Advertising Fitness Photographer

Commercial Fitness Photography - Advertising

Fitness Photo Shoot - Workout - Health

A number of years ago I received a new assignment email from a long time client wanting some fitness photography. That’s not out of the ordinary, but their specific request was. They wanted some “bright and happy” fitness shots. My immediate response that I actually said out loud while reading the email was “why are you contacting ME?” Normally with advertising photography, clients/brands/art directors etc. are painfully specific about who they choose for a shoot. There’s a running joke/story out there about a food photographer who was showing his “fruit” portfolio to a client that needed his services. His work was exquisite. More beautiful images of fruit you could not find. The client loved what he did with apples, oranges, bananas, mango, kiwi, pineapple, etc.. After going through the whole portfolio though, she asked him “but can you photograph a yellow apple? Are you fuckin kidding me??? That sums up a lot of the photography industry . Most people aren’t capable of making the mental bridge and want a photographer to be so specific that they specialize in shooting “yellow apples” or whatever the fuck the case might be. I probably botched the story itself, but you get the point. Until receiving that email about a “bright and happy” fitness shoot, it was something that I’d never done. My style was always dark and gritty and probably the thing I was most known for. I thought, what the hell, let’s give it a go. So I took the assignment and ended up really enjoying it. Since then there have been a number of clients who have hired me to make images in a similar style for them. It’s been fun and I look forward to that change in pace/style from the dark and gritty. Currently working on a new gallery for the website of bright fitness images. Until then though, enjoy these shots which were made for a few different clients over the past year or so. They are a mix of indoor/outdoor and shot with natural light, strobed, bounced, diffused, etc, etc, etc


Kirstie Ennis

Fitness Photography - Los Angeles

Kirstie Ennis - GNC - General Nutrition Center

GNC - I AM UNBREAKABLE

Made a previous post with one BTS image from this shoot and wanted to follow up with some of the actual campaign images. Said it last time, but this was an incredible thing to be a part of. The still images were piggy backed on the video production with a very inspiring theme. GNC, the client, teamed up with former military people and Jay Glazer/his gym (Unbreakable in Hollywood) that made a line of supplements. The video would tell the story of these military veterans who had gone through some extremely tough patches in their life due to the experiences they encountered during service. Those physical and mental problems held them down for a time, but was later used as fuel for repair, ultimately putting them all in a better place. All along the way using fitness and community as the two major components of change. It was really moving to see these alphas in front of the camera being so vulnerable and honest. Something that is almost non-existent in todays world. The shoot involved 4 different athletes, but the images here are just Jay Glazer and Kirstie Ennis.

On ad shoots like this there is always a considerable amount of planning done ahead of time in order to get as much done as possible in a very limited amount of time. The video crew had a lot to get done as did I. So we had to work together, making slots for us all to get what we needed. Initially I planned on using all my strobes and having them set up to move in the second the video crew was done with a take. Nothing ever goes as planned though. It was immediately obvious that there would be no time for lighting set-ups on the go. The only option was to just shoot with available light. So all the images you see here were shot with video lighting. That’s part of what I love about commercial sets. You’re constantly solving problems and making decisions on the fly as they come up. You do your best in the beginning to plan, but “everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face”, as the great Mike Tyson once said.

Click here to see more of my athlete photos.

Kirstie Ennis

Kirstie Ennis - Athlete

Did some shooting for GNC a couple months ago. It was a lot of fun, but that’s probably not the right word for it. Motivating. Inspirational. Those would be more accurate. The images I shot were for both advertising and general Behind-The-Scenes stills to show what went into the production. Side note, this image made me go back into my archives and realize how much BTS I’ve shot over the years. Could probably be its own body of work. The premise of the “I Am Unbreakable” shoot was to highlight military veterans who have gone through more than your average amount of physical and mental battles as a result of their time served overseas, then overcame those battles and used it as motivation to put themselves in a better place. All of the people who participated were incredible. They were real and unafraid to be vulnerable. Seeing them in this state was, in a sense, refreshing. Not because I like to see people in pain, but because it’s actually rare for people to be so honest and real about their problems. The world today has been overtaken by the “Instagram effect”, meaning that everyone wants to paint a perfect picture of their life. It’s terrible and it’s fake. So to witness these veterans lay it all out there was great. I think everybody on set left after those two days feeling a lot better about life. Would love to be involved in more campaigns like this one. The BTS image you see below is one of Kirstie Ennis - a Marine who lost her leg while serving in Afghanistan. The image won’t be used for anything but I think it tells a great story.

Denver Fitness Photography

Fitness Photo Shoot

Last night we were hit with an official “Stay Home” quarantine due to the Coronavirus. What the hell does that have to do with fitness? A lot actually. The virus is hitting the whole world with effects that will last well past the next couple weeks or months. People will lose their jobs, and worse, their business’. It’s heartbreaking to think about all the small business’ out there that could possibly crumble from this pandemic. We are all restricted from living normal lives in order to restore order, and really, health. The stress that all of this will cause is much higher than most are used to. The one thing we can control however is activity. All of the normal places we turn to for fitness are closed down and for good reason. That’s not a reason to become sedentary however. Quite the opposite. If anything, this is a time when we should all turn to activity and physical fitness. Not just because of the obvious, but because of the emotional advantages it can give you. I’ve always been a believer in the positive effects working out can have on the mind and in relieving stress. So it’s time to get creative in how we all do this. Most of us are now faced with too much more free time , and the worst thing we can do is sit on the couch watching TV and stressing out about the current situation. Fitness helps everything. All aspects of life. Get creative.

