Kansas City Basketball

Basketball Hoop Photography - Prints

Story Behind The Image

Of my many vices, BBQ is damn near the top of the list. Food in general is a big part of my life, but great BBQ is an especially large weakness. Many years ago while driving cross country, I stopped in Kansas City for some of their famous meat, and almost immediately complained to friends about the quality of that particular establishment. One of them recommended Arthur Bryant’s on Brooklyn Avenue. Ever since that trip AB’s has been a must stop anytime I’m within a couple hundred miles. They don’t miss. You know walking in there that they are going to take care of you. The place just feels right. Like walking into Madison Square Garden, you can feel the history. What the hell does this have to do with basketball? Nothing really, but if you’ve ever had a proper plate of BBQ, then you know the only thing that follows is immense satisfaction followed by meat sweats and a nap. So the ritual goes that I eat too much food, sparing the napkin full of scraps that are saved for Mojo who is (was) always waiting in the truck, drool already hanging several inches from his mouth. Poor bastard had to sit there while the smell of burnt ends and pulled pork wafts steadily in the window. After his treat we go for a long walk which turned into the same familiar route over the years. One of the regular sites is an abandoned school that I’ve made some mediocre images of. Viewing it from the outside always led to daydreaming of what the  gym inside looked like. As luck would have it, while walking by one year the plywood on a ground floor window was ripped off and the metal grate had been ripped open. That’s an invitation, right? Of course it is. Anyone that takes if for anything less is a fool. So I hopped in the window with a tripod, camera bag, and a headlamp. Kansas City summers are hot to say the least. Inside a sealed off brick building is something else altogether. It felt like you could chew on the air in there. Walking into the gym didn’t even seem real. My jaw must have drooped right to the floor. Couldn’t believe what a gift I was handed.  The whole room was all but gutted, yet the backboard still stood. I could have been happy in there for days. Still though it wasn’t a place to be for long. There were obviously people squatting and I didn’t have much interest in them knowing I was there. So after waiting waiting waiting for my lens to defog, a few frames were made, and I hit the road without any interactions between the squatters or the police. Moral of the story is eat more BBQ. 

If you’re a photography collector looking for basketball wall art, please contact me directly. All of my basketball hoop photography is available as fine art prints - rob@robhammerphotography

Reverse Magazine - France

The good people at Reverse Magazine in France did a 14 page spread interview about my photography. It’s strictly a basketball magazine but they were also curious about my celebrity athlete, barbershop, and America series. The interview is all in French obviously, so the English version is posted below.

Check them out on line at Basketsession.com

What made you want to become a photographer in the first place?

Certainly wasn't common sense. Photography was always a hobby as a kid. Even going on trips with friends in high school I would buy a grip of disposable cameras to document everything and couldn't wait to pick them up from the pharmacy when we got back. That desire to take pictures never went away as I got older. During and after college there was a long string of meaningless jobs that made me miserable. And somewhere in that misery it became obvious that photography was the only thing I loved doing and the only way I'd ever want to earn a living.

What was the first picture that really made an impression on you?

Really hard to say. Seems like I've been ingesting photographs since my grandparents got me a subscription to Sports Illustrated at 5, but William Eggleston's "Guide" was the first time a book of photographs ever made me say "what the fuck" out loud.

Are there other photographers that have had a major influence on you?

There isn't enough room in this article to list all the photographers that have and continue to influence me. In fact, it wasn't until developing a serious photo book habit that I feel like my photography started to take hold. Before then it was sort of like I was making images I thought people/brands/magazines wanted to see. If you want some names though, here are a few (in no particular order): William Eggleston, Joel Sternfeld, Stephen Shore, Walter Iooss Jr, William Albert Allard, David Allen Harvey, Fred Herzog, Dan Winters, Alex Webb, Andy Anderson, Martin Parr, Gary Land, Saul Lieter, Dennis Hopper, Michael Muller, Neil Leifer, and on and on and on.

Where does your love for basketball come from?

My mother and her parents. They are from Boston and we used to spend a lot of time at their house growing up. The only TV they had was one with a rabbit ears antenna, so in order to actually watch the Celtics games, you had to spend the whole time dancing with the antenna. Eventually we gave up and just listened to all the games on the radio. Looking back it was such an incredible experience that I'm really grateful for.

