2025 08 12

City jail. Chicago, Illinois. May, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

Lately I’ve been wondering if maybe a normal-person job might be a good idea. Something regular and consistent to help us pay the bills, replace the air conditioner, roof, oven, have health insurance. It’s frustrating to put so much of your life into a thing (photography) and have everything change so much in your prime living years. This isn’t new, though. When I was the young photographer, it’s the same exact thing that was happening to the older shooters I then looked up to; I know nobody is out there feeling sorry for me.

This week, however, my photo gigs have been relentless. Much like a normal-person job: I wake up, walk the dog, go to work, head home, eat, watch a show or two, go to sleep, wake up and repeat. It’s a nice reminder that this relentless use of my time is something I hope to avoid, if at all possible. Trading your life for a paycheck. It’s complicated, obviously, but I think we’ll stick it out another year in the photography grind and see if we can’t continue to make it work.

Good luck out there.

-Clayton