2025 05 16
Cool red car at Casey’s. Franklin Grove, Illinois. May, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
As my hands were filled of gas station snacks, I fumbled for my camera but didn’t get to it before this classic vehicle drove off. Alas, this iphone snap was all I came away with. It is, however, a nice reminder to myself that I’ve really been enjoying my time out in rural Illinois. This town, in particular, is one I will likely be spending much more time in in the years ahead.
-Clayton
2025 05 15
Man walks downtown. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
This afternoon, I have a portrait shoot downtown. Perhaps I will have some time to sneak away and do some street shooting. In reality, I won’t. In a wild and depressing Sign of the Times: I am being paid more to make corporate portraits than I would be had I accepted a commercial project that is also shooting today. Commercial jobs are how I built a life in photography, and for the rates to be as bad as they have become, the struggle to stay afloat in the endless hustle of photography is real.
This is why I’m considering getting a “real job*.” But more on this another day, soon.
*job will still be of my own making and fully photography-focused.
-Clayton
2025 05 14
Date right on the photo? What a concept! Roadside trees, somewhere outside of Dixion, Illinois. May, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Soon, I will start to post more “real” photos from my Illinois Wandering trips. Until I find the time to edit said images, I figured I would stay on the Roadside Tree theme and post a phone image. The immediacy of the iPhone is hard to defeat, I will admit. I leaned on the phone for this purpose for far too long and am still struggling to fight the urge. Apps like Lapse make it even more fun and convenient.
Side note: I love this time of year, when the trees are leafing out, yet not so full that you can’t see through them.
-Clayton
2025 05 13
Emily, keeping it 100 at See You Soon, Chicago, Illinois. February, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Previously, I wrote about the origin of this “Keep it 100” portrait setup I’ve been doing, along with some of the challenges I faced. (See: 2025 03 24)
This will be a short update, of sorts. In the spirit of transparency (I like when people work through challenges publicly via social media and whatnot — even if, in reality, it’s more done as a marketing ploy), I thought it might be beneficial to some to see some actual numbers. In reality, it will mostly be beneficial to myself, as I struggle to figure out how financially viable it is to offer one-hundred unique portraits for one-hundred and fifty dollars.
Someone on Threads posted asking how people make a living from being portrait photographers. The one-word answer that came to mind, for me, was: hustle. That really kind of sums it all up. Finding willing participants is no easy task. Convincing people to come to you, money in hand, is hard. What keeps me going is the huge amount of very appreciative feedback I am getting from the sessions. Lots of people who otherwise hate getting their photo taken are really enjoying the process. Of course, there are endless intangibles that go into all of this beyond raw numbers, and at the end of the day, it’s myself and my decades of experience which is the real value.
February 2025: (19 sessions) $3,250 bookings; $625 tips & add-ons. $3,875 total over 9 days = $430/day.
Not terrible at a glance, and perhaps a sustainable way to make a career as a photographer, especially if you can keep your expenses down. In reality, the only way I’m able to do this setup is because I am pulling from gear accumulated over a decade by three different photographers. The upfront cost, wear & tear on the camera, and all of my time makes it hard to pin an exact number on what all of this costs, but if you were to go and rent all the necessary gear for the nine days, you’d likely spend over 100% of revenue on rentals alone.
Then, factor in the space needed to make it all work, and now we’re losing even more money. Not a sustainable business model.
My ideal, best case scenario for this specific setup is not to raise prices, but to figure out creative ways to make it make sense. I’ve been considering things like: making the entire setup go towards charity (not possible in my current financial situation); making a portion of each session go to charity; partnering with nonprofits and allowing participants to donate any number they deem appropriate; trying out a pay-what-you-want model.
What I’m trying to communicate is that the price of this offering is artificially low and should not be interpreted as what you might expect to get when you hand a photographer $150 in exchange for portraits. I’ve been trying to do things like asking for additional tips, high resolution, and/or retouched files in exchange for more money, in hopes that people might help “subsidize” the low price for others. Now, I have an entire new website (everyoneisfamous.com) dedicated to both showing the work and gaining more attention to the offering. Since launching, I’ve done one run of portraits, resulting in:
April 2025: (16 sessions) $2,500 bookings; $535 tips & add-ons. $3,035 over 7 days = $433/day.
