2025 08 02
Wilson. Wilmette, Illinois. November, 2022. © Clayton Hauck
“Hauck shares similarities with photographers like Alec Soth, whose work blends documentary with personal storytelling, though Hauck's style is less polished and more improvisational.” -Grok
I asked ai to analyze this here blog, which I’ve sunk a pretty significant amount of my time into over the last two years. In about two seconds, Grok got back to me with a thorough and quite accurate analysis, including many quotes and examples, from the five-hundred or so blog entries I’ve made. I’m not quite sure what to think of this, however, I do now have a fun tool to help me write flattering quotes about myself and my work to help make me look cool.
-Clayton “Soth-Like But Less Polished” Hauck
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 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 01 07
This morning, I woke up to the news that Getty Images was merging with Shutterstock. I then logged onto Threads and saw outrage from a photographer about how the companies now have a monopoly and that we photographers should not allow this to happen!
Fast forward to the end of the day. Out of curiosity, I checked the stock prices to see what the market thinks of this soon-to-be photography monopoly. Well, at first they loved it! Prices of both companies soared. Then, the market took a moment to think about why these two companies that dominate the photography world decided to merge into one mega company, and the frantic buying turned into frantic selling.
Getty was up an impressive 89% (!) in early trading today before ending the day up a more modest 17%.
Shutterstock was up 48% in early trading today before ending the day up a more modest 14%.
My immediate takeaway this morning was not that this newly-created mega company was going to kill the photography industry but that it was a necessary hail mary by two companies that see the writing on the wall. If they don’t do something, they will die. If they do do something, they will still probably die. Ai is inevitable and it’s depressing, to say the least, as someone who makes a living from making photos.
All this said, I don’t think photography is done. Hell, there will still even be quite a few people making a dang good living from photography for years to come. But the industry as a whole is in for a rough time and companies with market caps in the billions will no soon longer exist if their entire business depends on selling photography.
Good night, and good luck.
Now… back to the webinar I’m currently taking (along with three dozen other people!) on how to print photo zines. Yes, there is likely more demand than ever for making photos, which is cool! It’s the getting paid for making photos that will continue to get more challenging.
-Clayton
A town without people. Old Shawneetown, Illinois. April, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
This morning, I woke up to the news that Getty Images was merging with Shutterstock. I then logged onto Threads and saw outrage from a photographer about how the companies now have a monopoly and that we photographers should not allow this to happen!
Fast forward to the end of the day. Out of curiosity, I checked the stock prices to see what the market thinks of this soon-to-be photography monopoly. Well, at first they loved it! Prices of both companies soared. Then, the market took a moment to think about why these two companies that dominate the photography world decided to merge into one mega company, and the frantic buying turned into frantic selling.
Getty was up an impressive 89% (!) in early trading today before ending the day up a more modest 17%.
Shutterstock was up 48% in early trading today before ending the day up a more modest 14%.
My immediate takeaway this morning was not that this newly-created mega company was going to kill the photography industry but that it was a necessary hail mary by two companies that see the writing on the wall. If they don’t do something, they will die. If they do do something, they will still probably die. Ai is inevitable and it’s depressing, to say the least, as someone who makes a living from making photos.
All this said, I don’t think photography is done. Hell, there will still even be quite a few people making a dang good living from photography for years to come. But the industry as a whole is in for a rough time and companies with market caps in the billions will no soon longer exist if their entire business depends on selling photography.
Good night, and good luck.
Now… back to the webinar I’m currently taking (along with three dozen other people!) on how to print photo zines. Yes, there is likely more demand than ever for making photos, which is cool! It’s the getting paid for making photos that will continue to get more challenging.
-Clayton