ROAD TRIP

THE BAD:This past week was the first time in a while since I’ve been on this particular route through Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The findings were not good economically. It was hard to see so many familiar small town restaurants and hotels closed, boarded up, or in the process of being demolished. Maybe the timing was a coincidence, but you have to wonder if it was all the result of COVID? Either way it’s a shame.

THE GOOD: Road trips are always so much fun, educational, and therapeutic. This one had me shooting on a cattle ranch (The Four Sixes) in the Texas panhandle where I met some great people and had a hell of a lot of fun shooting with them. Will be a while until I can post those images. So for now you can click HERE to see more of my Cowboy photography.

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.

American Photography

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

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

Click here to see more of my American Road Trip Photography

Fausto Ferrari Barbershop

Traditional Barbershop - Cincinnati, Ohio - Photos - Americana

It’s crazy what BBQ can bring into your life besides good times and a happy belly. There are countless images made on the road that have been a direct result of my love for smoked meat. In December 2013 I was cruising around downtown Cincinnati in a huge snowstorm when a (meat) smoker caught my eye in front a non-descript store front. If it weren’t for the huge plums of smoke coming from it I would have went right on by. Luckily it was about the only form of life on those empty streets that day. So I stopped for some food which happened to be next door to a beautiful old barbershop, which at the time, was closed despite the listed hours stating it should be open. I remember asking the owner of the bbq joint about the barber - “Good luck. That guy comes and goes whenever he wants to. Who knows when he’ll be back.” I had to take a gamble though, hoping he would indeed be cutting the following day. After spending the night I showed up at his stated “opening” time, but there was no sign of the barber. So I sat in my car wondering if he would show. Quite some time after, he did.

Over the past 10 years of working on this project I’ve encountered an almost endless list of characters. Mr. Fausto Ferrari is at or near the top of them all. Despite being in this country some 50+ years, he still spoke very broken English, so our conversations were fun to dissect. One of his long time customers came in shortly after he arrived and it was obvious that they had quite the history together. Halfway through the cut Fausto went into the back room . The man in the chair could see how much I enjoyed the barbers antics and said “I keep a file on my computer of all the stories he tells me”. Fausto was entertaining on his own, but watching the two of them was a gift. The kind of chemistry that can only happen between old friends. They carried effortless conversations that were often interrupted by the barber abruptly saying “Seeeñññoooooorrr” and the man in the seat volleying back with a smile “Faaaauuuussstooo”. Then the conversation would continue like it never stopped until the next volley. A special interaction that I was luck to witness.

Señor Fausto recently passed away after 94 years. A beautiful ride that any of us would be luck to match. Rest in Power Mr. Ferrari. Cincinnati will miss you.

Click here to grab a copy of Barbershops of America

Photo was made on 12/7/13

On The Road Again

Winters are typically when I spend the most time on the road to get as much snowboarding in as possible. This has been a very dry year for snow but that hasn’t kept the miles off at all. The better part of the last 30 days was on the road for two different trips filled with a weekend getaway to Tahoe for Emily and I, a commercial shoot, two editorial shoots, personal shooting (of course), and a “ski” trip with old friends in Sun Valley, Idaho that turned into a fly fishing trip due to the severe lack of snow. More on all this later.

Click HERE to see some of my road trip photography

The Gunsmith

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

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

Driving across America

Cross Country Road Trip - America - Photography

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

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

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

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

American Road Trip

As has become standard, the miles are piling up this season even with it be an extremely dry winter around the western states. Really unfortunate for the ski industry. I’m sure Vail is doing ok though!!??

Seems repetitive to say that this “last” road trip was great, memorable, productive, etc. etc. etc., but reporting otherwise would be a lie. Time on the road really is a special adventure that should never be taken for granted, nor should it ever be rushed. Grateful not just for the time spent in Montana, but also for the two stories I worked on and will be sharing more of soon. After Montana it was south to Colorado for a hut trip in the Gore Range which was truly unforgettable. The longer I snowboard the less desire and patience I have to ride at a resort. Being in the backcountry is always rewarding, but being in a hut with good friends miles and miles away from everything else is in a whole different category.

Images coming soon.

