2024 12 19
As the year (and my nonstop busy schedule) winds down, I’m excited to look ahead to next year and some projects that are getting me excited. Namely: my Illinois Project aka Ill Wandering aka Plan For a New Illinois aka Untitled Clayton Hauck Photobook Project and a documentary project in the very early stages of filming. The doc, I think, will delve into the subject of art broadly and what it means to be an artist specifically.
Last night, I had an interesting conversation with a commercial film producer friend about this topic. His summary of what makes someone an artist is if they create work that people choose to look at (versus being forced to look at, as is often the case in our world of commercial photography). I liked that summary and am excited to explore these avenues, both physically and metaphorically, more thoroughly in the coming year.
Will you be looking?
-Clayton
Black & white test. Lincoln, Illinois. November, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
As the year (and my nonstop busy schedule) winds down, I’m excited to look ahead to next year and some projects that are getting me excited. Namely: my Illinois Project aka Ill Wandering aka Plan For a New Illinois aka Untitled Clayton Hauck Photobook Project and a documentary project in the very early stages of filming. The doc, I think, will delve into the subject of art broadly and what it means to be an artist specifically.
Last night, I had an interesting conversation with a commercial film producer friend about this topic. His summary of what makes someone an artist is if they create work that people choose to look at (versus being forced to look at, as is often the case in our world of commercial photography). I liked that summary and am excited to explore these avenues, both physically and metaphorically, more thoroughly in the coming year.
Will you be looking?
-Clayton
2024 11 23
Today, Streator, Illinois has the same population which it had in the late 1800’s, back when all of Illinois was booming. New towns were being constructed across the empty countryside, each with a grand town square.
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about how Chicago and the state of Illinois struggles in a post-boom cycle. When populations are stagnant or even declining, it becomes very hard to maintain appearances. This is what I fell alseep writing about the other night, specifically about how there used to be am elevated commuter train line running nearby our house. That elevated line was removed, along with many others, while Chicago was struggling as a city in the era of White Flight and Suburbanization. New towns were being constructed in mass-produced cookie-cutter fashion outside of the old city centers, fully enabled by the automobile and Globalized trade.
I find these small town with good bones fascinating. They get my creative visions flowing with all the possibilities. But as is always the case, in order to make big things happen you need people. Without people, these places will remain empty storefronts filled with dusty old motorcycles on display, devoid of much function beyond nostalgia and reminiscing. More on all this later, maybe.
-Clayton
Motorcycle in the window. Streator, Illinois.
Today, Streator, Illinois has the same population which it had in the late 1800’s, back when all of Illinois was booming. New towns were being constructed across the empty countryside, each with a grand town square and most with a train connection or two.
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about how Chicago and the state of Illinois struggles in a post-boom cycle. When populations are stagnant or even declining, it becomes very hard to maintain appearances. This is what I fell alseep writing about the other night, specifically about how there used to be am elevated commuter train line running nearby our house. That elevated line was removed, along with many others, while Chicago was struggling as a city in the era of White Flight and Suburbanization. New towns were being constructed in mass-produced cookie-cutter fashion outside of the old city centers, fully enabled by the automobile and Globalized trade.
I find these small town with good bones fascinating. They get my creative visions flowing with all the possibilities. But as is always the case, in order to make big things happen you need people. Without people, these places will remain empty storefronts filled with dusty old motorcycles on display, devoid of much function beyond nostalgia and reminiscing. More on all this later, maybe.
-Clayton
2024 11 18
While editing photos (that will be used in social media ads) at the studio until 10pm tonight, this gem of a video popped into my feed. It sort of perfectly sums everything up, doesn’t it? Between social media feeling like a job, my actual job feeling largely impossible lately, and our political reality feeling absolutely insane, it’s no wonder I’ve been finding joy in venturing to rural Illinois to escape and make images of whatever I find interesting, like this plexiglass Paul Bunyan statue which looks rather terrifying as well, now that I think about it.
If you haven’t seen the video below, watch it on repeat like I have been tonight (healthy!).
-Clayton
Paul Bunyan statue. Atlanta, Illinois. November, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
While editing photos (that will be used in social media ads) at the studio until 10pm tonight, this gem of a video popped into my feed. It sort of perfectly sums everything up, doesn’t it? Between social media feeling like a job, my actual job feeling largely impossible lately, and our political reality feeling absolutely insane, it’s no wonder I’ve been finding joy in venturing to rural Illinois to escape and make images of whatever I find interesting, like this plexiglass Paul Bunyan statue which looks rather terrifying as well, now that I think about it.
If you haven’t seen the video below, watch it on repeat like I have been tonight (healthy!).
-Clayton
2024 02 20
Friend and fellow photographer Jack Garland recently posted this great short feature on photographer Matt Black which got me inspired in a number of ways.
