KJZZ Phoenix Radio

Basketball Photography Exhibition

So happy to see/hear this interview by Mike Brodie on KJZZ Radio in Phoenix with Western Spirit Museum’s exhibition coordinator Henry Terry. They discussed my American Backcourts photographs which will be on display their at the museum in Scottsdale until mid April 2025. It’s so fulfilling to see this project getting recognition after shooting it for 13+ years, so please click the LINK if you’d like to listen to their conversation.

And you can shop the fine art basketball prints from this series HERE

Interview with Mike Brodie of KJZZ Phoeniz

KJZZ Radio interview with Western Spirit Museum’s exhibition coordinator Henry Terry.

Western Spirit Museum

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.

More from the press release:

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., August 22, 2024 –  Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West announced today the opening of the upcoming exhibition Rob Hammer: American Backcourts, which will be on view from August 26, 2024, through April 13, 2025. This exhibition offers a fresh perspective on the New West by showcasing the distinctive relationship between basketball and the Western United States through the lens of acclaimed photographer Rob Hammer.

 

American Backcourts presents a stunning collection of images that capture the essence of basketball in the West—where the sport, though not traditionally associated with the region, embodies the pioneering spirit that defines the American West. Over 13 years and 300,000 miles, Hammer has traversed the Western United States, documenting rustic and makeshift basketball courts that tell the stories of resilience, ingenuity, and the enduring love of the game.

 

Inspired by a photograph of NBA legend Larry Bird’s childhood hoop in French Lick, Indiana, Hammer’s journey reveals how even the simplest setups can nurture greatness. His work showcases the raw beauty of handmade hoops crafted from whatever materials are at hand, placed in environments as diverse as the Western landscape itself—on dirt, grass, clay, and gravel. These images reflect the love of basketball and the resourceful and indomitable spirit that has come to define the West.

Click here to check out limited edition basketball prints from this series

Photography exhibition of Rob Hammer's basketball series at the Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona

Photography exhibition at the Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona

The number one western museum in the USA

Basketball Photography Gallery

Basketball Art - Photography Prints

Someone recently shared the Netflix trailer with me for Rez Ball - a movie about a basketball team on an America Indian Reservation in Shiprock, New Mexico. Which got me thinking about this fine art basketball photography series I’ve been shooting for the past 13+ years. After driving 300,000+ miles all over the USA, I can say there isn’t a pocket of this country where you won’t find the sport, but nothing is more dense with basketball hoops then Reservations across the American West!

It’s been a while since my last post of basketball hoop photographs despite the American Backcourts series continuing. So here are a few images made during recent road trips. If you’d like to see photographs of basketball hoops on Indian Reservations, click HERE to visit the main gallery for this project.

And click HERE to purchase fine art basketball hoop prints for your home, office, or commercial space.

Photograph of a basketball hoop in front of an old dilapidated house in Upstate New York

Basketball hoop in front of a dilapidated house in Upstate New York

Photograph of a homemade wood basketball hoop and rim hanging on a telephone pole in Utah

Homemade basketball hoop on a telephone pole - Utah

Weeds growing through the cracks of an outdoor basketball court in Massachusetts

Fine art photograph of a basketball court on the Llano Estacado in Texas

Markings on an old barn where a basketball hoop once hung on a farm in West Virginia

Black and white photograph of a basketball rim hung on a tree stump with no backboard in Upstate New York

Photograph of an outdoor basketball court in a small Western Massachusetts town

Photograph of a basketball hoop on an old ranch in Colorado

American Basketball Culture

Basketball Hoop Photography - American Sports Culture

10 years into this series and it’s still just as much fun documenting the sport of basketball as it was initially. It’s always interesting to think about the games played on hoops in different parts of the country. It’s also enjoyable to see the images and realize that each one was an experience in itself to make. The first photo here in Primm was taken on a day so windy that I had to brace myself with one leg five feet in front of the other. You can see how the net is being pushed backwards. The second shot is from a high school gym in the middle of a remodel. Door was wide open and not a sole in sight. The hoop in Santa Rosa is actually one I photographed 10 or so years ago under completely different conditions. That image from all those years ago is in the book. Crazy how a location so random can be unintentionally revisited. And shocking to see that there is still a chain net hanging from the rim. The last image was made on a road I’ve driven a hundred times and never noticed before.

