensing trouble. This is not a profound realization by any stretch, but now that I know it, I notice it all the time.
It was never a goal to make this blog a personal life update space, but perhaps a weekly check-in might be useful? Let’s give it a shot, since I don’t have anything else lined up.
Life Updates (in no particular order):
My buddy (and owner of Buddy the dog) Mr. Kenneth Yoder is screening his feature-length documentary tonight at Consignment Lounge. It’s picture lock, he claims, so maybe this beast is finally in the can. I give him shit, because the project has dragged on for years, but I am super proud of him! (UPDATE: he really elevated this thing from the working edit I saw last year. Nice work, dude! You made something really worthwhile)
I might (might!) be venturing down the path of becoming a documentarian myself. More on this later.
Planning a wedding is stressful.
I now own a “pro” printer and will be spending much time in the coming weeks learning to make (and possibly even sell?!) really quality photo prints.
Planning a wedding is expensive.
I’m doing a photo show in my studio with a cool photographer later this year. More info on that as it becomes official.
I’m planning to document both the DNC and RNC, for myself, both in words and images. I have no special access and this might be a challenge. Also, if a fancy commercial project comes up, I’ll prob skip it and take the money. Sorry, it’s politics.
Planning a wedding is time consuming.
I have another great idea for a group photo show I’m hoping to host at my space later this year. More on that later.
I now have some prints showing at the Kimball Arts Center, where my studio is located.
Even when you “win” in the stock market, you often lose. I’ve been buying stock in this website (Squarespace) because I think longer term the company will be at least 5x what it’s currently valued at. Apparently, a private equity firm agreed with me and bought the company for slightly more than its current valuation, meaning I will no longer have access to further financial gains via an increase in stock price. Back to bitcoin, I go.
Planning a wedding sucks, but the wedding will be awesome and my partner is even more awesome, so it’s all worth it!
-Clayton
2024 04 23
Running late today. Here’s a picture of our neighbor’s dog from my first roll of film.
It’s interesting to think of who might have previously owned this used Contax T2 camera I am now using and what adventures they had with it. What moments they captured with it.
-Clayton
Roo the dog looks up at me as I figure out how to use my Contax T2. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Running late today. Here’s a picture of our neighbor’s dog from my first roll of film.
It’s interesting to think of who might have previously owned this used Contax T2 camera I am now using and what adventures they had with it. What moments they captured with it.
-Clayton
2024 03 08
Do you think dogs think humans are idiots? We put their poop in a little bag and carry it around with us then dispose of it in another bigger bag when clearly they wanted it right where they strategically dropped it.
I’ve come to think of dogs like graffiti artists, frantically leaving their mark on the landscape to let others know they exist and hopefully find some admirers.
-Clayton
Buddy the dog’s post-operation scar. October, 2023. Chicago, Illinois © Clayton Hauck
Do you think dogs think humans are idiots? We put their poop in a little bag and carry it around with us then dispose of it in another bigger bag when clearly they wanted it right where they strategically dropped it.
I’ve come to think of dogs like graffiti artists, frantically leaving their mark on the landscape to let others know they exist and hopefully find some admirers.
-Clayton
2024 02 18
Kids love blogs!
This daily photo blog is the professional equivalent to this super slick promotional music video touting the Hillary Clinton for President campaign back in 2007. AKA it’s very cool. Hire me for your next project and I will make you proud!
-Clayton
Intense dog awaits owners as they check out at the Center of Order and Experimentation in Chicago. December, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
Kids love blogs!
This daily photo blog is the professional equivalent to this super slick promotional music video touting the Hillary Clinton for President campaign back in 2007. AKA it’s very cool. Hire me for your next project and I will make you proud!
-Clayton
2024 02 06
I used to have a therapist, now I have a daily blog.
-Clayton
Dog peeking out window (Mr. Peepers) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November, 2023. © Clayton Hauck
I used to have a therapist, now I have a daily blog.
Also, I have a new series going with these window creatures I’m affectionately calling Mr. Peepers. You can peep it here: refrakt series window-creatures-mr-peepers
(more images in the series to be added soon!)
I really like the Refrakt site, so check it out if you’re not familiar; I’m behind on adding new images to my page, though, as I’m busy posting here every damn day. 😛
-Clayton
2024 01 13
Creating vs. Consuming.
This is the big one, for any artist, in my opinion. For who is an artist that does not have a product to share?
It was around the time of the Covid lockdowns when I realized I’d been living the life of a Consumer in recent years. Addicted to the ease of hitting play on the next YouTube video.
This website is part of my carefully-crafted-consultant-directed-investor-funded Plan to get my ass making more photos of dogs to post on the internet for all the masses to consume.
Enjoy!
-Clayton
Wilson & Allison on our 114 year old stairs. December, 2023. Chicago. © Clayton Hauck
Creating vs. Consuming.
This is the big one, for any artist, in my opinion. For who is an artist that does not have a product to share?
It was around the time of the Covid lockdowns when I realized I’d been living the life of a Consumer in recent years. Addicted to the ease of hitting play on the next YouTube video.
This website is part of my carefully-crafted-consultant-directed-investor-funded Plan to get my ass making more photos of dogs to post on the internet for all the masses to consume.
Enjoy!
-Clayton
2024 01 04
This album got me thinking about art and how music is, rightfully, among the most celebrated of art forms (and how photography is not even really considered art). Within a song, let alone an entire album, you have countless opportunities to connect with an audience. A catchy lyric, fun melody, weird sound, etc. Even the world’s most iconic photographs are like the equivalent of a single note, or perhaps on a good day a little jingle (photography books or collections is another story!). Sometimes a photographer will hit a home run and merge a striking image with a relevant global conversation and it can connect and have a deeper impact, like the memorable photojournalistic images through the years, but even my strongest images will be mostly forgotten by next Tuesday.
Anyway, this album is better than 99.86% of the world’s photographs.
Boy, you’re pessimistic on photography! Do you hate it? More on this later.
Enjoy!
-Clayton
Sloppy Bob. November, 2023. Chicago. ©Clayton Hauck
A fun album I recently came upon via Ezra Furman’s favorite albums of 2023 list:
This album got me thinking about art and how music is, rightfully, among the most celebrated of art forms (and how photography is not even really considered art). Within a song, let alone an entire album, you have countless opportunities to connect with an audience. A catchy lyric, fun melody, weird sound, etc. Even the world’s most iconic photographs are like the equivalent of a single note, or perhaps on a good day a little jingle (photography books or bodies of work is another story!). Sometimes a photographer will hit a home run and merge a striking image with a relevant global conversation and it can connect and have a deeper impact, like the memorable photojournalistic images through the years, but even my strongest images will be mostly forgotten by next Tuesday.
Anyway, this album is better than 99.86% of the world’s photographs.
Enjoy!
-Clayton