American Photographs

Photographs of Small Towns in America

A few images from the most recent cross country road trip that go along with my America series. This type of thing wasn’t the main focus of the trip, but I can never help myself . One of these days or years all the images in this series will add up to something that makes sense and it will be a book. Still working through it…

Click here to see more from this series

Road Trip Map

Mojo and I did it again. Another lap around the country filled with good times, foul weather, family, friends, and if all went even remotely well, a solid handful of images that I’m happy with. These trips never stop surprising me and hopefully they never do. Some days on the road you’ve got to scratch and claw to find just one decent frame. There were numerous times I asked myself “Is this America project done? Have I seen all there is to see?” Of course that’s complete nonsense. It was just frustration and exhaustion talking. A person could spend a lifetime traveling this great country and never see all it has to offer. The flip side is those days where you can’t seem to stop shooting. Those are a gift. You find that honey hole, you’re seeing really well, and the frames just start stacking up. That’s the best feeling in the world because you know it’s fleeting. You know it might not happen again for a couple days or 1,000+miles. There are so many factors at play that you can’t possibly pretend to know what’s going to happen out there. That’s the best part though. The not knowing. The hunt. It’s a drug.

Have a lot on the plate right now but will be going through this batch of images soon, so check back to see what I came up with out there.

Benelli - Carved in the Chapel

Duck Hunting Documentary - Benelli

Waterfowl Culture - Photography

It’s a real honor to end 2021/begin 2022 with the introduction of this project that’s been a long time coming. Story telling is something I’ve become very passionate about but it becomes even more fun when you are able to tell the story of someone that’s just as passionate about what they do. And then the cherry on top comes when that person and all the people you’re working with are your friends. I’m very grateful for everything about this project and to be able to tell Zach Benson’s story. He’s a wildly talented guy that’s overflowing with enthusiasm for waterfowl hunting as well as the one of a kind duck decoys that he creates from scratch.

This was one of the first times that I chose to step away from the camera for the most part. Instead taking on the producer role and had a lot of fun with working with a team to create something we are all proud of. All of the beautiful visuals you see were shot by Jordan Valente. We really had a blast making this thing. Loved every second of it. The early mornings. Late nights. Days standing nipple deep in 50 degree water. Laughs. Good food. Whisky. Laughs. All of it.

Please enjoy this 14 minute documentary and feel free to share it with anyone you know that might appreciate Zach’s story. And you can follow along with him on Instagram @benson_decoys or on his website www.zach-benson.com

You can also view more of Jordan Valente’s work at www.amilewest.com Another part of the team was Stephen Werk who did a lot of the editing along with Jordan. He’s got a beautiful documentary of his own out called Sons of Mezcal.

Benelli - Carved in the Chapel

American Photography

American Photography - Road Trip - Travel

Americana - Wall Art - Photo Prints - Open Road

Taking time to think about a body of work is such and important part of the process as you continue to build it. And as time goes on attention needs to be given to the “holes” that are inevitably lurking in said work. Interiors are one of the many holes that I need to fill. For ten years now I’ve happily traveled around America photographing various aspects of it. And lately, collaboration in the form of outside eyeballs/opinions has been a major focus in order to figure out exactly what is or isn’t working. When we create in a bubble as so many photographers do, it’s easy to get lost on a track that might not be going the right direction. There are so many questions we need to ask ourselves all along the way, which probably won’t get brought up if we don’t receive input from other unbiased people. So, while I never plan on stopping my America series, I’m trying to be much more focused and open about what to shoot and what horses I’ve already beaten to death. Much more than that though, how many other photographers have already done what you’re doing? If the answer is “a lot”, then how can you change your contribution to offer the viewer something different?

Click here to see more from my AMERICA series.

Cowboy Photographs

Cowboy Photography - Prints - American West Wall Art

Western Photos - Cowboy Culture

Had a conversation with a buddy the other day about hunting/fishing which came after a very unproductive outing that certainly wasn’t from a lack of effort. When you put time into either of those sports it can be frustrating to get skunked. Frustrating isn’t a strong enough word actually. My most recent trip was a few weeks ago on the lower Owens River outside of Bishop, CA. Felt like I was doing everything right but results said the opposite. The fish were rising and eating bugs off the top. Every bug that is, besides mine. Kept changing flies, moving locations, water depth, yada yada yada. Not so much as a nibble. Later in the day I ran across a lady about 75 years old who had just pulled in a nice brown trout and quickly mentioned that it was her first time ever fly fishing. Ok, I thought, this place is going to be a Hand Out. Hour and a half later, not a damn thing. So I sat on the tailgate drinking a beer at sunset staring at the pastel sky saying out loud “I fuckin hate fly fishing” to absolutely no one. Which obviously isn’t true, but my ego was damaged and I was tired. And when you’ve been fishing for any amount of time, you realize that’s just how it goes sometimes. Back to that conversation. We talked about how boring it would be if you went out every day and netted 20 monster trout. Or were guaranteed to hit your limit of ducks, deer, elk, whatever it is you’re after. No, that would suck. That is not a sport. Where is the fun in that? There is none.

