Richmond, Virginia Photography Gallery

Richmond, Virginia Photography Prints

Black and White Wall Art

Traveling to new cities is one of my favorite things to do, especially when I know very little about the place. That unknown factor creates a lot of stimulation and surprise. Driving by Richmond, Virginia on the 95 gives you just enough of a taste to know the place has big potential. Which is a lot more than you can say for other cities of similar size.

A few weekends ago Emily and I went camping in Virginia with no plan whatsoever. For two days and nights we just found fun things to do and places to camp, knowing that the third night would be spent at a hotel in Richmond. That balance is really nice because I prefer open spaces and country roads, but I can’t say enough great things about the state capital of Virginia. In fact, it’s been a long time since we enjoyed a city as much as Richmond. For starters, it’s a very clean and walkable city - an ideal place for people that like to explore on foot. There is almost a feeling like Brooklyn or Queens in places because of the way elevated train tracks snake their way through the buildings.

Our hotel was in Shockoe Bottom - a neighborhood with cobblestone streets, bars, restaurants, plenty of shopping, and a short walk to the James River. We started our day at the Edgar Allen Poe Museum - $10. It’s a small but informative experience and well worth 45 minutes for any Poe fans. From there we walked up and around the Capital Building. Being there, seeing all the statues, and reading the plaques makes you firmly aware of the states history with the Civil War and the pride local people have about where they came from.

As the miles added up we enjoyed the city more and more. It seemed like things would change (in a good way) every couple blocks. It never felt like you were in the same place. Each neighborhood had a unique vibe with bars, restaurants, and shops, that kept you wanting to see what the next one was like.

There is a pathway that runs along much of the James River and two different 200 ft long foot bridges that cross the river itself, connecting pedestrians to a whole other section of that, that we unfortunately did not have time to see. The bridges themselves are interesting because they are littered with quotes from famous people like Abraham Lincoln about what happened in that very place.

It seemed like Richmond’s brewery scene was very strong, but we didn’t have much time for that either. But knowing that Stone Brewery opened a place there will tell you all you need to know. I’m excited to get back there to do some more exploring.

Contact me directly if you’d like prints of these Richmond, Virginia photographs - rob@robhammerphotography.com

Fine art photography print of the Capital building in Richmond, Virginia

Photography print of the capital building in Richmond, Virginia

Historic photograph of the state capital building in Richmond, Virginia

The Virginia state capital building

The clock tower at Richmond Main Street Station

Black and white photography of Richmond Main Street Station

Richmond Main Street Station

Richmond Main street Station

Black and white photograph of Richmond, Virginia

Downtown Richmond, Virginia

Traditional barbershop under a vintage coca cola sign in Richmond, Virginia

McCormick’s Barbershop - Richmond, Virginia


East Coast Photography

Small Town America - Photography

Road Trip - American Culture

Cross country road trips have been a constant in my life for the past 12+ years, particularly in late December driving from San Diego, CA to upstate NY to visit family for Christmas. This year though, it was significantly shorter as we are currently living in North Carolina. If you want advice on the most soul sucking drive in the USA, it’s I95 from Raleigh to Albany. Avoid it at all costs. I did it once in a straight shot due to a severe lack of time and will never do it again. As a photographer you’re much better off committing to the many backroads that will get you to the same place while also delivering a much better experience. Here are a few images from PA and NY. Pennsylvania has always been a fascinating state. There is a sadness to a lot of the towns, particularly in the rust belt, but they are all undeniably American. Plenty of towns in America could be anywhere in America, but the majority of Pennsylvania makes you acutely aware that you are in a place.

Click here to see more of my American Photography

Union Cemetery - Hudson Falls, NY

Pittston, Pennsylvania

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Edwardsville, Pennsylvania

Pittston, Pennsylvania

Pittston, Pennsylvania

Hudson Falls, New York

American Road Trip Photography

The Great American Road Trip - Photography

When are you supposed to say enough is enough and move on to another subject? Roadside Meditations was published a few months back, which would (should?) be the logical line in the sand stating ok, you did the thing, now try something else! And a person smarter than myself would probably do that! History thus far does not comply. My long term personal project are just that, personal. So I might partially focus on a new subject, but I’m always on the look-out for images that fit the older projects too. It’s not intentional. It just is. I love these projects and can’t help myself.

