2025 05 03
The trees off River Road. River Grove, Illinois. April, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Previously, we visited this tree after a trip for dogs & daiquiris (see: 2024 02 20). Gene & Jude’s and Hala Kahiki tiki bar is a potent one-two combo.
I’m still not working in black & white as much as I’d like to be, I’m just such a sucker for color. It’s hard to be interested in so many things. Sometimes I wish I was a simple tiki bar or hot dog shop proprietor — order da dogs, make da dogs, get money for da dogs, repeat. The grass is always greener, as they say.
-Clayton
2025 04 29
Bare trees at sunset. Chicago, Illinois. February, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
One issue with being a commercial photographer for well over a decade is that you are distinctly aware that most people don’t want to look at pictures of bare trees and old houses. “Post more bangers!” my brain tells me, relentlessly.
“But I’m doing this here blog for myself,” I constantly remind myself. And I like these pictures. If I like them, surely a few other people might also enjoy them, right?
Summer is almost here. Soon it will be hot girls in bikins filling these pages, with subliminal ads for liquor & cigarettes. I’m working on securing a few sponsorship deals.
“But I haven’t had a blog comment in almost a year! What am I even doing here?” my brain wonders. The sponsors have also been concerned about my engagement.
On another note, I use this space to experiment and explore. I’ve been editing images in new and different ways and I quite enjoy how this one in particular came out. I’d post a before and after but that would ruin the magic, so I’ll let you use your imagination.
It’s the small things. Do them every day and they will add up, after a while. Maybe.
I hope you enjoy bare trees as much as I’ve learned to enjoy them. Nature’s fireworks.
-Clayton
2025 04 24
Bare trees. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
The weather is turning and it’s beautiful outside. I love living in a location with defined seasons, and it is peak spring right now, so I am scrambling to post all my pretty pictures of bare trees before they are filled with leaves and it feels wrong.
Back outside I go to listen to the birds.
-Clayton
2025 04 10
Winter tree. Chicago, Illinois. February, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
This is a photo of a helicopter. I promise.
-Clayton