How did the whole "American Backcourts" idea come about?

This is a continuation of the last answer. In Boston and my grandparents house at that time (mid to late 80's), there was no way around being a Larry Bird fan. He was it. The admiration that whole city had for him rubbed off on me and my parents got me his book "Drive" for Christmas one year. I'd be lying if I said I could remember a lot of the writing, but there was a picture inside of his childhood hoop that blew me away. I just didn't understand. How could "Larry Legend" get his start on a broken down old hoop barely hanging on a barn in a dirt driveway in the middle of Indiana? As a kid from a small town in upstate New York I always thought that the pros only came from the inner cities and were afforded all the best of everything. So that picture, to me, told a better story than the writing ever could. As time went on and travels continued, I kept wondering about other hoops and the stories they could tell.

How did you go about finding all those hoops and courts?

There was no blueprint whatsoever. In the beginning I wasn't even looking. They just started to present themselves during cross country road trips and I would make pictures of them but never really thought much of it. Years went by and it struck me that there was this body of work that had unintentionally built itself. After digesting a lot of the photos I started to get obsessed and it eventually became The focus of my road trips. 10 years later and I'm still sniffing them out. Doubt this project will ever stop.

What's crazy is that, even though there are no players in your pictures, they tell a story. Was that the whole idea?

Yes. Exactly. There's a lot to be said for photographs of courts filled with people, but there are only a small handful of photographers who shoot that really well, and I certainly wasn't focused on that aspect. The hope is that my images of empty courts are strong enough to make you think about what's happened there. Who has played on that court? Was there another Larry Bird like story that started there? Maybe they remind you of a court you played on as a kid? Or they just make you want to get back out and play if it's been too long since you last picked up a ball. One thing I love about the game is that it doesn't matter how far you went in your career. You can still have fun playing. So those "backcourts" are such a special place because they house so many great memories and experiences that people can carry with them throughout their whole life.

What was the most surprising hoop you found?

Don't know how to answer that as they have all come with their own unique experiences. The one in Idaho filled with deer skulls is up there though. Probably won't find another like that in my life.

You also had the opportunity to shoot Kobe, what was that experience like?

Was lucky to shoot him twice and both were great experiences. During the short time I was able to spend with him I learned that he was a professional in all aspects of his life. Meaning that he strove to do the very best he could do no matter what the task was. He took it seriously and wanted to be great at it. The first time was probably the most nervous I've ever been on a shoot, but it turned out well. Something worth noting is that he showed up ALONE for both shoots. Arrived on his helicopter, but he was alone. One aspect of commercial photography of famous athletes that really turns me off is that they are always surrounded by a squad of people trying to protect and speak for them. Which means that there are far too many opinions and egos in a room already filled with opinions and egos. It's very harmful to the process of a photoshoot. So to have someone like Kobe show up alone was refreshing. My experience is that the athletes are usually very cool and open to collaboration, but the people surrounding them don't allow for that to happen. Which makes for a sub par final product. Two heads are better than one. So if you can get the athlete personally involved, then the outcome will always be better. Kobe was very willing to talk.

Was it how you envisioned it to be?

One of the best lessons to be learned as a photographer is that it's never how you envision it to be. Have a well thought out plan, but also don't be so stubborn or egotistical to see that the immediate circumstances have presented a better (different) way. That doesn't have as much to do with the Kobe shoots as it does with my general attitude toward life and one I would like to have adopted 15 years ago.

When it comes to athletes and sports, you seem to be drawn to the most extreme ones. Whether it's weightlifters and cross fit specialists, MMA fighters like Michael Chandler or mountain climbers and snowboarders. Why is that?

