2024 04 22
Today I will wrap principal photography (haha) on a new cookbook due out later this year. The whole process was a big learning experience which maybe Iāll get into more detail about down the road. Despite the challenges, it kind of lit a fire under my butt to make more work that will be printed in book form; be it a cookbook, photobook, zine, whatever.
Time to buy myself a printer and print more of my photos. Itās been something Iāve severely neglected through the course of my career in photography.
-Clayton
A plate of fancy food photographed for Chicago Magazine at Atelier, Chicago. February, 2024.
Today I will wrap principal photography (haha) on a new cookbook due out later this year. The whole process was a big learning experience which maybe Iāll get into more detail about down the road. Despite the challenges, it kind of lit a fire under my butt to make more work that will be printed in book form; be it a cookbook, photobook, zine, whatever.
Time to buy myself a printer and print more of my photos. Itās been something Iāve severely neglected through the course of my career in photography.
-Clayton
2024 04 12
Look, I donāt have time to write a banger post each and every day like yesterdayās was so some days Iām just going to post some self-promotional bullshit, like today!
My email box alerted me to a new New York Times feature covering āChicagoās 25 Best Restaurantsā using my photo in the emailer with my name in the byline. I mean, cāmon, itās exciting!
This was my first visit to said restaurant and I snapped a few images on my trusty Ricoh, this one included. Iām a reluctant social media user, however, have been trying to be better about tagging people on IG lately. I tagged Warlord in this shot and they hit me back, asking me to email them so they could show their mom. Cute! Fast forward to Chicago hitting me up to do some photos and having the existing communication really helped along the process and led to some amazing images for a different Best New Restaurants feature. Then, this NYT feature happened. Next, surely Joe B(iden) will call asking if I can get him in. Thatās how this shit works.
Anyway, shoutout to Yoder for lining up at 3pm or whatever to get us in.
Now Iām hungry.
-Clayton
Warlord, one of Chicagoās best new restaurants, just featured in the New Yahk Times. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2023. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Look, I donāt have time to write a banger post each and every day like yesterdayās was so some days Iām just going to post some self-promotional bullshit, like today!
My email box alerted me to a new New York Times feature covering āChicagoās 25 Best Restaurantsā using my photo in the emailer with my name in the byline. I mean, cāmon, itās exciting!
This was my first visit to said restaurant and I snapped a few images on my trusty Ricoh, this one included. Iām a reluctant social media user, however, have been trying to be better about tagging people on IG lately. I tagged Warlord in this shot and they hit me back, asking me to email them so they could show their mom. Cute! Fast forward to Chicago hitting me up to do some photos and having the existing communication really helped along the process and led to some amazing images for a different Best New Restaurants feature. Then, this NYT feature happened. Next, surely Joe B(iden) will call asking if I can get him in. Thatās how this shit works.
Anyway, shoutout to Yoder for lining up at 3pm or whatever to get us in.
Now Iām hungry.
-Clayton
2024 03 26
One of my favorite podcasts is Joiners, in part because they chat with local Chicago hospitality personalities (many of which I personally know), but also because they do a great job of covering a diverse lineup of people from all different perspectives of the industry. Recently, this episode linked below stood out to me in large part due to the portion of the conversation where they discuss finances, insurance, taxes, government bureaucracy, and all these things most of us artists cringe about but are required to deal with. Owner Jason Vincent of some favorite Chicago spots went deep into his frustrations revolving around operating at a higher price point in order to help cover expenses such as employee health insurance.
After listening, the following morning a newsletter by Allison Schrager hit my inbox which touched on the same themes and helped me connect the dots a bit more:
When we look at estimates of food prices moderating it does not tell us the whole story because eating out has become important to many peopleās quality of life. In the last century, many once luxuries became common. Dining out used to only be a special occasion thing that now many households of all income levels do regularly. And that made lots of people happy. So did other services that became common in the last twenty yearsālike ride shares and fast-free delivery of everything (and seamless returns).
A tight labor market and rising minimum wages mean many services weāve taken for granted are now a struggle, and that will mean people feel poorer because the things they enjoy cost much more.