Click HERE to purchase a copy of Roadside Meditations or contact me directly to inquire about prints of my American road trip photography.

Photograph of a road going through a beautiful cattle ranch in Montana

Wyola, Montana

Landscape photo of the California desert

California desert

Photograph of a vast Wyoming landscape

Wyoming

Landscape photo of the California desert

California desert

Photograph of a train going through the landscape of Parker, Wyoming

Parker, Wyoming

California desert road trip photo

California desert

Photograph of plants in the California desert

California desert

Aerial Photograph of a road going through a desolate section of the California desert

California desert

Montana Road Trip

Talking highly about Montana is better left to the most lyrical of wordsmiths because I certainly can’t do that place any justice. Maybe that should be a personal goal? I’m fresh off the road after spending over a week in that glorious state and can’t wait to go back. This trip was particularly visual due to to the heavy winter snowfall that made everything greener than green. I’ve never been to Ireland, but the particular hue off grass felt more like something you could only see there. Check back soon to see images from the two cattle ranches I photographed, but don’t expect any images of trout. Those are only in my head.

American Photography

Photographing America - The Open Road

Road Trip Photography Prints - Americana

A new batch of American photographs from the last couple road trips around the country. This series has gotten increasingly overwhelming from an archive perspective. It’s probably the largest series to date, but also the one I’ve done the least with. And by “least”, I mean nothing. So to look at it as a whole feels like a monumental tasks to make sense of for a book or any other publication. Guess it’s time to turn things over to a professional??!!

Click here to see more of the America series.

Contact me directly to order fine art prints for your home, office, or commercial space - rob@robhammerphotography.com

El Capitan Casino in Hawthorne, Nevada - Photo

Hawthorne, Nevada

Photo of the Honolulu Club bar in Yucca, Arizona - vintage sign.

Honolulu Club - Yucca, Arizona

McDonald's billboard and other signs in the desert landscape outside Tuba City, Arizona - Photo

Tuba City, Arizona

A small town graveyard with wind turbines in the background in southern Iowa

Southern Iowa

A Little League baseball field in the small farm town of Griswold, Iowa

Griswold, Iowa

Photo of a broken down truck in front of a factory in Big Island, Virginia

Big Island, Virginia

A baseball field in front of farm silos in Mountain Home, Idaho - Photo - Rob Hammer

Mountain Home, Idaho

Hillsboro, Ohio

Hillsboro, Illinois

Photo of a palm tree, power lines, and clouds in the California desert

California Desert

Vintage Whiting Bros sign in the small town of Yucca, Arizona

Whiting Bros - Yucca, Arizona

Photo of an old theater in Hawthorne, Nevada

Old movie theater - Hawthorne, Nevada

The Lovelock Speedway in Lovelock, Nevada - Photo

Lovelock Speedway - Lovelock, Nevada

Interior of an old shoe shop in Texarkana, Texas - photo

Shoe shop - Texarkana

An empty pool in a small town neighborhood near Griswold, Iowa

Griswold, Iowa

American Photography

Photographing America - Road Trip - USA - Travel

Every day spent on the road is educational in some way, especially when you drive for hours upon hours without producing anything. Half days even. A full day, and you still might not have put the camera up to your eye. Then you get to some kind of hot spot, for the lack of a better word. That’s what happened here. These top 3 images were made within 100 feet of each other in some small Illinois town on a day that otherwise produced almost nothing. Odd how that happens.

Click here to see more from my America series.

The Open Road - Photography

American Road Trip Photography

There’s been a hold up with the delivery of Roadside Meditations from Germany, so the release date is looking more like early to mid December. Instead of using this blog post to vent, it seems like a better opportunity to share some new work from the series. They were made over the past two months during two separate road trips to Wyoming and Arizona while working on the new cowboy series.

Looking at these photographs now, there is certainly a calming meditative nature to them. The thing that stands out though, is they aren’t something I could have or would have made 6 months or a year ago. That’s called progress, isn’t it? They aren’t landscapes. So what are they? Not sure you really need to classify them at all. If they are pleasant to look, provide a documentation, or education, that’s what’s important.