One month is not a trend, but I will be interested in seeing if I can get the daily revenue number to at least double. Realistically, that’s the only way to make the setup start to make financial sense. This entire project is very much a time-consuming personal side project. Sure, a bit of extra money is nice, but in a way it’s likely doing more harm than good, considering I make my living as a commercial photographer with a perceived (and real!) value that is welllllll beyond “guy doing $150 headshots”. But I don’t care. I enjoy doing this and think there is some kind of longer-term solution that will make it make more sense/cents, both figuratively and literally.
On that note, I’m now booking sessions May 19-24! Tell yours friends! And tip! Or don’t, whatever.
-Clayton
PS - Emily bought one of my prints when she came by for portraits as well. Thanks Emily and shoutout intangible value
2025 05 12
The vices! Chicago, Illinois. April, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Looking at this image, I had all these thoughts rolling around in my brain: the aesthetic of old things being used to design new things; working in an adult video store; the juxtaposition of old Chicago vs new Chicago; shops being open 24 hours; street photography from a car window while out shooting assignment work. But then I went to write something down and nothing specific came to mind. Really, though, I just have far too much on my mind right now. It’s days like today I’m glad to be a fake writer and not have to do this daily to make a living.
-Clayton
2025 05 11
Roadside tree. Outside DeKalb, Illinois. April, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
I’ve been kind of obsessed with photographing roadside trees out in rural farmland lately. Maybe this could be a zine project…
-Clayton
2025 10 10
Stop! In the name of law. Mineral Point, Wisconsin. April, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Do you ever wonder about how orderly-society is a construct and we’re just a few bureaucratic government agencies away from absolute chaos? This stop sign, leaning up against an old house, makes me think that. I may need to visit the state psychiatric center to get my brain checked out.
-Clayton
2025 05 09
Are we coming or going? Under the El, Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Kyla is rapidly becoming my favorite writer. Her piece on friction that just hit my inbox, and then seeped directly into my brain, is one that (per her usual) I think we all should digest. I don’t have any grand proclamations to add here, only that I think we’re all sensing these big, structural, and cyclical shifts. And it’s causing everything to feel off. Behind the scenes, there is a battle over what our lived world will even be in another decade or two. More thoughts another day, perhaps.
-Clayton
2025 05 08
Slappy Curb. Chicago, Illinois. May, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
When I signed a five-year least to put my studio inside the Kimball Arts Center, I thought I’d be shooting photos of skateboarders all the time. I thought we’d be wrapping commercial shoots upsatirs, then heading down to the brewery also located inside the building for wrap drinks with the client. Wining & dining. I had it all planned out and it was going to be great!
Three and a half years later: the bar is closed (lack of customers), I’ve only photographed Slappy Curb a few times, in passing, and the only shoots even happening up here aren’t mine (lack of clients). Life doesn’t always play out as you’d imagined, but the imagining I did, which led me down this path, isn’t something I regret doing.
I’ve always felt a bit uncomfortable having money. I think I get it from my dad, but the fact that I was able to buy a house at age thirty and pay more for a car than I ever imagined possible has always left me feeling a bit uneasy. There was a day recently, amidst my commercial photography career slump — no money coming in but steady bills to be paid — walking back from the hot dog stand down the street with a sack of cheap food and less weight on my shoulders. I felt free. “Less money, less problems,” I thought. This is, perhaps, self-soothing spin, but it was a distinct feeling of belonging that made everything alright. I no longer felt out of place in my neighborhood, a relentless aura of shame hanging over my head that I somehow had more digits in my bank account than rightly belonged to me.
One thing I’ve gained since that lease signing is a firm appreciation for earning a buck. This is not to say I wasn’t a hard worker previously, but I think I was riding on Easy St. a bit too long while the gettin’ was good.
