2024 04 14

Sheena. Keep it 100 at See You Soon, Chicago, Illinois. November, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

I’ve got my “Keep it 100” portrait setup going all week long. You should book a session if you want some new photos of yourself!

As long as I’ve been doing this setup, I’ve been drawn to darker, more abstract styles. Lately, however, perhaps as a response to everything going on around me, I’m craving brighter, more colorful images. I will spend this week tweaking and adjusting the vibes and then, next time the setup is being offered, perhaps we will go for something quite different.

-Clayton

2025 04 12

Main Street on Chatsworth, Illinois. June, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Another town without people, full of beauty.

-Clayton

2025 04 11

Another Busted Car. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

Some days you find the Busted Car, and some days the Busted Car finds you.

-Clayton

2025 04 10

Winter tree. Chicago, Illinois. February, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

This is a photo of a helicopter. I promise.

-Clayton

2025 04 09

Car. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

Spent too much time writing the studio newsletter. I’m still getting over the mental hurdle that despite the time it takes and the relatively low number of people who will see it, much like this here blog, the benefit is more so to myself than in some quantifiable metric. Perhaps if I was trying to make money off of the newsletter, things would be different. I’m not not trying to do that, but it’s not the motivation.

-Clayton

2025 04 08

Time is running out. We’re entering a new world. Time Theater. Mattoon, Illinois. April, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

It’s interesting, when you take a mental step back, far back, and consider how we got to where we are today.

Movie studios are being replaced by individual youtubers; magazines are being replaced by individual Substacks; comics are being animated through automation. There is no shortage of examples to indicate how vastly different the landscape of necessary support structures are today, but the one constant is communication. People are seeking authenticity and placing it above all other factors largely because it’s now possible, for the first time ever, to communicate grand ideas — through video, photography, animation, words, all forms — without the need of vast and complicated structures which previously served as a means of control. If the system did not like what you were saying or doing, you had almost no recourse in our previous era. You had to play ball; say the right thing; bribe the right guy; put up with the unsuitable boss.

The downside to the removal of the guardrails, of course, is that we have to deal with chaos. Everyone is right about everything all of the time, which of course means half the population is always wrong. An enemy of the state! What we’ve gained in truth, we’ve given up in caution and stability.

I’m spending far too much time wondering how to make money in today’s wintry economic climate. While the creative community is shrinking in capacity, the supply of creatives is at an all-time high and will continue to grow thanks to the ease and speed of creation now possible. I refuse to become another loud mouth in a sea of attention seekers, which seems to be the obvious path to financial success in these current times.

Trump is now guiding our country because he was accessible, entertaining, and real. Tariffs are now our reality because some guy wrote a book which said all the things he wanted to hear, while using made up information to back it up. The truth doesn’t matter, it’s the message that matters. Communication. Not only what you say but how and where you say it.

The government is not going to save us now, just as the system we’ve burned down to get to where we are, previously, was at its core interested in protecting itself.

If we want a future world that values facts, reason, stability, opportunity, openness, we’re going to have to build it ourselves. I know that there are a lot of us out there, living quietly and patiently, hoping our time will again come, but without effort, our new reality will be one ruled by few and governed through ruthless efficiency — the same tools which have rendered vast industries, and now entire government agencies, no longer relevant — in order to accomplish the desires of few.

Zuckerberg and Altman are building their underground bunkers for a reason, and they’re not going to invite us over for tea.

What I’m seeing now is people choosing sides. It’s human nature to want to win. None of us liberals thought Trump, the guy who tried to burn down the Capital when he didn’t get his way, had a real shot at winning back the White House, but we failed to understand human nature. Facts, niceties, vibes don’t matter when the wolf is at your door and he’s hungry. In a world where it’s every man for themselves, your only real shot is having an army, figuratively or literally, on your side.

This is why I’m writing every day. This is why I’m pushing through the hard times using the best skills I have. The only way out is through.

-Clayton

PS- this entire post came out of me because I was going to share an example of Ai being used to create a comic, which I thought was nice. 😅

2025 04 07

Haley, somewhere in northern Illinois. December, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

I started an account on the new Foto app. While I’m not super optimistic it will become the next big thing in photography sharing, I do like what they seem to be trying to do. Social media has transformed drastically since the innocent early days of Instagram, and I’m finding myself less interested in again reshaping instant-gratification-based phone apps and more interested in slow & steady approaches, such as this here blog and my new site, everyoneisfamous.

All that said, there is no doubt in the potential power social apps hold, and I’m simultaneously finding myself considering a much-reluctant sign up to Tik Tok, as my career pivot will be far more reliant on consistent eye balls than it had been previously. And TikTok is where the eye balls are.