Will keep you all posted with updates on the new book as soon as possible.

Utah fine art photography. A beautiful landscape in a rural part of Utah.

Utah

Fine art landscape photos made in a beautiful remote section of Utah, USA.

Utah

Utah Fine art landscape photos by Rob Hammer

Utah

Fine art photo of the California desert. Black and white desert photo.

California

Roadside Meditations - Kehrer Verlag

Just returned from the road to find the first copy of Roadside Meditations waiting quietly at home. Feels so good to finally hold a hard copy in my hands after the long (but fun) production process with Kehrer Verlag in Germany. Unfortunately the books aren’t for sale yet in the States, but I will be posting and talking much more about this when the time comes. Hoping to have them up and ready to sell on my web store in about a month. Check back here or Instagram (@robhammerphoto) for updates.

Fine art photography book Roadside Meditations by Rob Hammer and Kehrer Verlag.

American Road Trip Photography Book

The Open Road

Photography and the American Road Trip

The new book went to press today in Germany! We’ve been working on it for quite some time now, so having forward progress on a physical product feels great. I’m really proud of the work and excited to be able to share it with everyone. Depending on shipping, the books should be here in the middle of October. Follow along on Instagram @robhammerphoto for more frequent updates.

Texas Barbershop

Lockhart, Texas Barbershop

Photography - Prints - Wall Art

Not sure what the trigger was, but it hit me the other day that I never post updates about Barbershops of America. It’s been over two years since the last book came out and so much has happened since then. What an incredible journey this project continues to be. I’m really grateful for it. Even with all the other series in the works, I can’t seem to keep myself out of barbershops.

The image here are from Raymond’s Barbershop in Lockhart, TX. For those of you that live in the BBQ world, you know Lockhart is Mecca. And honestly, that’s the only reason these images exist. During a cross country trip a few years back, the BBQ itch needed to be scratched. After overdoing it at Smitty’s, I stumbled up Raymond’s with some heavy meat sweats. That’s just how the road goes though. Some days you search and search and search without finding a damn thing. Other days it just falls in your lap with a side of brisket.

Click HERE to pick up a copy of Barbershops of America .

Contact me directly for fine art barbershop prints for your home, office, or commercial space - rob@robhammerphotography.com

Basketball Culture Photography

Basketball Hoop Photography - Culture

Communication Arts Photo Annual - Award Winning Photos

Competitions have become one of the many shams in the photography industry. Today is seems like there are as many competitions as there are Starbucks, and they all prey on people, promising “exposure” that will lead to a world of endless possibilities. What they really are is a bullshit way for companies to rake in a boatload of money on entry fees. Communication Arts on the other hand, has a long standing reputation for high quality and publishing the most inspiring work of the year in their Photo Annual. So I’m honored to have my American Backcourts images included in this years pages along with breathtaking work by incredible photographers.

Click HERE to pick up a copy of American Backcourts

American Road Trip

For the past ten years I’ve made a cross country road trip in July (and December) with Mojo to the east coast. That tradition continued this year, unfortunately without Mojo. I missed him immensely, but the nature of this trip was a lot different, which helped. The first leg was up through northern Nevada by truck and out to Colorado for some shooting/fly fishing. Afterward the truck was left in Denver where I hopped a flight to Reno for a two day commercial shoot. From there it was on to the north east by plane for our annual family vacation on Cape Cod. When that was over I picked up a car for a friend in upstate New York and drove it to him in Denver. Got back in my truck and we both went into the Colorado backcountry for several more days of fly fishing/shooting. Before heading home to San Diego we spent a few days with friends in Crested Butte. It was a great trip to put it mildly. Check back soon to see images from all of the above.


American Road Trip by photographer Rob Hammer


Photographing America

American Photography - Fine Art

Road Trip Photos - Travel

Walking away from our work can be such a benefit. Meaning that we need to not see it for quite some time to realize what’s good and what isn’t. The “America” series has, like most of my projects, been going on for ten years now. I love it, but things have reached the point where the library is so big that it’s overwhelming. Making it hard to share in any productive manner. Everything you seen in the post was made over the last two or three years, which is usually the amount of time it takes to make sense of it all. That’s not a good thing. It’s time to enlist the help of a professional editor.

