Western Spirit Museum

Rob Hammer September 7, 2024

Photography Exhibition - Basketball

Scottsdale’s Museum of the West

Incredibly thrilled to announce a new exhibition of my American Backcourts series at the Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona. Not only is it a honor for me, but I also see it as a big win for the sport of basketball to be featured this way in a western museum. I love the American West so much and have been working on this basketball photography series all over the country for about 13 years now. So to have the game celebrated in place where most people never associate the two, is quite gratifying! If you’re in the area, please stop by to see the show as well as the other incredible exhibitions they have throughout the museum. I particularly enjoyed seeing William Matthews work in person. I’ve been a fan of his for a while now and have enjoyed seeing his work in books, but nothing compares to seeing it in real life.

San Diego Barbershop

Rob Hammer August 21, 2024

Traditional Barbershop in San Diego, CA

Johnny Lovato’s Barbershop

Back in 2011 I began photographing traditional barbershops as a way to preserve a dying piece of American culture and cornerstone of every local community. These relics were all going away due to the barber passing on, retiring, or being pushed out of their shop to make way for a higher paying tenant. Last week I drove by Johnny Lovato’s Barbershop in San Diego and was sad to see that it had changed hands, been gutted, and reopened as a soulless salon. No offense to the current owner, but it’s sad to see decades of memories stripped away. A barbers shop is his second home and a place that he’s spent a life forging relationships and community. And that’s what this body of work is all about - documenting these time capsules so their legacy can live on. These photographs are from 2011 when Johnny was still cutting and later in 2019 when his son had taken over. I remember Johnny being a very kind person. He loved the bird in his shop and got a lot of enjoyment from feeding it Cheetos.

If you’d like to support this project you can do so by purchasing a copy of my photography book on traditional barbershops in all 50 states of the USA.

And contact me directly if you’d like a photography prints of any barbershops from this series.

Photograph of a traditional barber in San Diego, CA — Johnny Lovato's Barbershop - Point Loma, CA

Old school barbershop in San Diego, CA — San Diego Barbershop

Photograph of a barber feeding his pet bird in San Diego, California — Johnny Lovato - Barber

Portrait of a San Diego barber standing behind his chair

Photograph of a rotary telephone inside an old school barbershop — Rotary phone in a traditional barbershop

Photograph of a barber sitting in his chair — Photograph of an old school barber in San Diego, CA

Traditional barbershop in San Diego, CA — Photograph of a customer getting their hair cut at a barbershop in San Diego, Ca

Paris Street Photography

Rob Hammer August 11, 2024

Fine Art Photography - Paris, France

Photo Gallery

Emily and I recently took a trip to Paris, France and there is no way to overstate how much we enjoyed it. The city certainly doesn’t need endorsement from us or anyone else, but our experience greatly exceeded high expectations. We loved every bit of it and both agreed that Paris would be a great place to live for a year (or more). One of our favorite things to do while traveling is exploring a city on foot. So days and nights were filled walking through the different arrondissements, taking in everything Paris has to offer - cafes, restaurants, museums, galleries, and of course the undeniable tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower. All of the photographs you see here were made casually during walks. None of them were planned at all. They are just reactions to whatever we came across, which I find to be an incredible amount of fun, while also equally relaxing, and a great exercise in photography.

Contact me directly about photography prints of Paris, France for your home, office or commercial space. The images are also available for editorial/commercial licensing. rob@robhammerphotography.com

Photograph of a couple embracing on the street in Paris, France

Photograph of two restaurant waiters in Paris, France

Cathedral surrounded by homes in Paris, France

Photograph of two women drinking at a cafe in Paris, France

Photograph of a well dressed woman walking in Paris, France

The Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre

Drinking wine and eating cheese in Paris, France

Looking at a Monet painting in the Louvre

Shadow the Notre Dame Cathedral on buildings along the Siene River in Paris, France

The Griffin Museum of Photography

Rob Hammer June 10, 2024

Photography Museum - Winchester, Massachusetts

13+ years now I’ve been photographing traditional barbershops in all 50 states of the USA and the layers continue to peel. In the beginning it was just a thing to do because I love barbershops. Then as time went on I felt responsible for documenting them before they all disappeared. Now, in 2024, I see the collective body of work as a historical document of the barbers and shops that served as a staple in their respective communities for 30, 40, 50, 60+ years. On the surface the theme of this project is about a place to get your haircut. Really though, it’s about community, friendship, and human connection. So I’m honored to announce that a selection of these photographs will be shown at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, MA for their upcoming group show “Vision(ary) which focuses on communities, cultures, and environments. Please go check out the show as well as the other great exhibitions from June 7th-September 27th.

Click here to purchase a copy of Barbershops of America (photo book) and HERE to purchase prints from this series.

Exhibition at the Griffin Museum of Photography — Barbershops of America at The Griffin Museum of Photography

Photography Books - American Culture

Rob Hammer November 6, 2023

American Photography - Documenting Traditional Barbershops

American photography as a genre is hard to define, especially when it comes to art collection and fine art photography. The term is so broad and leaves plenty of room for interpretation. One of my longest running series Barbershops of America fits into that category. Although it’s only been recently that I realized what’s been put together with this series is as much American photography as it is a historical document of a niche piece of American culture. And it occured to me the other day that getting a haircut is just a bonus to the experience you receive from being in a traditional barbershop. Grateful to see this project getting some exposure on Creative Boom and The Eye of Photography.

Click HERE to purchase a copy of Barbershops of American or HERE to purchase fine art prints.

Arizona Cattle Ranch

Rob Hammer November 6, 2023

K4 Ranch - Prescott, Arizona

Western photography when it comes to cowboys and cattle ranching has been around a long time. You might argue as long as the profession itself, since the legendary L.A. Huffman did it back in the 1800’s. Art collectors like to hang fine art photographs of the action - cattle branding, bucking broncs, stampedes, etc. And all of that is damn sure fun to photograph, but what about the quiet moments? Before and after the action when a cattle ranch is at rest. Those are just as fun to photograph, and important to show as a piece of the story telling puzzle. Last week I was fortunate to visit the historic K4 Ranch outside of Prescott, Arizona. It’s got a rich history in the cattle world as well as for it’s horses with notable bloodlines coming from the famous Driftwood Ike, among many others. Being there for the action is always prefered, but I find myself being very grateful for the off times that make way for images you would never otherwise have time to see or make.

Click here to see more of my photos series on Cowboys in the American West.

Contact me directly for prints of my cowboy photography. All images are available in different sizes for your home, office, or commercial space.