2025 02 19

Off-season tune-up. Somewhere in Northern Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

This video by Bryan Birks is nice and is inspiring me to get back on the road asap. So many ideas I hope to explore in the not-too-distant future…

Also, I’m realizing I need to do a far better job of documenting where I make images as I make them.

-Clayton

2025 02 18

Have you had your ad break today? Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

I’m doing a lot of thinking and researching into video lately as I re-shape my approach to photography back towards motion-first. As always, doing the work and putting in the reps are vastly more important than anything you will learn sitting comfortably on the couch, however, I must say I am a bit humbled by the sheer level of quality being displayed by some young youtube video creators these days. The quality of work being made by one person in a bedroom is now equal to what a team of specialists would be called in for not long ago. Time, of course, is still the required x-factor, but Ai will continue to put a dent into that part of the equation as well.

The video below by Gawx is both a fourteen-minute long ad for laptops and a beautiful video about art and creation. It is both infuriating and mesmerizing. It is both an example of what I should be focusing my own career towards and everything I hate about what I do. It’s complicated, impressive, and seemingly has broken my brain.

What I keep thinking about is my own career path.

When I began in this business, all the of content was made by a few old men with large support structures (filled with both full-time staff and freelance help) doing most of the work. These men owned buildings and got wildly rich. The barriers to entry were as tall as skyscrapers. I witnessed and participated in the very tail end of this era, working as an editor/assistant/webmaster/casting aide/etc before putting in my resignation and going out on my own with a new digital camera in hand. It was clear this model was dying and I would myself become a part of what killed it.

The new era which shaped me was filled with a larger number of younger men and women doing more of the work ourselves and keeping far less overhead. Nobody owned buildings, budgets were more modest but still robust, and freelancers were used anytime more help was needed on larger productions. Realistically, this era ended with Covid and we are now firmly in a new era, which people like myself are still a bit behind in understanding.

The current era is filled with millions of people, of all ages, all over the world motivated to make good work and fueled by a boom in affordable tools to do so. Cameras and lighting were once a barrier to entry but are now more of a bump in the road. Anything you want to make can be done with time and some youtube tutorials. It’s both amazing and terrifying, as the structures that were once in place to regulate prices and standards have crumbled like a sand castle at high tide. Making a living in this era will largely be tied to how large and dedicated your personal audience is and far less by how good you are at lighting or camera operating (this stuff helps but without an audience, you’re just one of thousands of people capable of doing it). To get an audience, you need a voice. A unique angle. Consistency. You need to be interesting and authentic. Say wild things, be provocative. Grab them by the pussy and be put in charge of the nation.

I’m still digesting all of this myself and figuring out where I stand in this landscape. At the end of the day, I know making things is what brings me joy and makes me happy, gives me purpose. I could do it for thousands of dollars or I could do it for free and be just as happy (shoutout to my agent). This is my edge but it’s no longer all you need to make it all work. You need a voice. You need to communicate clearly and gain an audience. You need a … blog?

-Clayton

2025 02 17

Breakfast with Wade at Allez. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

Many photographers I know have too much time on their hands these days.There are two ways to combat this: productively and unproductively.

Unproductively is easy. There is no shortage of games, content, distractions and doomscrolling at your disposal and always within reach. I’ve witnessed photographers fly too close to the information sun and lose their minds. The brain cannot handle having access to any and every piece of information it seeks. ChatGPT will tell you whatever you want to hear and the internet will generate whatever angle fits your desired narrative to click on in exchange for a small sliver of the attention-economy pie.

Productively is much harder, of course. There’s a trap in thinking you can simply continue doing what you did previously and everything will work out just fine (I’ll forever have an image of the old film photographer yelling at the bar about how everyone is putting all of our secrets on the internet for anyone to see—if we could only stop that everything would be fine once again!). The landscape is always changing and the economics evolving even more so.

I’m in a phase now where I’m trying out all sorts of things (planting seeds) to see if any of them stick. As with anything, time and dedication are required. Oftentimes this doesn’t feel very productive.

“Do something connected to photography every day of your life and you’ll be surprised what happens,” said Richard Avedon to me and this blog was born. One year later and here we are, not a single project has come of it! Why?!

“Nobody wants to read about you complaining about the photography market,” my friend Jack consults me. He’s half right but the half he’s right about is the half that matters: put the type of work out into the world in which you want to be paid for. Easier said than done, of course, but the point is that me complaining about stuff on the internet will only draw frustrated eyes looking for a pity party. Yelling about how corrupt and doomed we are politically-speaking might give me an audience, but they’re only going to want to hear the message that drew them to me in the first place, which is not productive.