There are a lot of factors at play on this one. It partially has to do with a previous answer about being turned off by the bullshit involved with celebrity. I still do it and enjoy some of it, but have also really grown to appreciate real people that like to work their ass off. Often with a celebrity athlete you're lucky to get 5 minutes with them. So you're waiting around all day just to get 5 minutes. I'm old enough now to not give a shit about famous people. I respect the hell out of them for who they are and what they've accomplished, but it's just not my style any more to build a career photographing them for 5 minutes. There's this thought that keeps coming to my head about photography - "at the end of the day if I'm not exhausted, bloody, or tired, then chances are the shoot wasn't that much fun." So I want to be right in there with people as they are doing what they do. Whether that's a professional athlete, MMA fighter, fly fisherman, hunter, snowboarder, etc. I want to work my ass off to document the experience they are living. 5 minutes of fake isn't worth fuckall. A while back I did a shoot with Canelo Alvarerz for Everlast. He was on the rise then, but not nearly as successful as he is now. We had a lot of time with him and everything was set up and ready to go before he arrived. His English was not good and my Spanish is even worse, but we could communicate well enough. So I explained what I wanted him to do for the photos and he immediately responded that "I am not an actor". He had no interest in fake punches on a heavy bag. All he knows is how to go 100%. So he did and it shows in the photos because he is actually working. Love him for that. And to this day he's still the most physically intimidating person I've ever shot. Shaq is what, 7'2"? Canelo is 5'9', but the sound of his gloves hitting the bag was like a jackhammer going into concrete. There's a realness to photographs when you are shooting someone that is fully engaged as opposed to faking it for the camera. The real thing wins every time.

How did you get to work with someone like Kirstie Ennis? What did you take from that experience?

That was a fantastic experience and Kirstie is such an inspirational human. Got hired by an agency for a GNC shoot in collaboration with the Unbreakable Gym in Hollywood. The focus was military veterans that are members of the gym who use physical fitness/training as a means to overcome the mental (and physical) trauma caused by war. For anyone who doesn't know Kirstie's story, please look her up. She's a champ. I think the entire crew left the shoot that day so inspired and grateful after hearing her and all the other vets spill their guts to the camera. Listening to these Alphas talk about how broken they were, the emotional pain they went through, and ultimately how they built themselves up afterward, was really special. We live in a world now where everyone wants to paint a perfect picture of their lives. Instagram has a lot to do with that. Either way, people don't want to show or talk about what's wrong. They just want to take pictures of themselves drinking on the beach in some exotic location to show how awesome their life is. It's all bullshit though. Kirstie and the other vets threw it right out there for everybody to hear and see.

You also did two other really interesting projects. One with Nick Ansom ("Survival Hoops") and the other being a book about barbershops ("Barbershops Of America"). How did those come about?

Personal projects are the greatest thing any photographer can do for themselves. I learned a long time ago that it's crucial to spend as much (if not more) time on your personal projects as it is on the commercial work. People can see your heart in the personal work, which organically connects you with like minded people. That's exactly what happened with Nick. He's a rad cat. Loves ball. We were introduced by a mutual friend - Dan Peterson of Project Backboard - another guy doing awesome things in the basketball world. For those who don't know, Nick is the leader and mind behind Venice Ball and the Hoop Bus. When COVID hit, all the hoops in Venice were locked up, so nobody could play basketball. Nick started making these beautiful hoops completely out of junk and hung them up all over the alleyways in Venice for people to ball on. It's a very unique piece of basketball culture (and art) that I hope will be remembered for a long time through the photographs we made together.

As for Barbershops of America, that's another personal project still going after 10 years. Loved them since I was a kid. Saw early on that they are a special place for guys to hang out, an integral piece of the communities they are in, and most importantly, a cherished but overlooked piece of American culture. The old traditional shops are quickly going away as the barbers pass on, retire, or get kicked out of their shops by a landlord making way for a higher paying tenant. That's really sad to me. There is no way to replicate a business that's been operating in the same shop for 50+ years. Nor can you put a value on the friendships/relationships that have been built in a place like that. So I set out to document as many as possible before they disappeared. 3 years later I had done so in all 50 states of the USA and continue it today. That project has led to some many great relationships with people and brands all over the country.

What is so special about barbershops?