Click here to grab a copy of the book

European Basketball

Basketball Hoop Photography

European Basketball - Sport - Culture - Prints

A few days after Christmas in 2019 Emily and I took a trip to Europe. Little did we know it would be our last overseas trip for quite some time (COVID lockdowns). Since then we haven’t slowed down much, but the travels have all been domestic. Not complaining. If anything, I’ve fallen more in love with American over the last couple years than ever. It was fun to revisit these this time in our life though.

On another note, this is the first attempt at posting old images from the massive archive that has done nothing but gather dust. I’m guilty of many things. One to be proud of though, is shooting too much. Sounds weird but it’s true. The downside to that is getting bogged down and not having the time/priority to share said images. Trying to change.

Click here to see more basketball imagery from my American Backcourts series.

Basketball Hoop Photography

American Basketball Culture - Wall Art - Photography Prints

When you’re a kid the “golden arches” of McDonald’s are a beacon. Recognizable anywhere at any time of day or night. You can see them without even looking. It’s probably been 15 years since I’ve eaten at McDonald’s but it comes to mind every time I work on this project. Weird correlation? Probably, but basketball hoops have become very similar to those famous arches. A shape so distinctive that my mind subconsciously registers it and tells me to hit the breaks. American Backcourts the series has been going on for about 10 years now, yet even after publishing the book it’s a subject that never seems to get boring.

Click here to see more basketball photography from the American Backcourts series. And contact me directly with all print inquiries for your home, office, and commercial space.

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.

American Backcourts

Currently at an interesting crossroads with the American Backcourts series as I’m thinking about another edition of the book. There are a lot of things I’d like to improve on, but there is also a lot of new content that’s been shot over the past year or so that I’d like to include. However, my style of shooting has changed a bit since the first printing, which means that a lot of the new stuff might not gel with the new work. A lesson only recently learned by working with several professional photo editors on a couple other long term projects. Seems like an obvious concept, right? Not so much when you’re emotionally biased toward your own work. It causes you to be blinded about what’s best for the series as opposed to satisfying your own selfish needs. Moving on. These two were shot on last months cross country road trip. The first is in west Texas and the second is in eastern New York somewhere.

Click here to buy a copy of American Backcourts

Culture Brewing Company - Encinitas

Feels so good to see the world opening back up. Over the last week especially there has been so much life out on the street and in the local shops, restaurants, and bars. Grateful to have the opportunity to be social again while sharing some work from American Backcourts. So if you’re in San Diego during the month of June, stop on by Culture Brewing Company in Encinitas to check out some fine art prints while enjoying some delicious craft beer in the sunshine.

AmericanBackcourtsCulture.jpg

American Backcourts

Beyond excited to finally be sharing the forthcoming (November 15th-ish) book with everyone!! I could probably go on talking about this project for days, but the world doesn’t have an attention span for that, so I’ll try and keep it quick. Also know that I’ll be posting more about this in the coming weeks as the book comes closer to release. Even now sitting down to write this I’m not sure how to keep it short. The video itself probably best describes how I feel about basketball and this series that I’ve been shooting for the past 8+ years. Like most of my projects, I believe it was a “thing” even before realizing it. If you’ve followed “The Basketball Hoops Project” for any amount of time, you know this this was all inspired by a picture of Larry Bird’s childhood hoop. As a kid, he was my hero, and I just couldn’t understand how one of the greatest of all time could have grown up playing on a rusty old rim hanging on a dilapidated old barn in the middle of Indiana. I was certain that all the greats came from the inner cities and were afforded the finest facilities. That image of Bird’s hoop and the story it told never left my head as I got older and began traveling as a photographer. During those cross country road trips (with my dog Mojo) I would encounter hoops just like Bird’s and couldn’t help but stop to photography them, always wondering what stories they would tell. After taking the photos I didn’t give them much thought, as my main focus was on a different subject (Barbershops of America) altogether. Then time went on and people started responding to the Hoops images I would post on various social media channels, and I realized that a body of work had really developed. At some point, Hoops became the new focus and things started to snowball. Now, almost 9 years later, I’m just as obsessed with the project as I was then.