Anyway, if you do happen to be on the Foto app, give me a follow @claytonhauck (be my tenth friend)! The devs will apparently be rolling out a web-based presence later this year, which might be a nice compliment to the mobile app, which has been enjoyable in my experience thus far.

-Clayton

2025 04 06

A downtown dog walk. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

I’m very much slacking on my weekly exploration goal. While I haven’t been hitting the streets nearly as much as I’d planned, I have been putting a lot of time towards personal work and development, so I’m not considering it a loss… it just hasn’t played out as I’d hoped. That said, I’m excited to get back out on the street and make some new work. I think the nicer weather will very much be a catalyst to make this happen.

-Clayton

2025 04 05

Central Camera, Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

I spend way too much time lately thinking on ways to make money through photography. You’d think making photos in exchange for money would be the obvious answer, and it is, but it’s increasingly complicated. I think it’s never been easier to make a living as a photographer, with the crucial and complicated stipulation that it is also a constant grind. But because it’s easier than ever, the supply and demand marketplace is also way out of whack, and it’s increasingly challenging to make good money doing it.

-Clayton

2025 04 04

Car. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

There’s this car on my block that I have obsessively been making photos of. I don’t know enough about cars to know why I like it, but I think it’s a Japanese import, and I love the old-school lines. This is one of the pictures I made, edited in a style that I don’t normally do. The digital grain melting into the fine snow particles is nice, I thought.

-Clayton

2025 04 02

Allison, wondering how long I will be looking at used photobooks. Powell’s Books. Chicago, Illinois. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Today is officially the day we started a photobook shop. Or, at least, committed to a popup to explore the idea of starting a photobook shop! You gotta pop it up first to gauge interest, learn, and grow into what will hopefully be a physical location one day. More on this soon, hopefully!

-Clayton

2024 04 01

Birds on the line, tweeting or something. Somewhere in northern Illinois. June, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

After watching a few more episodes of the video I mentioned yesterday, it’s remarkable how efficiently word travels these days through social media. Ed was lining up free places to stay, free pints of beer, clothing, meals, while his poor old kayak buddy was left to fend for himself, without social media on his side. There’s some sort of lesson in there but I’m not exactly sure what it is.

-Clayton

2025 03 31

Illinois and Michigan Canal. Lockport, Illinois. June, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

It’s the final day of March, so we’re roughly a quarter of the way through the year already, which is quite wild. That news has me in rather poor spirits as, while I’ve been keeping myself very busy with my own endless list of projects, the meat and potatoes work that pays the bills has been slow and I’ve yet to win a proper large commercial production. This in itself is not out of the ordinary, however, I’m extra sensitive these days with the studio overhead piling every higher and the growing sense of an economic slowdown on the horizon.

The industry talk I lead last week was both remarkably reassuring to hear such kind words and compliments towards my photography, and terrifying in that most everyone else is dealing with today’s challenging economic realities. Ho hum.

On a brighter note, I stumbled upon the video below and it gave me a much-needed spark of joy. I love the weird journeys us humans become obsessed with and this is both entertaining and educational. My brain always wonders about and imagines what grand rivers are like at their place of origin and this video thoroughly explores the River Thames in all of its glory, which is cool.

As I find myself pivoting back towards becoming an artist and personality that relies on my own vision and content to survive, starting that long-pondered youtube channel really seems like it will be in my near future.

-Clayton

2025 03 30

Life finds a way. Wilmette, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

The birds are chirpin’. Spring is here. Maybe.

-Clayton

2025 03 29

Bridal shop. Chicago, Illinois. January, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

Don’t tell anyone but I added that blurred out person using generative Ai. I snapped this image as I was driving by in my automobile and I kinda liked it… but it needed some mysterious human energy involved.

The recent release of GPT 4o or whatever it’s called has me moving up the expiration date for my job. If anyone is hiring a college dropout, please let me know!

-Clayton

2025 03 27

Old Main Street is New Main Street. Canton, Illinois. March, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

I did a presentation today for APA Chicago with the theme being personal work. One of the things I discussed was my Ill Wandering work. It’s not work that I’ve spent much time assessing myself yet, as I’ve been more focused on allowing things to play out a bit more organically without forcing anything and focusing too much on any specific theme. That said, it was very much worthwhile to take a step back and further assess the photos I do have.

I’ll share more in the coming months and hope to get back out a bit more regularly this year to expand the body into something more substantial.

-Clayton

2025 03 26

The city at night. Chicago, Illinois. February, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

Recently I was downtown for an event and afterward, I made an effort to wander a bit. The streets were eerily silent. I dipped into Billy Goat for a burger and a beer along with the three or four other humans (more staff than guests) who seemed to be out, for whatever reason, either running away or towards something.

A great idea then struck my brain: I would get a scooter and ride home like the wind. This led me astray in search of one when the big lights in the distance caught my eyes. “Hooter’s,” it said. Not yet having my fill of adventure, and recalling the news of the likely demise of yet another fine American establishment, I stepped in.