I posted an image of Wade up top and noticed he’s got a new website coming. I, too, came to the realization that a new portfolio website is needed (maybe it’ll stop the emails I get for people wanting free commercial photography? Maybe nothing will stop that.). This is my current priority: rebrand myself, clean up and elevate my image, and likely most importantly learn to communicate my wins opposed to just dwelling on the losses. These are not groundbreaking insights but sometimes keeping yourself busy and focused is the best thing you can do. I have so much to be excited and thankful for, and I’ve long shunned talking about that stuff, for one complicated reason or another. That’s bad for business! In this wintry economic climate, we need to stay laser focused on keeping the business running, or risk relegation to the doomscroll-content factory.

-Clayton

2025 02 16

Winter light. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

There’s a high-contrast look to winter sunlight that I quite like. No leafed-out trees to filter and soften the sun. No wet and wispy clouds to add texture to the backdrop. Just the raw and real elements. Take it, or hop a flight down south, and leave it.

-Clayton

2025 02 15

Sawyer & Cortland. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

This light made me stop in my tracks and snap a photo.

-Clayton

2025 02 14

Allison in moonlight. Douglas, Michigan. October, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Happy Valentines to my forever valentine, Allison. xoxo

-Clayton

2025 02 13

Moving things; ill wandering; somewhere outside Streator, Illinois. November, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

I’m going to sound like a boomer for a moment but I must say, I will never take for granted the sheer amount of things that happen, out of sight, in order to enable our lives to be smooth and easy. Easy is a very relative term, but that’s not my point. While it may feel like the world is rapidly spinning out of control at the moment, it is perhaps helpful to consider things could be far, far worse. It helps me, at least. A chicken in every pot.

-Clayton

2025 02 12

Skulls of Three Dots and a Dash. Chicago, Illinois. August, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

This image was made during a photo shoot. I’ve been using it as a background during my recent photo shoots (along with hundreds of other images). For the last week and a half, I’ve either been shooting or editing photos all day, every day. Yes, I’m a little burnt out, but I gotta keep at it for another week or so before I can get fully caught up.

Then it’s on to taxes.

It’s no wonder it felt appropriate to post this image today.

-Clayton

2025 02 11

Dog at bar. Chicago, Illinois. October, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

2025 02 10

How ‘bout them boys? The Bobcat Boys. See You Soon. Chicago, Illinois. October, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Recently I had a creative breakthrough that is really carrying me lately.

M U S I C

I know, I know. It’s not a very profound realization, however, I kinda forgot how much music has driven my creative impulses over the years. I got into a-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l of this largely because of music… shooting video and editing it to music. Making photos of nights revolving around music. Music drove everything!

I’m fortunate that I’ve found my own creative voice over the years but lately very much feel like I’m at a crossroads of sorts, both for personal and environmental reasons. Music has both helped keep me on course and inspired me to explore new paths. This year will surely be a defining one for me in a number of ways, but I’m fortunate to have rediscovered my love of music to help me navigate it.

-Clayton

2025 02 09

Dave, game day ready. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Enjoy the big game, the big cheese, the big event, the big night, the big show, the big meal, the big bevvies, the big cahuna.

I wonder if, now that America is deciding it doesn’t want to run the world or police the world, we’ll become more modest in our sporting-event habits?

There is only so much money you can juice from the public before there is no more juice to squeeze, after all.

Anyway — Go team! I’m just here for the nachos.

-Clayton

2025 02 08

Shelby and her snake friend. Chicago, Illinois. October, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

I’ve been living at the studio lately. Not sleeping, but here a lot. I’m writing this from here.

This very much feels like a make or break year for me when it comes to being a photographer. I’ll always be a photographer, of course, but the one who has a fancy studio and does big budget jobs? That might be nearing its end. Or maybe not. I can’t say, as most of the factors are completely out of my control. The good news is that I have no shortage of ideas on how to keep on keeping on and am more motivated than ever to do cool, fun, weird, art.

Life will happen and I will adapt, as humans do.

We don’t really like what you do.
We don’t think anyone ever will.
It’s a problem that you have.
And this problem made you ill.

Listen up and I’ll tell you a story.
About an artist growing old.
Some would try for fame and glory.
Others aren’t so bold.

The artist walks alone.
Someone says behind his back:
He’s got his gall to call himself that!
He doesn’t even know where he’s at!

Daniel Johnston, a forever favorite, was more wise than I will likely ever be.

Why do you only do that only? Why are you so odd?

-Clayton

2025 02 07

Another Busted Car. Chicago, Illinois. December, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Have I posted a Busted Car yet this year? I don’t think so!

I still need to find the time to do a test run of zines. I’ll probably use some Busted Car photos to fill the pages. They continue to call to me for reasons I don’t fully understand. A sign of the times, perhaps.