A few weeks ago I received the unbound proofing copy of the book, and couldn’t help but feel as though this is the most complete body of work I’ve every put out. And a lot of that has to do with the collaborations I entered into after understanding how important it is to hand over to control of the things you aren’t good at. Being honest about what you don’t know is an important trait in life. Is it pertains to this, the best thing I did was to work with an editor. A professional who understands the importance of giving it to you straight. Someone who isn’t emotionally connected to the project and will edit the images in a way that’s best for the project as a whole. Which often times, means saying bye to your favorites! This is a huge lesson for me, and one that I’m infinitely thankful to have learned. I also worked with a designer on this book to give it the visual attention it deserved. Again, knowing what I don’t know. I’m not a designer and can’t expect to make a book look good on my own. Trust in the professionals! There is no situation in life where it isn’t important to surround yourself with people who are smarter or better than yourself! It only raises you up to their level. I’m quite confident in my abilities as a photographer, but when it comes to editing and design, I’m very much an amateur.

There is a whole lot more to say about this project, but for now I hope you enjoy this teaser video. I think it says a whole lot about the game of basketball, and sums up why I continue to love this project. Stay tuned for more info about the book’s release.

**The book you see is a digital mock up as I have not yet received the hard copies. The text on the real thing looks slightly different.

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.

Troy, New York Photography

Basketball - Troy, New York

At some point I have to wonder if I’m at all capable of working on short term projects? That’s not a complaint. I really love long term projects. Everything about them really, but with the recent amount of time that’s fallen in my lap (the whole COVID-19 thing), it’s given way for a lot of thought. Also something I spend quite a bit of time doing, which has me thinking that maybe I draw things out a bit too long. Started reading Rick Rubin’s book a few days ago, and one thing he talks about is that his work gets done when it gets done. He’s not concerned about deadlines or any other outside influences because he doesn’t want them to affect the final product. If he were to rush a record, it wouldn’t allow the project enough time to breath. He feels like the space and time are necessary to properly pull things together in the way they are naturally supposed to. Reading all that I felt myself understanding and agreeing with everything he was saying. Still though, my natural tendency is to string things along a bit too far. Or maybe it’s just because I don’t devote enough time to certain aspects of each project. There are hard drives of images from 5 years ago that still haven’t been touched much because I’m not sure how they fit in. The process of understanding a group of images is very complex if you really want it to work. And sometimes that means letting go of your favorites because they just don’t work well with the series. Creating a cohesive body of work is quite hard to do when you’re so attached to the images. And it’s not been till recently that I’m starting to get even the slightest bit of handle on it. There are so many factors that dictate why an image works on it’s own, let alone with a group of 30-100 other images for say a gallery show or a book. Anyway, the down time that’s been created by the “Stay home” order has allowed me to focus more on certain projects and helped me to feel like I’m pulling them together in a way that finally make sense. And trimming the fat is starting to become easier too. The Hoops Project was started 8+ years ago, which in itself blows my mind. Hoops have been a major focus on every road trip since 2012. Some of those trips have been shockingly productive. And others don’t yield the most satisfying results. As time goes on I continue to raise the bar, which makes it harder and harder to find a hoop that works. One that fits. One that’s unique. The web gallery for this series hasn’t been updates in quite some time. That’s not out of negligence, but rather from purpose. My efforts over the past couple months have been focused specifically on a few “products” (for the lack of a better word) pertaining to this series, and I want to keep some fresh content for the time when that is finally released. The ones you see below are from an 8,000+/- mile road trip in December/January. Most of that trip did not present me with hoops that turned me on, and it wasn’t until a day of shooting around home that much happened. All 3 of these were made in Troy, NY, which is a few miles from my mothers house. Funny to think that sometimes you drive all the way to the other side of the country before finding something that works.