Click HERE for more of my fitness photography.

New Balance - Fuel Cell

My last post had a bunch of outtakes from the first New Balance shoot with Sydney McLaughlin, but didn’t contain any tear sheets. So I thought I’d do another to share the outcome of that day. Again, great shoot with engaging athletes and an awesome client. Lots of fun had by all.

Click here to see more of my athlete imagery.

Aaron Straker - Nutrition Coach

Aaron Straker - Fitness Photography

My travels have taught me a lot of things about how to live and not to live. It’s all personal opinion of course, but one thing I’ve become very passionate about is living your own life. One that makes you happy. And it always makes me upset seeing people spend their whole lives working a job that they hate. I don’t understand it at all. My buddy Aaron Straker (below images) is doing the opposite of that. For the past 8-ish years he’s been working for a company in San Diego as a senior software engineer. A job that he probably liked ok, but it’s certainly not what he loves to do. Well, last month he quit that job to focus full time on nutrition, and very soon he and his girlfriend (also a nutritionist) are moving to Vietnam to start their own business over there. At some point they will move back to the states, at which point they plan on pimping out a sprinter van and literally taking their show on the road. These type of decisions are ones that 99% of people can make but never do. I applaud him for it and hope that his decisions inspire other people to do something with their own lives.

Follow him on Instagram @aaron_straker and his girlfriend @jennythenutritionist

Click here to see more of my fitness photography

Colorado Fitness Photographer

Gym Shark Photo Shoot

Health and Fitness Lifestyle Photography

Been a long time since I’ve posted some commercial work, but here are a couple outtakes from a shoot I did for UK based fitness apparel company Gym Shark. They make really nice stuff and gave me a lot of freedom to shoot pretty much on my own, which I always love. The athlete just did his thing and I did mine. No real staging of any kind. Good times.

To see more of my fitness images click HERE.



Denver Crossfit Photography

Denver, Colorado Crossfit Photographs

Black and White

More experiments with sweat. As always, just looking for those different angles.

To see more of my CrossFit/Fitness images click here.

Boulder, CO Fitness Photography

Boulder Fitness Photo Shoot

There is always a particular itch that is scratched when I shoot fitness like this. Unrehearsed real workouts. Nothing staged. Just as a fly on the wall waiting for things to unfold. While looking at these images months after the shoot I realized that neither of them was sweating, which is very strange. Then I realized how hot it was that day and that their sweat was just instantly evaporating. They didn’t complain.

To see more of my fitness images click here.

CrossFit - Denver, CO

CrossFit Photography - Denver, Colorado

Photographing CrossFit athletes in Denver is an exhilarating challenge that combines technical skill with artistic vision. It’s about more than just capturing movement; it’s about telling the story of resilience, effort, and achievement. Whether you’re shooting in a gritty gym or against the vibrant Denver skyline, every image is about freezing powerful, fleeting moments that embody the spirit of the sport. From the explosive power of a box jump to the intensity in an athlete’s eyes as they push through a personal record, every frame tells a story.

Click HERE for more fitness photography

San Diego Fitness Photographer

Bear Republic Crossfit

Can't ever see becoming sick of shooting CrossFit. It's too real, which means that it never gets boring.  There is never a need to stage anything. You just let everything happen in front you and do your best to capture it. Real sweat. Not that from a spray bottle bullshit. 

www.robhammerphotography.com/crossfit

CrossFit - Boulder, CO

CrossFit Photographer - Boulder, CO

When it comes to CrossFit, every rep, every lift, and every drop of sweat tells a story of dedication and grit. For CrossFit athletes in Boulder, Colorado, the gym is more than just a training ground; it’s a stage where personal bests are shattered and camaraderie thrives. Capturing these moments through photography not only celebrates the athlete’s journey but also highlights the raw beauty of strength and determination.

Nestled at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Boulder offers a unique blend of natural beauty and a fitness-focused community. The city boasts several top-tier CrossFit gyms, or "boxes," that cater to everyone from beginners to seasoned athletes. Gyms like CrossFit Sanitas, Roots, and Left Hand CrossFit are hubs of activity, attracting individuals committed to pushing their physical and mental boundaries.

This dynamic environment makes Boulder an ideal location for CrossFit photography. Whether it’s a sunrise workout in an open-air setting or an intense WOD (Workout of the Day) inside a gym, the opportunities for capturing striking visuals are endless.

Click here to see more of my fitness photography

Running in downtown San Diego

San Diego Health and Fitness Photography

Happy with what we got here, but things didn't start so hot. Our first location was the rear stairs of the San Diego Convention Center. So I got there early to set up, and got kicked out before we even got started. That always sucks, but I've learned when things like that happen, it pushes me harder, and I usually come out of the day with cool stuff. You just have to improvise, and Tara was great. The portraits were actually shot in a parking garage. Who needs a studio? 

Random fact: Tara and I share the same birthday. 

Shot on a Nikon D800e and lit with Broncolor strobes.