What isn't special about barbershops? Unfortunately now there are as many new barbershops as there are Starbucks. Most of them are chop shops that will go away in quick order when the owners realize you can't just open the doors and expect to make a quick buck without actually caring about your customers. Real barbershops are about far more than a haircut. Leaving looking good is almost a bonus. The experience you get at a real shop is something you can't get anywhere else in the world. The laughter. The smells. The people. That's what matters. The barbershop is a place you go alone or with friends to see a guy who has become your friend after years and years of service. You know each other well and look forward to each subsequent visit. It's a place of comfort. You know that you're free to say what you wish during your 45 minutes in the chair. Or you can just sit on the side and drink a beer, not ever getting your haircut. Everybody is equal in the barbershop. Doesn't matter if you're a billionaire or a broke college student. Everybody gets treated the same. The barbershop is a great equalizer.

Do you feel like, in some way, you're telling America's story through your work?

Guess I'd have to agree with that. Although the concept only registered in the last year or two. I love America and am extremely lucky to see it in a way that most won't. 30k-40k miles a year on the road for 10 years will give you a whole new appreciation for a country and the people you share it with. Hopefully I can get added to that list of influential American photographers one day because of the way I've presented it.

You've travelled all around America, what has been the most interesting or the most enlightening trip so far?

That's a really hard thought to even wrap my head around. The experience as a whole is something I'm still trying to make sense of. Learning in the traditional way of schooling is something I've never been good at. Horrible actually. The road has been a great teacher though. If I were better with words, I'd make it a life goal to use them to explain all I've learned out there so that others could also learn from it. Overall though, it's that people are for the most part, good. All the preconceived ideas and stigmas you have about the different parts of America are probably equally wrong as they are right. Are there shitty people out there? Absolutely. Tons of them. But there are a lot more good people than there are bad. And most of those people are happy to have you, help you, or just to chat for a few minutes. Travel's great gift is its ability to change you. Before all my roadtrips, I thought that the "locals" would run me out of town with guns and burning torches. That's a bit dramatic, but you get the point. My experience has been the exact opposite, minus a few shady encounters. If you're good to people, then most of them will be good to you. Doesn't matter where you're from. If you're a Snake Oil salesman, then you're going to get treated like one. Last week I had a conversation with a couple buddies in Colorado about Texans. They are always complaining about how loud, rude, and arrogant the Texans are that they encounter in Colorado. In my opinion, that's a classic case of some bad apples ruining it for everybody else. Texas has a bad reputation for exactly what my buddies described and I won't deny that those people exist. However, Texas has grown to be one of my favorite places in the country to visit and photograph because of the people/culture. I've spent a lot of time in the small towns and country of Texas, and can say that the people are some of the warmest, most welcoming, and helpful I've ever met. This past July I was on the road headed back to Cape Cod to visit family and went through Texas to get my fix of BBQ, while also looking out for hoops to photograph. A wrong turn put me on the side street of a high school gymnasium with an open door. I had no intention of photographing an indoor basketball court but took it as a sign. Went in and introduced myself to the guy inside who was coaching a couple kids. This was a Sunday on a holiday weekend. After explaining what I do, he invited me (and my dog Mojo) right in. Showed me around. Took us to the big gym where the games are played, turned on the lights and scoreboard, and left me alone to photograph the place for as long as I wanted. Afterward he brought Mojo and I into his office where he shared boat loads of information about all the oldest and historical highschool basketball gyms within a two hour radius, gave me some of their teams branded clothing, and sent me on my way with his phone number to call if I ever needed anything else. En route to the BBQ joint I stopped at one of the gyms he recommended. It was closed and the campus was deserted. After some searching I found a lady working in the bus garage and told her what I was trying to do. She stopped working to call everyone in her cell phone that could possibly get me into the gym. It didn't work, but she sure tried. About 100 miles later I found a hoop attached to a tree in someone's front yard in the middle of nowhere so I stopped and asked permission to photograph it. The front door was open. Not unlocked. Wide open. A woman came to the door and was happy to oblige. Moments later I was outside making pictures and saw her drive away. Front door was still wide open, and from all I could tell, nobody else was home. Not another person for miles and miles. That's Texas. That's America.

Not sure if that really answers your question. If not, I'd have to say the cumulative experience is what it's all about. Not any individual trip.

Who's the person or the event that you would dream of shooting?

