2025 09 11
Bay Theater. Ashland, Wisconsin. July, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Seeking Stephen Shore. Didn’t find him, but got the book.
-Clayton
2025 09 03
Playing music alone in the park. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
As I learn to navigate being an artist, I think it’s vital to manage your voice. What are you saying, both literally and visually through your work. To be candid, this is not something I’m good at. I’m not even sure it’s something I want to be good at. This is perhaps the biggest hurdle that has been keeping me relegated to an artistic tradesperson.
I was reminded this week that the things you say and do are interpreted differently by every single person digesting them. Perhaps it’s an ego thing, but I often forget this and speak as though we’re all on the same page. We’re all in on the same knowledge and have the same perspectives, when clearly the exact opposite is true.
I think one of the amazing things about art is that is unifies and bridges gaps between everyone’s unique perspectives. This is not a profound statement by any means, and perhaps I should’ve been writing this a few decades ago as a student, but I mean it merely as a reminder to myself. Focus more on what I want to say through my work, and less on posting stuff just because: it’s pretty; I’m supposed to; to feed the algorithm; to remind people I exist.
We all can play music alone in the park, but those of us playing with purpose will find the audience they are seeking.
-Clayton
2025 09 02
RIP Don’t Fret. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Have I mentioned I run a photobook shop now? www.realmbooks.co
I’m busy adding a dozen or more new titles to the website over the next few days. Check it out, and buy a book maybe?! All the money we make on books, for the foreseeable future, goes to purchasing more books. It’s just smart business. See you on Shark Tank!
-Clayton
2025 08 27
Catalpa tree and sunset storm clouds. Chicago, Illinois. May, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
-Clayton
2025 08 23
It’s important to have friends. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
A quick self check-in today, as I scramble to get a bunch of shit done before tomorrow’s tenth Realm photobook and portrait popup. I’ve been putting a lot of hours into this new side project (thanks, Covid!), and it’s important to take a moment to consider why. The monetary gain is far from guaranteed, so why sink countless hours of my already precious time into an endeavor with no promise of success? There are many reasons, really, most of which I won’t get into here today. But perhaps the biggest reason for doing a photobook popup shop, for me, is to get out of my comfort zone. Much as this here blog has been an outlet for me to post dumb photos on the internet for not many people to look at, the larger mission is to retrain my brain to see and think about things differently than I had previously. To expand my horizons.
This image is one I’m a fan of and it was made solely because I was out of the house working a Realm popup. While this example is quite literal (and you don’t need a bookshop to get out of the house and make photos), the larger benefits of putting time into a book shop have all been far more indirect and even abstract. The simple act of spending time looking at the work of other talented photographers has felt a lot like school (in a good way, not the shitty way). It has reshaped my view of what is possible with my own photography and it has changed the way I see my relationship with the medium and that has me quite excited. And perhaps most importantly, I’m making new connections and forming new friendships with other photo-obsessed humans like myself.
Yesterday, our humble lil Realm got its business banking account (after snagging an LLC and EIN the week prior), so we are legit in the eyes of our government. I hope that in the weeks and months to come, we can turn the venture into something that both feels legit to us and to the broader photography community in Chicago and beyond. Stop by Parson’s tomorrow (Sunday) from 12-6pm and see what we have going on. It should be a fun one.
-Clayton
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
2025 08 06
Haley and the barn. Kingdom, Illinois. July, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
I’ve always been fascinated by how people exteeeeend words audibly while saying a list of things they want to feel more impactful. “I’m so busy! I have to waaaaalk the dooooog, cleeeean the baaaathroom; there’s just no time!” When I was a kid, I recall being in the kitchen with my mom and her friend. The woman did this while listing off some things in mundane conversation and I called her out on it. Not in a judgy way, but more so asking if they’d ever noticed how everyone does this. I remember her reaction being quite lackluster, to my astonishment. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she said, most likely.
Anyway, back to work. I have a loooot of important things to do today.
-Clayton
2025 07 31
Neighborhood cat. Chicago, Illinois. June, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
…or maybe I’m still a cat person, after all.
-Clayton
2025 07 19
Looking down on The Loop. Chicago, Illinois. May, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Here’s an image made with my relatively new Ricoh GR3 (not the X, the wider lens!), which I haven’t been using as much as I’d planned to (lack of time). Also, I haven’t been writing (here or in general) as much as I want to (lack of time). What is the point in telling you, dear reader, all of this? I’m not sure. I guess it’s simply a reminder to myself that, while there are many things I would love to do, there is only so much time to do them. Prioritization is crucial! Stacking images for the rest of my life, like a modern-day Garry Winogrand, is realistically not the best use of my time in today’s age of image over-saturation.
-Clayton
PS- on the subject of not having spare time: if you happen to see this post on or prior to July 20th between 10am-2pm, you should totally come to our Realm photobook popup (happening from 10am-2pm at New Wave Coffee in Chicago’s Logan Square). In addition to myself, Jack Garland, and a bunch of amazing photobooks that you can buy, we’ll have fellow photographer Cengiz Yar in person signing copies of his new book This Alabaster Grave. Hope to see you then!
2025 07 16
Greed. Do you see it? Chicago, Illinois. June 2025. © Clayton Hauck
You don’t need to leave your neighborhood to make good photos. This is what my dog Buddy has taught me. He’s also harassing me to finally print those zines I’ve been meaning to get to. Okay, Buddy. I’m on it!
-Clayton
2025 06 27
Another Busted Car. Chicago, Illinois. May, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
As I post another Busted Car image to this here blog (content!), I’m reminded of this banger Noah Kalina post from a few days back.
-Clayton
2025 06 22
Open. Be Back Tuesday. Dixon, Illinois. May, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
It’s wild how quickly time moves on once you de-prioritize something from your life.
-Clayton
2025 06 16
A happy barn! Kingdom, Illinois. May, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
At least, that’s how I see it (as a happy barn).
I’m going to be spending a lot of time in Kingdom, Illinois in the coming years. More on this another day. In fact, likely much more on this many more days…
-Clayton
2025 06 12
Summer storms are the best. Chicago, Illinois. May, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Lately, as I struggle to check all the things off of my daily mental to-do list, I’ve been finding myself walking around the house saying, “One thing at a time!”
Really, it’s a dozen things at a time, but if I just tell myself one thing at a time, perhaps I will eventually listen?
-Clayton