Also, I think it’s only a matter of time before minivans are cool again. Sure, nobody is having kids anymore but everyone loves their big fucking cars. Plus, they are more comfortable to live inside of!

-Clayton

Update: I did already post one, and it was the same car! See: 2025 01 13

2025 02 06

Caution: Falling Ice, Tariffs, Invasion, Nuclear War… Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

I’ll admit it, my strategy for keeping sane during the early days of Trump’s second term has been rapidly deteriorating the last few days. Talk of tariffs on our allies and a takeover of Gaza had me doomscrolling and contemplating the need to find a new home more than I’d like to admit. Avoiding the coverage morphed into obsessing over it and my mood began to match.

Fortunately, amidst the doom scrolling, I was reminded by Senator Chris Murphy that this is precisly Trump’s plan: to distract and overwhelm while they sneak through the actual agenda. Then, today, this great video below popped into my feed. Ezra managed to calm my nerves and restore some sanity.

While this storm is far from over, it’s a valuable lesson that we should keep calm and carry on, as our friends across the pond (who surely will soon be threatened with tariffs or much worse) so like to say.

-Clayton

2025 02 05

Madeline. See You Soon, Chicago, Illinois. November, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Here’s a portrait from my Keep it 100 portrait setup, which I am offering all this week at my See You Soon studio. Sign up for a session and get some photos made of yourself, why don’t you? Just this week, I’ve started incorporating short interviews along with each subject who wishes to participate. I will eventually package them into blog form, I just need to figure out where that blog will live (its own website, here, or within the studio website, more likely).

This image was made with my new petzval lens, which I bough specifically for exploring within this setup (downside is no autofocus).

-Clayton

2025 02 04

Somewhere outside Woodstock, Illinois. December, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

I can’t wait to get on the road again. Excited to see what Illinois (Ill) Wandering brings me this year, if I can find the time to get to it.

-Clayton

2025 02 03

Dresses for sale! Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

It’s days like today I’m glad to not be working in retail… or global trade and finance, homebuilding, agriculture, automotive and aviation, crypto, anything dealing directly with Canada or Mexico, steel, arts nonprofits, the Democratic Party, USAid, Temu customer support… fortunately I am merely a humble photographic button pusher. Let me push my buttons for you?

-Clayton

PS: I should probably get back into shooting weddings.

2025 02 02

It’s Buddy the dog, but did he see his shadow? Chicago, Illinois. October, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

“You know, people just don’t understand what is involved in this — this is an art form! You know, I think that most people just think that I hold a camera and point it at stuff, but there’s a heck of a lot more to it than just that.”

-Larry, talking to a woman at the bar, towards the end of Groundhog Day.

I’d never caught that moment before, but I still love the movie, despite them making the photojournalist the lamest character involved.

Bing!

-Clayton

2025 02 01

Discarded dopamine value meal. Chicago, Illinois. December, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Have you had your (twenty-fourth) dopamine fix yet today?

Scott went hard on this one. Always worth reading but this one should be mandatory for everyone.

Today’s reading: Addiction Economy by future president Scott Galloway

-Clayton

2025 01 31

New year, new growth. Let’s check in. See You Soon, Chicago, Illinois. October, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

We’re a month in and I woke up inspired to write a post going through my various focuses for this year to check in and see if there’s been noticeable progress. Surely this will be more useful for myself, however, I do think others may take some value from my perspective, so figured I would share it publicly.

Recap of the topics to cover, with more thinking behind each of them, are:

1. The Illinois Project aka Ill Wandering

2. Documentary Project

3. Photobook Store

4. Commercial Food & Beverage Photography

5. Portrait Studio

6. Opening a Bar

7. This Here Blog

8. Street Photography

9. The Studio As An Event Space

One month is not a very long time, but I think it’s interesting to see which areas I’ve decided to dedicate my time to. I’m very much a go-with-the-flow, listen to the universe kinda guy, so things may be vastly different come summer time.

One. The Illinois Project aka focusing more on a big personal photography project. Some personal work has happened, however, we’ll discuss that more when we get to Number Eight. The Illinois Project is still very much alive in my brain, but it is also dawning on me how big of an idea this is, which realistically will take me many years to get to a place where I have something meaningful. I’m still very motivated to pursue this idea this year and recently attended a webinar through Filter with photographer/author Tim Carpenter which helped focus my brain a bit more towards ways of making this idea a reality. Finding the time has been challenging this month.