Click here to see more from the America series

Cowboy Portraits

Authentic Cowboy Portraits

Brought the lighting gear out to a cattle branding a few months ago to make some portraits of all the cowboys and cowgirls working on the ranch. Wanted the focus to just be the people and their gear without anything else to distract from that. Had a blast setting it all up and shooting in a horse trailer, but still undecided if I’ll stick with this style or not.

Click HERE to see more from this series.

Smithsonian Magazine

The Saguache Crescent

Small Town Newspaper - American Culture - Publishing

If you’re not interested in hearing more talk about personal projects than skip this one. It will be a familiar topic forever though, so get used to it if you’re going to stick around. Shot these images back in July of 2019 during a road trip out to Colorado. There was a final destination in mind but the route was unplanned. One of the small towns that popped up along the way was Saguache, CO. And by small, I mean population 424 small. Driving down “Main St” I noticed a very peculiar yet unmarked storefront. Inside the front window was an unidentifiable machine that looked like it came from a different age. (Findings like this are one of the many romantic draws to small towns). The screen door was open so I went in and was greeted not by a person, but a space filled with unexplainable life. A monstrosity of metal, tools, and papers from front to back, but I couldn’t figure out what year it was or what it all meant. There was nobody inside so I tried the jewelry store next door hoping for an answer. Sitting calmly behind the counter was the man I later found out ran the business I had so many questions about. That business turned out to be the town newspaper, the last of it’s kind still being printed on a linotype machine. A what? A linotype machine. The industry standard before the invention of computers. Now they are dinosaurs. Dean was very lackadaisical toward my request to photograph him at work, but nevertheless we made plans to meet again after my 4th of July camping trip. So about 5 days later I was back in a town I had never previously heard of, working on a story about Dean Coombs and The Saguache Crescent. My two days with Dean and the town of Saguache was quite memorable. It all seemed like living in a time capsule. Life there happens in a bubble because Saguache has nothing to draw any tourists, so the only people you’ll ever see are locals. Learning about Dean’s process what both educational and humbling. The patience required by one person to put out a weekly newspaper on a linotype is unfathomable. Hats off to Dean and all the people around the world dedicated to similar tasks.

One morning at the local cafe I sat quietly at the bar waiting for a breakfast burrito that turned out to be the size of a piece of firewood. Haven’t found anything even close to that size since. But just as memorable was a 90 year old man in conversation with a friend, who picked up a jar of sugar and did a 10 second pour into his cup of coffee. Kinda threw all the science about health and longevity out the window.

A while after the trip an edit of images was put together and sent around to a few places and got picked up by The National. We were happy with the placement as The National is a very reputable/long running publication. Then Covid hit and everything went to shit. The piece needed a new home. We received warm feedback from a contact at National Geographic. She liked the photos/story even though it wasn’t a good fit and suggested we pitch it to the Smithsonian Magazine. So we did and 1.5 years later here we are. It can be hard waiting so long for a piece to find a home. The wait is well worth it though when that home winds up being The Smithsonian.

If someone handed me a billion dollars tomorrow I’d still be working on these type of projects. Telling stories about people like Dean and the last newspaper in the world being made on a linotype machine. I’m grateful for the opportunity to tell his story my own way and to collaborate with Nick Yetto on the writing. And to have a personal project end up at a place like the Smithsonian.

Long live the personal project!

Click HERE to read the article on Smithsonian’s website

American Photography

Some frames from the last road trip up to Idaho and back. Seems like I’m always saying “______ is my new favorite place” and I can’t help that because I love this country so much. For now though, Nevada is becoming that new favorite place.

Looking at this set of images is interesting because they all fit into the different major ongoing series that have taken shape over the last few years. “American” , “Hotels” , “Barbershops of America”, and the latest “Roadside Meditations” which comes out in June. Only one missing is “American Backcourts”. None of these images were intentional. I didn’t set out with the thought to add to those series, it just happens. Grateful for that.