Inflation is something weāre all sensitive to and is perhaps most easily noticed when dining out. Customers getting shitty about restaurants raising prices to pay for things like health insurance is understandable in part because, yes, some owners are doing it in bad faith, and because higher prices means less eating out so people are sensitive to it generally, but for the owners like Jason who are trying to do the right thing and create a working environment that is fair for his staff, itās easy to see how this whole situation might be incredibly demoralizing for many restaurant operators. Rents are up, food prices are up, labor costs are up, (my hospitality prices are up), so itās only logical that prices will need to increase significantly to cover all these new costs.
I have no grand takeaway from all this, but a better understanding of an industry I partially rely on to make a living. The food scene has exploded in recent years with new bars and restaurants opening seemingly every week. It will be interesting to see if this huge growth in a relatively-new industry can be maintained now that pricing realities are catching up to it or if people will go back to making more of their meals at home to help offset rising prices that donāt seem capable of going back down.
-Clayton
Chefs at Maman Zari prepare dishes for diners. Photo made as part of a Best New Restaurants spread for Chicago Magazine. Chicago, Illinois. February, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
One of my favorite podcasts is Joiners, in part because they chat with local Chicago hospitality personalities (many of which I personally know), but also because they do a great job of covering a diverse lineup of people from all different perspectives of the industry. Recently, this episode linked below stood out to me in large part due to the portion of the conversation where they discuss finances, insurance, taxes, government bureaucracy, and all these things most of us creative types cringe about but are also forced to deal with. Owner Jason Vincent of some favorite Chicago spots went deep into his frustrations revolving around operating at a higher price point in order to help cover expenses such as employee health insurance.
After listening, the following morning a newsletter by Allison Schrager hit my inbox which touched on the same themes and helped me connect the dots a bit more:
When we look at estimates of food prices moderating it does not tell us the whole story because eating out has become important to many peopleās quality of life. In the last century, many once luxuries became common. Dining out used to only be a special occasion thing that now many households of all income levels do regularly. And that made lots of people happy. So did other services that became common in the last twenty yearsālike ride shares and fast-free delivery of everything (and seamless returns).
A tight labor market and rising minimum wages mean many services weāve taken for granted are now a struggle, and that will mean people feel poorer because the things they enjoy cost much more.
Inflation is something weāre all sensitive to and is perhaps most easily noticed when dining out. Customers getting shitty about restaurants raising prices to pay for things like health insurance is understandable in part because, yes, some owners are doing it in bad faith, and because higher prices means less eating out so people are sensitive to it generally, but for the owners like Jason who are trying to do the right thing and create a working environment that is fair for his staff, itās easy to see how this whole situation might be incredibly demoralizing for many restaurant operators. In out new fully globalized world, diners and consumers have been conditioned to seek out the lowest prices, regardless of how they get low, often without considering the tradeoff they are making in pursuit of that cheap mega meal. Rents are up, food prices are up, labor costs are up, (my hospitality photography prices are up), so itās only logical that prices will need to increase significantly to cover all these new costs.
I have no grand takeaway from all this, but a better understanding of an industry I partially rely on to make a living. The food scene has exploded in recent years with new bars and restaurants opening seemingly every week. So many people now rely on restaurant work to make a living as these jobs are no longer fringe positions, rather a significant portion of the modern workforce with wages often reflecting a previous era. It will be interesting to see if this huge growth in a relatively-new industry can be maintained now that pricing realities are catching up to it or if people will go back to making more of their meals at home to help offset rising prices that donāt seem capable of going back down.
-Clayton
2024 01 14
Found moments are always my favorite. On my fancy expensive commercial jobs, the trick is often to make the neat & clean setup look organic & found. In this regard: a big part of styling is simply knowing what works and having good taste.
Bonus Tip: The Italiano Sandwich at Lardon. (photos by yours truly)
-Clayton
Restaurant scene at Lardon. December, 2023. Chicago. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Found moments are always my favorite. On my fancy expensive commercial jobs, the trick is often to make the neat & clean setup look organic & found. In this regard: a big part of styling is simply knowing what works and having good taste.
Bonus Tip: The Italiano Sandwich at Lardon. (photos by yours truly)
-Clayton