It’s probably a stretch to make a comparison, but that’s the way I feel about morning light. Later afternoon light for that matter too. It’s so good that you want to hit the pause button on the sun to make it stay in that position, barely peaking over the horizon. Crisp. Golden. Tasty. Then you realize a lot of the appeal is due to it’s fleeting nature. Morning/evening shots wouldn’t be as desirable if you could make them all day. It’s fun to dream though. Out on a ranch, mornings are special. Really special. You’re lucky to get a couple good frames in before that light is gone. And that is one of the many factors that what will keep me going back again and again and again.

Click here to see more Western Photographs

Kreuz Market - Lockhart Texas

Texas BBQ - Photography - Food Culture

Kreuz Market - Lockhart - Texas BBQ Trail

If you know BBQ, then you know Kreuz Market. They’ve been slinging world class BBQ since the early 1900’s in Lockhart, Texas. Which, some say is the BBQ capital of the world. Anyone that would argue otherwise is just a moron. In the span of a square mile (give or take) you can go to 3 top shelf BBQ joints with a handful of others also in the area. Aside from Kreuz, you’ve also got Smitty’s and Black’s. I’d personally vouch for all 3.

The list of photo books in my collection is vast and growing at an alarming rate. All of them are special to me for different reasons, but there are always a handful that any photographer/collector will keep going to back to over and over again. 2 of them for me are Wyatt McSpadden’s books on Texas BBQ. They are a beautiful documentation of the historic BBQ institutions all around the state. I’ve been obsessed with BBQ for quite a while not, but Wyatt’s books taught me a lot about the culture and where to focus my trips in order to get the best smoked meat. Obviously, Kreuz’s Market is on his shortlist.

Click HERE to see more from this ongoing series.

Meat Processing

One thing you can always depend on during a road trip is that weather will at some point throw a wrench in your plans. It’s unavoidable. You can either sulk about it or seek out an alternative. Admittedly, I used to get bent about bad weather! It has to be sunny to make any kind of pictures that are worth a damn, I thought! False. When you’re in the mountains it’s always smart to consider snow, but it’s not often that you figure on an October storm big enough to shut down travel! Well, it happened last month when I was scheduled to shoot with a rancher in southern Wyoming on my way from Montana to Colorado. It was a hairy drive from Bozeman down through northern Wyoming and got worse as the night went on. Being October the summer tires were still on my truck which didn’t help matters any. Made it as far as Casper and hit the proverbial wall. Couldn’t keep my eyes open any more so I got a hotel with the plan to wake up at the ass crack in order to arrive at the ranch on time. Only the snow didn’t stop and every which way to Laramie was closed down. Not a single highway or back road to be had. Frustrated but determined not to let it ruin the day I began driving local roads in search of something to photograph. Early on I came upon a local taxidermist shoveling the sidewalk in front of his shop. We chatted for a bit, unfortunately he didn’t have anything going that warranted shooting. No pun intended. When asked for a recommendation he quickly pointed me towards Dan’s Meat Processing about a mile down the road. So I headed directly over there and was warmly greeted by the owner who was more than willing to let me hang out and photograph their operation.

It would have been easy to sit in the hotel waiting out the storm and catch up on some much needed rest, but why? These trips and time on the road are so valuable to me that I don’t ever want to waste an opportunity. Even if that means creating one from nothing. And the images you see here are exactly the kind of thing I would have wanted to shoot anyway! Showing the viewer a glimpse into a world they might not otherwise be familiar with or ever have access to. Being a part of cultures like these never gets old and makes me appreciate the fact that you don’t have to travel to some exotic country in order to experience something different. You just have to look a little harder. I’ve personally never been on an elk hunt. Would like to change that, but my knowledge of them from talking to people in different parts of the country is that you need to dedicate a lot of time to the hunt. Something in the neighborhood of a week seems to be standard in most places. On this morning a guy backed his truck up to the loading door with a massive elk in the bed. I asked him how long he was out before shooting it. “Oooohhh, about 30 minutes”, he said.

Click here to see more of my AT WORK images.