Two. Documentary Project. This is one that I have completely sidelined this month. That said, my partners in the project have been busy on other projects so nobody had been pushing things forward. This changed yesterday and it now sounds like we’ll get moving on this project, full steam ahead, next week. My participation will likely change slightly as well, but the takeaway for me is that I had unrealistic expectations of myself and they needed to change. Amazing footage is worthless if it only exists in your head. We need to get moving if this project is going to become something, and we are doing that next week. I still don’t have all my video shit figured out, still need a camera, still need to plan and learn, but really I don’t need any of these things. I only need to do.

Realistically, this might be the area I spend the most time on this year (along with shooting video for myself) but I will also need to heavily lean on others to make it happen. This documentary is kind of an analogy and exploration of this artistic struggle I am currently experiencing and writing about here, so it feels very prescient in many ways.

Three. Photobook Store. The only progress made was running into a friend while out wandering the streets who has also been thinking about this idea. We will connect next week and see if it can go somewhere beyond our brains. I continue to think this idea is a great one, while also understanding this idea will require a lot of time. The only realistic way for me to make it a reality is to partner with others (the big theme this year!). Beyond the photobook shop, I have even grander dreams and visions which, depending on how things play out, may also be explored. Time will tell.

Four. Commercial Food & Beverage Photography. Zero progress has been made here beyond editing a large food project we shot late last year. This editing process has confirmed my belief that it is a good idea to pursue, I’m just worried it might not be the one that lights a fire under my ass. It feels like the safe bet (which scares me because commercial photography, generally, is far from a safe bet). Back burner.

Five. Portrait Studio. Come by and shoot with me next week! I’ve got the setup going Feb 3-11 and this continues to excite me while also understanding this venture is both wildly time consuming and challenging to make a bunch of money at. It’s sort of a creative outlet side project, but also I have some fun ideas I am exploring that might turn it into a larger thing. I still love the idea of taking the setup on the road sometime this year. Pittsburgh, maybe? Anyone need some fun portraits in Pittsburgh? Hit me up!

There was also a lot of time spent on the idea of expanding the studio to better accommodate portraits but we’ll get into that in the last section.

Six. Opening a Bar. I mentioned going with the flow and the flow very much pushed me towards opening a bar this month. Remarkably, a nearby bar went up for sale and, along with a friend, we seriously explored buying it and running it ourselves. The place was named after a photographer (it’s Weegees for any locals paying attention), does great cocktails, has a great classic vibe, outdoor patio, and is walking distance from my home and studio. It made sense in so many ways and felt like fate was taking a hold of my life. But it did not work out. It did, however, open a can of worms which had my brain bouncing around to all sorts of places, the through line of which was that they were not photography. Consideration of a big career shift. The struggle is real, the times are tough, the trends bad, and I’m not so sure the course is correctable this time. This will be an ongoing struggle all year, I’m sure but let’s leave it at that for now.

Seven. This here blog. Yes! I am continuing it but will not be writing as much or as often as I had been previously (or am today, yikes!). I do still love it here and want to keep the thing going, but will lean on simple single-image posts much of the time. I’m also itching to attempt some more narrative fiction writing when I have downtime and may begin to post that here as well. Apologies in advance!

Eight. Street photography. I got ambitious and made an elaborate creative resolution that I would get my ass out of the house once a week and “do something creative for myself.” At the core of that idea is wandering and making street photos. I got off to a nice start and put a half day into shooting, posting to IG, and felt good about it all. Since then, I’ve only gone out once more and ended up doing far more socializing (and drinking) than photo taking. The key to keeping this going, I think, will be to allow myself grace and not make it such a rigid process. There are a hundred ideas floating around in my head and, as always, finding the time to work on them will be the limiting factor and doesn’t make me a failure if I don’t get to them as much as I’d like.

Nine. Studio as an event space… this has been an interesting subject. I spent far too much time dreaming and scheming this month and most of it was relating to buying the bar (that we failed to do. See: Six) or expanding my existing See You Soon studio (which I’ve likely also failed to do). Oftentimes I get these grand visions that just feel right and make so much sense in my head. At the core of this idea is diversification and the big theme for the year: partnering with others. I know I need to lean on others to accomplish any of the big ideas I’d love to accomplish. Running the studio is no exception. Having a larger space, while more expensive (scary!) offers more flexibility and capacity for more people. The problem I’m finding is that nobody wants to take risks right now. Nobody wants to spend money. And this instinct is probably not wrong!

In the end, I can’t continue to be the one putting all the pressure on myself alone. I’m trying to find others to help carry the load but so far I’m not having much success. We’ve got something good going here and I hope to continue it. Luckily the year is young.

Have a great weekend! If you read some (or all!?) of this post, I appreciate you and I hope you took something worthwhile from it. If not, well, I suggest checking out social media — it’s full of cheap thrills!

-Clayton