Preface: the main reason for this post was to share the piece, which is linked below, so skip ahead and watch that unless you want to also read me rambling about myself for the remainder. It is my therapy session (blog), after all.
Feeling at a crossroads in my own career due to the business of commercial photography being in a confused state, with AI on the rise, less work and lower budgets generally, and becoming older myself, I spend a lot of time scheming on what I should be focusing my time on. This isn’t a very efficient way to get things done, all the thinking, that is, but I tend to go all-in on things once I decide it’s the way to go so it is perhaps smart to think a bit before jumping into the deep end.
In no particular order, some thoughts that struck me while watching the video were: I should shoot more black & white. I’m always so drawn to color but it’s probably best to expand my horizons and experiment more; traveling and photographing is something I really, really love and maybe should make this more of my focus. It’s a compromise though in many ways (time consuming, being away from people, expensive, no guaranteed success) so I always resist dedicating more time to it and taking it seriously; traveling the entire state of Illinois might be a fun compromise and interesting challenge. Maybe a good photo book project I can put a few years’ effort into while not being too far from home. It would greatly aide in my eventual run for governor as well; maybe it’s time to cut the commercial work off for a while and figure out what most resonates with me as a person. Live as an artist. Make work for myself; do more video work just like this video piece. It was really well done and exactly the kind of thing that inspired me to become a photographer from the start; take the wandering-man-with-camera video angle many people are doing on youtube to much success but elevating it a bit, getting deeper and more artistic with it; write more, like Matt in the video. Write about what I’m experiencing. Maybe this is where I’m already heading with this blog? Maybe it becomes part of a photo book project? Maybe the writing becomes the work?; get more invested into the world of art photography and open a photo book store. It’s an idea I’ve been stewing on for a while now and one I still like. Creating a home for photography-obsessed people such as myself seems like a smart move in many ways, while also being a bit of a vague business model and perhaps less sustainable as it needs to be while sucking up all my time in the process.
Clearly, lots of thinking going on in the old brain of mine. I thought it would be nice to get some of the thoughts down on paper and toss them into the world. Surely I will expand on some of them in the coming weeks.
-Clayton
A tree sits alongside River Rd, slightly illuminated from a passing vehicle. River Grove, Illinois. January, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
This image was extended to accomodate a square crop using AI and was edited in my interpretation of a Matt Black / Jack Garland style.
Friend and fellow photographer Jack Garland recently posted this great short feature on photographer Matt Black which got me inspired in a number of ways.
Preface: the main reason for this post was to share the piece, which is linked below, so skip ahead and watch that unless you want to also read me rambling about myself for the remainder. It is my therapy session (blog), after all.
Feeling at a crossroads in my own career due to the business of commercial photography being in a confused state, with AI on the rise, less work and lower budgets generally, and becoming older myself, I spend a lot of time scheming on what I should be focusing my time on. This isn’t a very efficient way to get things done, all the thinking, that is, but I tend to go all-in on things once I decide it’s the way to go so it is perhaps smart to think a bit before jumping into the deep end.
In no particular order, some thoughts that struck me while watching the video were: I should shoot more black & white. I’m always so drawn to color but it’s probably best to expand my horizons and experiment more; Traveling and photographing is something I really, really love and maybe should make this more of my focus. It’s a compromise though in many ways (time consuming, being away from people, expensive, no guaranteed success) so I always resist dedicating more time to it and taking it seriously; Traveling the entire state of Illinois might be a fun compromise and interesting challenge. Maybe a good photo book project I can put a few years’ effort into while not being too far from home. It would greatly aide in my eventual run for governor as well; Maybe it’s time to cut the commercial work off for a while and figure out what most resonates with me as a person. Live as an artist. Make work solely for myself; Do more video work just like this video piece. It was really well done and exactly the kind of thing that inspired me to become a photographer from the start; Take the wandering-man-with-camera video angle many people are doing on youtube to much success but elevating it a bit, getting deeper and more artistic with it; Write more, like Matt in the video. Write about what I’m experiencing. Maybe this is where I’m already heading with this blog? Maybe it becomes part of a photo book project? Maybe the writing becomes the work?; Get more invested into the world of art photography and open a photo book store. It’s an idea I’ve been stewing on for a while now and one I still like. Creating a home for photography-obsessed people such as myself seems like a smart move in many ways, while also being a bit of a vague business model and perhaps less sustainable as it needs to be while sucking up all my time in the process.
Clearly, lots of thinking going on in the old brain of mine. I thought it would be nice to get some of the thoughts down on paper and toss them into the world. Surely I will expand on some of them in the coming weeks, months, or years.
-Clayton
Beyond the video above, here’s a link to another great talk featuring wisdom and images from the talented Matt Black.