That list is even longer than the one of photographers who have influenced me, but I don't have a lot of interest in just making a portrait of someone. I'd rather hang out with a person or people for an extended period of time to tell their story or the story of something specific going on in their life. Fly on the wall kind of stuff that takes the viewer behind the scenes into real life, not just what you see on TV. Near the top of the list of dream events to photograph is the Iditarod in Alaska. The whole thing from start to finish. "Barbershops of the World" is also a dream. In the people category, I'd love to hang out with a number of NBA guys as a fly on the wall, but don't have anyone specific right now. Maybe a single player or team for the duration of an entire season. The writer Hunter S. Thompson would have been great to shoot like that, but he's gone already. Actually Sturgill Simpson would be my top choice. He's such a talented musician with a brutally honest attitude toward the music industry and life in general. He's not afraid to call out all the scumbag executives that try to take advantage of musicians and artists. A top tier bull rider would be fun to shadow for an entire rodeo season. Those guys are interesting to me and they live a lifestyle unlike anyone else.

What is the most difficult thing to capture when shooting?

People as they are. The camera does weird things to people because they know they are being photographed so something in their head inevitably changes. You have to really work to get someone when their guard is down.

What is the picture that you're the most proud of?

There is no single picture, but I am very proud of being able to hang out and photograph my friends and later on turn those images into a check that pays bills or helps to support the next personal project. In 50 years hopefully I'm still making photographs that matter. Either way I know the celebrity shots made along the way won't mean anything to me, but the ones of friends and family will.

If you had to choose one picture (whether one of yours or somebody else's) to summarize what photography means to you, which one would it be and why?

There's a shot by William Albert Allard from the late 70's of a cowboy sitting alone at an old western bar in Nevada drinking a beer. Nobody else in the bar but him and there's a harsh late day light spilling in the open door. That one gets me every time for a lot of reasons. First because it's a beautifully gritty photograph. I'm enamored with those parts of the country and it shows this guy relaxing after a hard day's work of doing something that he loves. You can tell he's totally beat down but not unhappy. It's so American. He captured this piece of America that most people will never get to see or experience. That's why I love it. After typing that it makes me realize more of what I love about photography. Sharing experiences/places with people that are otherwise foreign and unreachable for them. Opening their eyes to something they probably know nothing about.

Basketball Never Stops

Basketball during Covid-19

It’s hard getting people to stop playing basketball. They will find a way. These image are from a court in south east San Diego during Covid that were shut down for obvious reasons. Still though, people wanted to ball and wouldn’t let anything stop them. Hard to get angry at that. They climbed the fences, went through the holes, whatever it took. So the city had to take further measures. No doubt they were only temporary solutions. Basketball never stops.

Click here to pick up a copy of American Backcourts

Colina Del Sol - San Diego

Basketball hoop with a chained padlock on it - San Diego, CA

American Backcourts

Last week I listened to a podcast with Sturgill Simpson being interviewed by Rick Rubin. Rick is Rick. He’s a legend. And Sturgill is one of my favorite musicians. Not just because he’s extremely talented, but because he takes risks. Every album is different from the last which probably causes him to lose a lot of fans. During the interview Rubin asked if there were any major things that happened to him which greatly improved his career. His answer was great. He talked about a visit to Merle Haggard’s house where they met for the first time. At that point Merle was already a living legend and one of Sturgill’s heroes. Inside the house was the only Grammy Merle ever won. It was on the ground all banged up and scratched, being used as a door stop. At that point Sturgill knew that nothing mattered but the music and the awards don’t mean shit. Sure, awards bring attention to the music, but they don’t make it any better or worse. A turning point for him.

A long time ago I came to that same conclusion and let go of any desire or need to create images that I thought other people would like. It was the best move I ever made. From that point on there was a major change in my photography and the direction of my career. Those changes can cause a lot of short term stress, but ultimately worth it in order to achieve the long term goals. Working on a project like American Backcourts, which has now been going on for 9 years, you go through many different emotional stages. Along the way everybody wants to tell you what you should be doing. If I had a dollar for every person that said I needed to go to New York City to photograph all the famous courts there! While I appreciate their enthusiasm, we just don’t share the same vision. Much respect to those courts and their history, but that’s not what this project is all about. Besides, there are some guys who have been doing that and doing it damn well. If city hoops are your thing, check out Kevin Couliau and Thai Neave. They both do beautiful work. Ultimately, anyone in my position just wants to find a way to connect with other like minded people who will appreciate their book. So it felt great to have an interview/article on the front of the sports page in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Hoosier state. If ever there was a group of people who could appreciate my style of basketball imagery, it’s the Hoosiers. Dana Benbow did a great job with the article, and people really connected with it. Since the publishing a lot of people reached out saying how much they enjoyed it and my project. What more can you ask for? I’m really thankful for all the books headed to Indiana this week because I know the people who bought them think like me and will get a lot of joy from the content. Long live the personal project!!