Montana Photography

Montana Photo Gallery

Road Trip Photography - America - Prints

Where is the line between selfishness and responsibility? As a photographer that’s had the great fortune to travel more than most I’ve always felt a responsibility to share my experiences (good and bad) in hopes that it might motivate other people to get outside their comfort zone or travel to places they’ve never been. Social media has changed my stance on that though. Instagram specifically, which I consider to be the greatest and worst thing ever invented. People will always be people, but it’s possible that Instagram has turned a lot of us into the worst version of ourselves, always trying to one up or outdo. Always trying to paint that perfect picture of a dream life.

During my travels it’s become very obvious that most humans have no interest in actually being in or enjoying a place they visit. All that matters is whether you can show others that you’re in a place better than they are. Snap a selfie and continue on. Fuck off. What kind of life is that?

A few weeks ago I had a photoshoot for a client in San Francisco then drove (with Mojo) to Spokane, Washington where I picked up Emily at the airport. Actually, that’s not really true. Her flight was delayed again, and again, and again. So I went fly fishing then relaxed at our Airbnb in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. She wound up taking a quick Uber from the airport at about 1am because it was just easier for all of us. The next couple days were great. Afterward we were sad to leave, but only for a minute because the rest of the trip put us in a cabin (featured below) in northern Montana near Glacier National Park. The fall colors were out and we had nothing to complain about. Showing all of the amazing things I (we) do along the way is not my strong point. Most of that is because I’d rather be present than on my phone. Nothing is worse than being in a world class location and looking around to see 95% of the humans around you with their neck hanging down in the blue light. The other part is that I don’t like what Instagram can do to a place. I’m not The Rock. Meaning I don’t have the ability to reach 227 million people with every post. Wouldn’t be able to handle that kind of power either, but imagine what happens to a place that is exploited by the wrong person? A quiet mountain town all of a sudden becomes the next Instagram hot spot where thousands of assholes are running around with selfie sticks. Thus ruining the entire culture and reason locals want to live there.

So do you live selfishly or become part of the problem? It’s important to me to share what I do for the right reasons, but there is also that other side. Many a good backcountry ski run have been ruined because it became taggable (is that a word) on social media. The same goes for thousands of low key locations all across the world. Montana as a state certainly doesn’t need any help with sales as “desirable”. It would be daunting to think how many people have moved there over the last 5-10 years and that number probably won’t slow down any time soon. I love Montana. Like a lot. Maybe more than anywhere in the US. For those reasons I hesitate to talk about it. In fear that the small towns will wind up feeling like Los Angeles. Is that selfish?

This is the cabin we stayed at in Montana. It was built in 1910 and had it’s own barn for chopping wood. Heaven. Love the muted colors of the dead grass in front of the frame. 2

San Francisco Photography

No need to go on and on about my obsession with San Francisco as it’s been well noted here in the past. However, it will be an ongoing project with updates, so I decided to give this thing it’s own gallery here on the site. Shooting has been fun and beyond that I started working with a professional photo editor to whittle down the edit into something that feels cohesive. In the past one of the bigger mistakes I’ve made among a lot of others, is waiting too long to get eye balls on a series to hear about what if anything is making sense. No more. For this and every other series I’ll be gaining outside/unbiased feedback from a professional. The collaboration is really fun as well as educational.

Click HERE to see the edited gallery of my San Francisco Street Photography

American Road Trip

So grateful for this time on the road especially when it can incorporate the trifecta of shooting for a client, shooting for myself, and vacation time with Emily and Mojo. There really is nothing better. Our main destinations were Idaho/Montana and what a special time of year to be up there. The color and weather make you appreciate the seasons so much as people who live in southern California where we don’t get those drastic changes. Also made me realize how much I need to plan for this every year to shoot some fly fishing in locations surrounded by fall foliage. Maybe it’s just getting older (aka wiser), but that fall beauty was lost on me while going to school in Vermont where people would visit from all over the world. The “leaf peepers”. It makes a lot more sense once you start to pull your head out of your own ass. Check back soon for images from this trip.

Venice Basketball League Photos

Venice Basketball League Photos

Basketball Culture Photography - Prints - Wall Art

There’s always free entertainment going on in Venice Beach, especially so when the VBL finals are going down. It’s a show from beginning to end. The games were very physical and fun to watch as was the dunk contest. Ron Artest aka Metta World Peace and Steve Francis were both there to judge and Compton Av performed at half court before the championship game. As usual I’m more interested in what’s happening around the court than the actual game when it comes to photos. So if I’ve done my job correctly this set of images will give you a feeling for what it’s like to be there.

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

Contact me directly for prints of these images for your home, office, or commercial space - rob@robhammerphotography.com