“Seat at the bar okay?” I asked the greeter (again, more staff than guests), and she motioned me inward. The wings came soon after and boy did I wonder why the joint wasn’t full of customers enjoying them. These things are delicious! I kicked myself for being too timid to frequent Hooter’s all my life for the wings alone.

I left as they were locking up. The man alone at the bar turned out to be an undercover security guard or manager, as I suspected (more staff than guests). I guess everyone gets their wings delivered to them from some other chain these days?

Across the street sat a fully charged scooter glowing in the darkness with my name on it. I rode like the wind just as I’d imagined I would, turning here and there into which ever dark street didn’t look familiar. This was an adventure and I had the city to myself. All the way home I rode and contemplated how cool it would be to start a scooter gang. Surely, this must be how the first gang was formed way back before the police cornered the market on gangs.

-Clayton

2025 03 25

Hawk? Chicago, Illinois. February, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

I’ve been seeing this guy around the neighborhood lately.

-Clayton

2025 03 24

Mal, from a Keep it 100 session at See You Soon. Chicago, Illinois. October, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Becoming a Portrait Studio
by Clayton Hauck

The following thoughts were written in conjunction with an event happening later this week. Keeping The Lights On: An evening with photographers Clayton Hauck and Jason Little. They will discuss the importance of creative exploration within personal work and projects. You can rsvp for that event here.

Becoming a studio portrait photographer has been a humbling process and far more challenging than I anticipated. While, yes, I’ve been a professional photographer for two decades now, I’ve actively avoided pursuing portrait or headshot clients. Previously, I didn’t have the studio space and for that reason alone it never made much sense. Dedicated space aside, the economics of portrait photography is challenging, especially in today’s market, where everyone is either a photographer themselves or knows a skilled photographer. 

All this said, I became obsessed with a setup artist Jeremy Cowart was offering and sharing via his Instagram. He now calls it The Portrait Lab and has built an entire business around the concept in his hometown of Franklin, Tennessee, outside of Nashville. The methods that caught my attention were his use of a projector to change the background throughout the shoot (he’s now using a fancy LED wall), along with varied lighting schemes which cycle through as you shoot. Basically, I loved the idea of creating a more organic and random situation inside of a controlled studio setting. It would blend a bit of my own candid photographic style into a more traditional portrait approach and I had to try it for myself.

Days of internet sleuthing and rabbit holes eventually led me to the setup I now use (though I prioritize tweaks and trying new things each time I set it up). Jeremy is quite open about his process and has laid much of it out in various industry talks you can find online. For me, the biggest hurdle was not figuring out how to technically do it, but the decision to blatantly steal the idea of another artist. It’s one I still struggle with, while doing everything I can to make the setup my own in the process. For example, he embraced Ai while I shunned it and made Anti-Artificial Intelligence the core focal point of my process.

The name “Keep it 100” came to me while editing photos late one night in the studio. Chicago’s now mayor Brandon Johnson was doing a campaign event, dropped the line in conversation, and it just sort of clicked. I could offer people one-hundred unique photos for one-hundred dollars in one-hundred seconds, all while shunning Ai and providing people with real-life images in a style that is hard to believe isn’t artificial. It would showcase the power that photography can still wield in a world where technological advancements are eroding our standards towards what we believe is real.

THE NEXT BIG THING IN PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

The first few test shoots I did were so fun that I was completely convinced this thing was going to be huge. In my head, I was envisioning renting spaces to open additional studios while completely customizing the experience to whatever the subjects wanted. Different colors, backdrops, lighting vibes, propping, wardrobe, etc. It would be like a professional wedding photo booth on steroids and there would be lines out the door, I thought! This thing was going to be so big I could pivot my career and open up locations offering these quick and exciting portrait sessions all over the country! Like a photo-obsessed Ray Krok, I was already perfecting the operational flow as guests moved through the setup. 

Then I started offering sessions — for free — to my friends and Instagram followers. That’s when the challenging reality of the situation began to set in. While I’d been thinking this thing would quite literally sell itself and get instantly booked solid whenever I made openings available, the exact opposite thing happened. Nobody cared. It was hard to get people to come by and park themselves in front of my camera, even for the low price of freeeeee! 

Quickly, I learned that convincing people to come to you and give you any amount of money is no easy task, even when you’re offering what you consider to be the world’s best portrait deal. Communicating your ideas are even more important than executing them. That was the takeaway, and it was demoralizing and almost made me give up; it’s what I’m still working on well over a year later.