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



Sydney Mclaughlin

Sydney McLaughlin Photographs

Portrait - Wall Art - Olympic Champion

One major focus I’ve had over the past year+ has been to only collaborate with commercial clients that I have a real connection with. Whether that be because they make a product I use or their product/beliefs/brand are directly related to my own lifestyle. I personally think this is the way to have successful collaborations. If you’re not interested and you’re just there for the money, then it shows in the final images, and leads to sour relationships with the clients. Recently I was lucky to collaborate with New Balance on 3 different shoots in LA and Cleveland. I’m a late comer to the New Balance scene, only purchasing my first pair of their sneakers about 5 years ago. Ever since then though, I tell everybody that they are “a gift to your feet”. I’m lucky to do a good amount of traveling, and that travel always involves a LOT of walking. Usually 9-12 miles a day for a week or two straight. It’s fun and really the only way to truly explore/photograph whatever place you’re in. After my first trip in a pair of NB’s, I was totally hooked. They always left my feet feeling great at the end of the day, no matter how much we walked. On top of having a great product, I also like their style of branding, photography, and the athletes they choose to associate with. So it was an honor to collaborate with New Balance on these recent shoots. They were some solid days where the athletes, client, agency, and production company were all great to work with. Everybody had a lot of fun and we all came away with solid content. Win Win for everybody. Looking forward to more of this.

If you haven’t seen the video The Rec League put together, check it out below. Awesome stuff. You can also check out more work from them HERE.

Click here for more of my athlete imagery.


Here are a couple images from the day that I like. Not sure if these are even the shots used for the campaign, but I like them.


PRINTS AVAILABLE

In the past selling prints hasn’t been a huge part of my business, but the requests have certainly started to grow. Unfortunately, I’ve never had a feature on my website in place that allows people to just hop on and order whatever image/size/medium they please, which really hindered the process. So I’m very happy to announce that this feature is now available. Just go to the link below and you can choose from any image listed and order just about any size print, canvas, metal, or wood print that you’d like. And if there is a specific image you’d like that isn’t listed, just reach out to me directly and I’ll get it up there for you.

PRINTS AVAILABLE

Prints.jpg


Project Backboard

Project Backboard - Basketball

Been saying this for a while now, but personal projects are the best, especially when they connect you with other like minded people. Which is certainly the case with Dan Peterson of Project Backboard. He’s been doing amazing things with outdoor basketball courts all over the country. Taking broken down courts and turning them into beautiful works of art that locals are excited to play on. Recently we visited a few of his courts in Los Angeles together, and I was able to talk with him first hand about the process and how things have developed over the years. I really applaud this project and hope that it continues to grow. If you want to check out more of what PB has done, go to their WEBSITE or follow along on their INSTAGRAM PAGE.

If you recognize the bridge in the Watts Oasis images, that’s because it is the very bridge from those famous scenes in White Men Can’t Jump. I personally love that movie and was ecstatic when Dan told me what it was.

Click here to see more of my basketball photography from the American Backcourts series

1) Where are you from and what place has basketball taken in your life (prior to Project Backboard) ?

I grew up in suburban NY during the heyday of the great 1990s Knicks teams and ultimately played a year of basketball at Iona College before leaving my official playing days behind.

2) When did you come up with the idea for Project Backboard(PB)? 