Click here to see more of my American Road Trip Photography

American Portraits

American Portrait Photography

Road Trip - Americana - Culture

It’s really interesting to look at what you do and don’t shoot over a long period of time. Way back when I first got going it was only people. That’s all I would shoot. Then at some point drifted away from that to basketball hoops and people-less places in small towns. It was never a conscious decision, but it happened. It was a conscious decision to start again however. Not sure why, although it occurred to me that subconsciously I was missing human interaction from COVID? Don’t know. Either way, it’s a plus. I love America so much. And just this second as I’m typing, a commercial comes to mind of John Cena saying “To Love America, is to love all Americans”. While that’s not a reality for most, it’s true. And talking to people from all over this country can teach you so much, about people, and the country. One of my favorite things in the world is being on an empty road for long periods of time, but nothing can replace the interaction between someone that lives, thinks, and believes in things opposite of yourself. It’s also an opportunity to give. To help change a person’s mind about a possible misconception they have of “people from California”, which as I’ve found out is not a liked stated.

On a photography related topic, you also learn a lot from what you can’t have. The first shot here of the woman in the Minion coat was made about 7:00am while she was out walking her dog/smoking a cigarette. Her response to being asked for a picture was “as long as my face isn’t in it”. That frustrated the hell out of me. What good will this portrait be without her face ? Then she put her head down and the Minion eyes/mouth appeared and solved the whole problem. And on top of that you can still see the cigarette sticking out. So the result wound up being way better than the image I originally set out to make.

The Gunsmith

Always blows my mind to think about the simple act of talking and where it can lead. A while back I stopped in Laramie, Wyoming to say hi to a barber I’ve known there for a few years. Afterward while walking Mojo around town I came upon a gunsmith shop (not this one) a few blocks off the main street. A gunsmith at work is something I’ve been wanting to photograph, so we popped in and introduced ourselves. That interaction didn’t result in the desired outcome but it was still informational/entertaining. The owner didn’t want to be photographed for a variety of reasons. Some of them valid. The rest were…….irrational??!! The somewhat brief conversation consisted of his opinion on the world today and how “you can’t even go to Denver anymore because everybody is getting shot.” He asked if I had a gun and was upset to hear that I only kept it in my truck. “That’s not good enough. You have to keep it on you! That’s when they get you, when you’re getting out of your truck !”. I’m not disagreeing that the world is a sort of a disaster, but it also seemed like his thoughts were that of a person who might not ever leave their small town. Maybe I’m wrong?! And no disrespect to small towns. They are my favorite. Afterward I asked if there are any other gunsmiths in the area. He replied with very vague information about a guy that possibly works out of his house on a dead end street down near the highway. So I went looking and somehow found the place only recognizable by small stenciled letters “Gun Shop Parking” on the chimney bricks near the front gate. Otherwise the house was totally nondescript and didn’t show any other signs of life. A knock on the door confirmed nobody was home. Not a big deal. It was on my radar for the next trip through Wyoming.

Click HERE to see more from my “At Work” series.

Driving across America

Cross Country Road Trip - America - Photography

There aren’t a lot of positive things things to say about American highways. Whenever possible I try avoid the soulless stretches of poorly maintained pavement that teach you very little about the country and the towns/people that inhabit it. The 15 on the other hand is something special. It’s one very long stretch of highway that’s as fascinating as any “blue highway” (backroad) in the USA. I’ve personally been traveling this road since 2006 during the move from Upstate, NY to San Diego, CA. It blew my mind then and still does today. Once you get north of the clusterfuck that is Los Angeles /Riverside County and into the desert, there’s a lot to love. Images can be made from the highway or, if you want to get more intimate, try ducking off into one of the many small towns along the way.

Last month I was working on a a few stories up in Montana without a ton of time to get there, so The 15 it was, straight up north from southern California. Regardless, I ALWAYS find time in-between destinations for one or many of my ongoing series. This trip found images that will fit nicely into the “America” and “Hotel” series.

Places like Lima, Montana are endlessly fascinating no matter how many small towns I see. As someone who lives in a frustratingly populated place, it’s stimulating to stand in and see the beginning and end of a town only 75 yards long surrounded by nothing but rolling hills. You can’t help but wonder what everyday life is life for the people of that community.

The second set of images were made in St. George, Utah. Also interesting for different reasons. Although much bigger than Lima, it’s still a small town “in the middle of nowhere”. One thing that stands out is the way they build homes there to blend in to the environment. The color palette matches almost seamlessly.