Click here to grab a book for yourself or as a gift!

Click here to read the Indy Star article.

American Backcourts

This most recent road trip was very productive. More so in America and fly fishing departments, but nonetheless, I was still able to sniff out a hoop or two that I’m happy with. If there is anything difficult about this project, it’s that the bar continues to rise. Making it harder and harder to find unique scenarios that I’ve not seen before. This shot below has a “feel” to it. Without seeing any of the surroundings, you’re able to get an idea of where it was made. Nevada, as it were. A state I’m becoming quite fond of. Although, this time of year it’s hell on earth. I’ve been quietly putting in a lot of time on the Hoops Project. If COVID has produced anything positive, it’s the free time to look more closely at what’s important. And for me, personal projects are right at the top of the list. This one has been going on for 8+ years now. So a book is well overdue….

Click here to purchase a fine art print from this series.

Nevada - 2020

A wood backboard and rim hang on an old barn in rural Nevada - The Hoops Project

American Backcourts - Basketball Hoop Photography

The farther I get into this project the more I love it. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I have some things in the works that I’m hoping to share soon.

Click here to see the whole series.

New York City Basketball

Basketball Hoop Photography - Prints

Spent all of last week in Brooklyn, NY shooting for a client. That shooting involved a lot of exploration around the borough with a focus on one particular subject (more on that to come), but I’ve always got my eye out for other things as well. And basketball hoops are definitely high on the list. Have never done much city shooting for the American Backcourts project, but really enjoyed it. Brooklyn is magical place and street basketball in NYC is as iconic as it gets. Wouldn’t mind spending a lot more time there.

Click here to check out more of my basketball photography.

Contact me directly of you’re interested in a basketball hoop print for your home, office, or commercial space - rob@robahmmerphotography.com

Flatbush, Brooklyn

Flatbush, Brooklyn

Coney Island, Brooklyn

Flatbush, Brooklyn

American Basketball Culture Photography

Fine Art Basketball Photography

Basketball Culture - Sport - Photo Book

For those of you who follow what I do, you know what a huge advocate I am for personal projects.  So seeing this one start coming alive is immensely gratifying. I'm so excited to announce that my Hoops Project will be premiering at the Boyd Satellite Gallery in New Orleans this coming February to coincide with NBA All-Star Weekend. There is still a long way to go until it goes down, and has already been a long road. About 8 months ago, I had a show set up in Charlotte, back when All-Star was supposed to hosted there. After lots of controversy , the NBA pulled out of Charlotte due to North Carolina's bathroom law. Not gonna get into that, but needless to say, it was a huge hit. I went back and forth about what to do, given that there wasn't much time to start over with trying to find a venue in New Orleans, the new host city. For a while, my enthusiasm about a show fell way off. Then the project got picked up on Sports illustrated and another popular site overseas. Which gave me the necessary kick in the ass to not let this thing die. The next day, I booked a flight to New Orleans to start knocking on doors. Immediately after getting to my hotel, I walked outside, and was hit with a heavy feeling of "where the hell do I start". One by one, I walked into every art gallery in New Orleans with an iPad to share the project. Surprisingly, most people were very open to the idea, but nothing real concrete was put in place. Then a few days went by, and offers from different galleries started coming in. Given the lead time and scheduling that most galleries keep, this was amazing. Was hoping for just one half assed "yes", so having three solid offers was unreal. After a lot of debate, I decided on the gallery that I had the best feeling about, and thought I had developed the best relationship with. Now here I am trying to throw this thing together. Having all the printing/framing down, but more importantly, trying to get people into the gallery. I'm incredibly lucky to have support from SLAM Magazine. I've been a fan of theirs for a long time, so having them be fans enough of the project to support it, is a huge gift. Will be sharing more info on this in the future, but put February 17, 2017 on your calendar if you're in New Orleans for All-Star. 

