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 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 06 03

Walking through a bygone era. Chicago, Illinois. May, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

I’ll admit it, I’ve been severely slacking on my Creative Resolution this year. Only a few days have I gone out with the Ricoh GRiii to make street photos. Not much to show for it, however, I do aim to work the camera into a commercial project later this week, which is a fun development as far as my camera equipment goes.

One ongoing realization I’ve had recently is that I already have a ridiculous amount of photos. It would probably be beneficial to spend more time publicizing my existing work and less time making new work. Alas, the act of photographing is far more enjoyable.

-Clayton