SALES > SKILLS 

This is the grim reality that artists like myself never want to believe is true. We like to think that good work will rise to the top and get an audience naturally. That people will come flocking to us for our skills alone. That if we only buckle down and focus on producing the best work, everything else will fall into place naturally. At the same time, we love to complain about how so-and-so is terrible and it’s dumbfounding that they got signed by a rep and are working on huge productions all of the time. We focus on the negatives and make excuses that don’t help us in any way. I’m amazed by how often I catch myself remembering that not everyone else already knows and thinks the same things I do.

The portrait setup, for me, was a great refresher in starting out as a photographer — this shit is hard! 

While things started very slow, they did eventually pick up, hardly thanks to my own doing. I stumbled along, offering portrait openings every few months as my schedule allowed, but bookings were light even at my $100 price point. Fortunately, my studio has also allowed me to expand my social network as I’m meeting lots of people through the various events that we host. This is when I learned the value of influencers (another thing we photographers love to scoff at!).

Dennis Lee is a super talented guy (you can find him at Food is Stupid and The Party Cut). He booked a $100 session and loved the results so much that he wrote about it on his popular newsletter, while also telling me I was insane for making it so cheap, which helped me to raise my prices. This was just the bump I needed. Both a social proof-of-concept and a shot of much-needed confidence for myself, the next session found itself a ton more bookings, largely thanks to Dennis, and also because I’d kept at it through the awkward period when things weren’t working out as I thought they were going to.

After the Influencer Bump, I embraced the word-of-mouth method and began to focus on shaping an email list to help promote the offering (something I should have been doing from day one). I woke up one Monday last fall and decided to drop another run of dates the following week. Within hours, I had a dozen bookings already lined up. This was the moment I realized I was on to something with some real potential.

LETS TALK NUMBERS

Earlier I mentioned stealing Jeremy’s idea as being difficult for me. It still is. Another challenge is the super low price point. As a commercial photographer, I’m used to being “too expensive” for clients on a regular basis. We have high standards and we are pretty tough about sticking to them, so me coming out and offering dirt cheap portrait sessions both goes against my own standards and does a disservice to other portrait photographers who make a living doing this work, which is another thing I’m very sensitive to.

So why do I do it?

This answer is complicated and, admittedly, still evolving. My immediate response is that it’s a tough market and the only easy way to get regular bookings is to offer a deal so good that people can’t resist. But this doesn’t justify undercutting your colleagues. My current working justification is that this is a trade. While, yes, I’m giving people wildly affordable portraits (my pricing has since risen to $150, with various add-ons also available to help make it more lucrative for me), I’m also doing it on my own terms. In a sense, these cheap sessions are paid test shoots for me. I’m using whatever backgrounds and lighting schemes I want to try out and learn from, while keeping each session very short (ten minutes or less, usually) so that I can squeeze in a bunch each day. This helps make the math work better without compromising the results — people are still getting an incredible value and the low price point makes me feel good, in a way, that I am providing a “high end” service for an accessible fee. It’s important to me that I’m able to cater towards faces and personalities that otherwise would not show up if I was charging, say, $600 a session (a price that is far more representative of my time and the equipment involved in making all of this happen).

All that said, when my agent tells me I “look desperate” and am ruining my reputation, I don’t fully disagree with her. This industry runs on perception, and the guy doing cheap headshots, or shooting weddings, or events, can’t be trusted to handle a McDonald’s production the following week. Love it or not, that’s how things work. 

Her solution is for me to raise my prices significantly. My solution is to drop them and make the whole thing an art project. My end goal is to make Keep it 100 run as a project that primarily raises money for charity, while working with sponsors and finding other creative solutions to fund it and make money for myself. While the vision is still formulating in my brain (and is very much inspired by another friend and Keep it 100 backer, John Carruthers), and I have a lot of work left to do, it’s this goal which is driving me forward and keeping me most excited about the project.

IN CONCLUSION

Trust me, I hate talking about this stuff. I’d much rather be at the studio shooting new sessions right now and letting things play out organically. But I’m also learning that it’s important, both for marketing purposes (yuck) and my own sanity, to dedicate time towards processing everything and talking about it. Without stopping to digest what you are doing and why it is either working or not working, you risk driving yourself mad in the process or missing potentially simple solutions which allow your idea the space it needs to grow into what you know it has the potential to be.

I’m excited to share the next phase of this endevour, which is largely me getting back to my roots, in the coming days.

-Clayton

Thanks for reading and if you want to hear more about this, the next phase of Keep it 100, and various other personal projects I’ve been working on, stop by my studio this Thursday for the APA Chicago event. Click here to book a session or sign up for the Keep it 100 email alert list and get some fun new photos of your own!

2025 03 23

Jack and I enjoyed one too many adult beverages. Chicago, Illinois. February, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

Jack and I might be cooking something new up. This year is shaping up to be a transformative one for me in many ways. More soon.

Also, Jack has a new photobook out that is great and you should check it out and buy a copy. We might be able to help you with that soon.

-Clayton