Project Backboard wasn't really my idea! I started the work just by painting lines on public courts in Memphis that did not have any just because I loved outdoor basketball.

3) How long/what did it take to get things going for PB? 

I got my first large grant about a year after starting Project Backboard but it was another year before I did the court with William LaChance in St. Louis that really got a lot of attention and opened the door for Project Backboard to become what it is today. 

4) What was the initial reaction? How have reactions changed since you started? 

The initial reaction was overwhelmingly positive and that is the reaction I have continued to get. That said, this style of court has become surprisingly common over the past 12-18 months that the reaction now may be a bit more restrained than the early courts. No one had ever seen anything like the William LaChance court when we first painted it.

5) How have you gone about getting funding for these projects? 

A lot of the courts are funded either by community or corporate foundations.

6) What is the process like from the original idea for a court to the final execution? 

The painting process is different for each court depending on what the artist has in mind for the court artwork. Sometimes its a lot of measuring and straight lines or curves and other times we create a grid across the entire surface of the court and drawing the artwork box by box. 

7) PB has teamed up with some big name companies. How have those relationships come about? 

People reach out and I respond! I am always open to collaborating but the successful projects have been ones were the brands are able to be a little less “corporate” in their approach and allow the artist the freedom to create and lead the project vision. 

8) What is the overall goal for PB?

For every community to have a safe and inviting basketball court. I love outdoor basketball and want to share that with others but, from my perspective, the way that will happen is when individual community members step up to help care for public spaces and hold those charged with maintaining those spaces accountable.

9) Any big projects in the works that you want to share? 

Yes! Looking forward to a few courts in the Bay Area and a court in Puerto Rico along with a handful of others.

10) Random thoughts on PB......

I appreciate all the support and, as I said, always open to collaborating and helping others follow my example so don't hesitate to reach out!

The Basketball Hoops Project

On 12/18/17 the Los Angeles Lakers will be retiring Kobe Bryant's jersey at the Staples Center. If you're around for it, or just live in LA, come by Fathom Gallery afterward. I'll be showing some signed limited edition hoops prints. Alongside my prints will be a bunch of signed one of a kind Kobe jerseys that have been made in art pieces by a number of extremely talented street artists. Hope to see you there!! 

Fathom Gallery. 12/18/17. 9pm-12am. - 110 E 9th St, Suite CL002, Los Angeles, CA 90079

These images were made a few weeks ago during a trip to Indonesia, and won't be in the show, but wanted to post some updated images anyway. For more, check out my HOOPS gallery. 

Sri Lanka - Photography

Sri Lanka Travel Photography

Years and years ago Steve McCurry made an iconic photograph of the Sri Lanken stilt fisherman. At the time, it was a rich part of the countries culture, and a real way for the fisherman to earn a living while also providing for local residents. That was then. Fast forward X amount of years, and this beautiful trade has become nothing more that a tourist attraction. To the point that you can click on them on Google Maps. I didn't realize this before visiting, and very much wanted to see them all based on McCurry's photo. How ignorant of me. On this day, we pulled up to a beautiful beach where they are located, and were greeted by tourist buses filled with people waving their selfie sticks around. The worst part though, you can't even do this for free. If you want to take a picture, you have to pay a guy on the beach who almost acts like their agent. At the end of the day they divvy up the profits. Not sure what's more sad, the fact that hoards of idiot tourists ruin a beautiful scene with their selfie sticks, or that these guys don't even fish anymore? IF you can set all of that aside, it's still something to appreciate as a unique scene that you won't find anywhere else in the world. I tried to picture them 30+ years without the crowds just trying to earn a buck. It helped a little.

Forget everything I just said, because otherwise Sri Lanka is a great country. I really enjoyed it, and would have loved to spend more time there. A highlight for me was seeing how big the cricket culture is. Seems like everywhere we went there were pick-up games going on. Grass fields, dirt lots, concrete, doesn't matter. Sri Lankan's just want to play cricket. 

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.