Click here to see more of my basketball hoop photography

Contact me directly about basketball hoop wall art for your home, office, or commercial space - rob@robhammerphotography.com

PRESS RELEASE

“The Basketball Hoops Project” Premieres at Boyd Satellite Gallery in New Orleans during 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend

The photography series captures basketball hoops from strange and remote areas of America.

Rob Hammer and SLAM Magazine have announced a partnership to exhibit the artist’s photography series “The Basketball Hoops Project” at the Boyd Satellite Gallery in New Orleans, Louisiana, February 4 – March 1, 2017. There will be a special All-Star Weekend Party on Friday, February 17 from 5-9 p.m.

The inspiration for the project came from the Larry Bird biography, “Drive,” which Hammer read as a kid. Inside was a photograph of Bird’s childhood hoop—nothing more than a wood backboard and rim hanging on a dilapidated old barn. That image made him think, “How could the greatest shooter of all time come from such humble beginnings?” As time went on, and Hammer crisscrossed the country on assignments, he noticed hundreds of other hoops just like Bird’s, and wondered, “What stories do those hoops have to tell?”

Over the course of three years, Hammer traveled over 60,000 miles by car, accompanied by his husky, Mojo, to the most remote parts of America in search of abandoned basketball hoops. He soon realized that basketball is everywhere. In every urban city, every rural town of every state in the USA, basketball lives, in some form or another. While some courts have been deserted, one can’t help but wonder how many hoop dreams began with shooting, practicing, playing and staring up at every one of those rims. This dedication to the game can be felt in Hammer’s images.

This February, SLAM Magazine will bring this gallery exhibition to the basketball event of the year: All-Star Weekend. “Rob Hammer’s photos are about passion—his passion for the road, his passion for basketball and the parts of the game that are hidden from the bright lights of the NBA,” says Adam Figman, Editor-in-Chief of SLAM. “We’re incredibly excited to be a part of this gallery opening.”

About Rob Hammer Photography

Rob Hammer is a commercial photographer based in San Diego, California known for his dynamic images of professional athletes, fitness, and adventure. His client list includes Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Foot Locker, and Fox Sports. To view Rob’s work, go to www.robhammerphotography.com.

About SLAM Magazine

SLAM was founded in 1994 as the "in-your-face basketball magazine," covering all things hoop-related, from NBA, college ball and high school hoops to old-school stories, kicks, streetball and the fashion of the game.

Over 20 years later, SLAM is the No. 1 brand for all things that matter in the world of basketball. From Kobe and LeBron to Iverson and Durant, SLAM brings the reader face-to-face with their favorite players, and slamonline.com brings breaking news and rumors in real time. SLAM was launched as "the basketball bible," and is still the only place for the true basketball fan.

Boyd Satellite Gallery: 440 Julia St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Basketball Wall Art

Basketball Hoop Photography - Prints

Of the many things I learned while shooting for the barbershop book, is that the longer you shoot one project, the harder it gets. And for only one reason, that the bar continues to rise. Which by all arguments is good. When this project first started, it was fairly easy to find unique hoops. Now I can drive to the east coast and back with only actually shooting 4 or 5 hoops. And as long as they are quality, then it doesn't matter. But I can drive thousands of miles without finding anything that works, and it makes you wonder how much farther you can take the project. Then right around the corner you find a gem, and all the sudden you're back on track. Love that. 

Click here to see more of my basketball hoop photography . All images in this series are available as photography prints. Contact me directly to talk about basketball wall art for your home, office or commercial space.

The Basketball Hoops Project

Over the past year+, I've been doing a lot of traveling/shooting for my hoops project. And think it has developed into a pretty cool body of work. Yesterday the gallery got a nice update, so head over there and check it out. Also decided to try and get these images out there, and currently working on a nice promotional booklet that will be sent nationwide to a large handful of magazines, companies, and ad agencies. Hopefully they will dig it.....

WWW.THEBASKETBALLHOOPSPROJECT.COM