You may think I sound like a crazy person, but I’m still dreaming of growing and expanding this space. Like a simple Iowa farmer building a baseball field amongst the corn. (Another lesson I’ve learned: building it does not guarantee they will come.) Why I have these urges as I sit in an empty room, struggling to cover the rent, I do not know. But it’s how my brain works. Try for something. Go for it. Dream big. Make it happen. Once your back is up against the wall, you’ll figure out the right response. But what’s the fun in not trying?
-Clayton
2025 05 07
A storm is a-brewin’. Olney, Illinois. April, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
I wrote a thing about an annoying work situation but feel like I can’t talk about that publicly, even without naming names, because it will get into the ears of the people I was writing about and nothing good will come of it. What I will say, however, is that the photography gods are doing their best at keeping me away from commercial photography sets these days. Portraits is what I do now. That, and Illinois Wandering. Oh, I’m also really excited about some video ideas I have. Perhaps losing bids is a good thing, after all.
-Clayton
2025 05 06
People on the move in May. Chicago, Illinois. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
I love the feeling of springtime, aside from the allergy flare ups. Yesterday, I got hit with a paralyzing bout of allergies. I’m not sure what it is, but I know it’s the worst.
-Clayton
2025 05 05
Another Busted Car. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
I’m falling behind on posts lately! Perhaps I should pivot the blog towards Busted Car content. I have plenty of it…
-Clayton
2025 05 04
Dont Slam Doors, a reminder. Chicago, Illinois. April, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
May the forth be with you.
-Clayton
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 05 02
Dinner at the studio. See You Soon, Chicago, Illinois. February, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
The studio has been kicking my ass lately, to be blunt. I’m optimistic we’re out of the worst of it and excited for the idea of some more time to focus on the other things I’d love to be focusing on. Writing, video projects, a photobook shop popup, photo show, perhaps even a couple paid photography projects if the photo gods allow it!
-Clayton
2025 05 01
Garage flyers. Chicago, Illinois. April, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
Considering the incessant flow of paper flyers that get put up on our garage door, they must have an actual financial benefit to the contractors, right? I’m thinking I might take it as inspiration and start flyer-ing the city with posters for my portrait offerings. Surely, that will help me get more jobs flowing my way through the incoming recession, right?
On a serious note: writing on this here blog nearly every day for over a year has started to show some benefit. Last week, we had a potential commercial project come through, which required the writing of a treatment (job proposal, basically). Historically, I always hated this process, as it’s wildly time consuming for something that very often leads to a dead end (not getting awarded the job). Having been regularly flexing my writing muscle (brain), the process was far more fluid this time around.
We’ll see if we have better luck landing the gig, or if it’s time to hit the alleys with a stack of posters.
-Clayton
2025 04 30
Smile! Chicago, Illinois. March, 2025. © Clayton Hauck
You are on camera, every day, nearly always. Your face muscles should be exhausted from all the smiling you are doing.
-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 28
Trees and stuff. Nashville, Tennessee. April, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Welcome to a new week, it’s Monday!
This image has been in the folder for over a year now without getting posted. It was nearly deleted at least a dozen times. Well, today is the day, lil buddy!
I call it a buddy because of the budding new leaves throughout the image. There is something about fresh new spring leaves that really makes me happy. I guess, as is usually the case, people just like new things. I haven’t been able to fully understand why this is, but politicians aren’t holding grand ribbon cuttings at the end of rehabilitation projects; car companies aren’t advertising last year’s line of vehicles; and even Alinea, the fanciest restaurant in town, is now an “easy” reservation (as long as you have a lot of money).
Despite this image being old, I decided to give it a shot on the big blog. I like that the tree trucks stretch through the entire frame without actually showing any limbs or leaves — yet the entire background is filled with leaves!
Vertical images aren’t easily viewable on this here blog. Really, I should redesign this thing to better showcase images, even through words has always been the main focus around here.
I’m rambling now. Perhaps a more thoughtful post about new vs old is appropriate.
Now, I need to go make some new photos to pay my rent, despite having dozens of hard drives filled with old images. People like new.
-Clayton
2024 04 27
Somewhere near Thawville, Illinois. June, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Overheard today outside of a bookshop in Spring Green, Wisconsin: “If we’re lucky, they’ll put us in the same concentration camp!”
Dark humor to get through dark times.
-Clayton