High-Impact Paddleboard Photos for Editorial & Commercial Use

Stand Up Paddleboarding with Impact: Strobe-Lit Action Photography

There’s a specific kind of energy you get when mixing outdoor sports with studio lighting. This shoot with a competitive stand up paddleboarder was all about that tension and blending the natural flow of water with bold, strobe-lit drama.

We planned it like a commercial shoot: sunrise location, multiple lighting setups on the water, and a focus on strong, clean compositions that would work well in both advertising and editorial contexts. The result? A set of images that feel athletic and raw, but also controlled and brand-ready.

This wasn’t a spontaneous session. It was lit like a campaign, and that’s exactly the kind of work I love doing. Whether you’re looking to license images from this shoot or want to plan your own production, I’m always open to collaborations where sport meets style, so please reach out if you’re ready to plan your next campaign photo shoot - rob@robhammerphotography.com

 

Death Valley-Running

I've been living in San Diego for a lot of years now, and have no excuse for never visiting Death Valley until just a few weeks ago. With all the cross-country driving I do, it seems ridiculous that it took this long to visit a place less than 5 hours away. Either way, I was more than excited when a client asked me to shoot some running images out there. And can't wait to go back for more. It's a very unique place. Obviously. Massive and desolate. You could argue that is almost seems like another planet, and not many people would argue. We came out of there with some awesome shots, but this has to be my favorite. This style of image is something I've been working on for a while now. Trying to show the scale of a place compared to the athlete and what they are doing. About 70 yards away from the runner in this shot, I still wanted to use strobes in order to really make him pop. So we ran a 20ft sync cord from my camera to the Broncolor transmitter, and set it up on top of a rock, which was in direct line of site to the strobe. Have to admit, when we first started testing, I thought the distance was going to be too far. That, and the very nature of Death Valley, seemed like it would mess with the radio frequencies between transmitter and receiver. Hoping to head back in a few weeks to push the envelope. Stay tuned. 

Nikon D800e and Polarized Nikon 70-200mm lens. Runner lit with Broncolor Move Pack and MobiLed Head. 

Click HERE to see more RUNNING images. 

 

Joseph City, Arizona

On Wednesday I started another cross-country road trip with Mojo (dog). They are always an incredible experience, with an almost therapeutic effect.  There aren't any parts of the country that I don't enjoy visiting, and Arizona is no exception. The light in AZ is just phenomenal. Rivaled only by New Mexico. I guess it's all that flat wide open space. The late day light just rakes across everything. I found this scene in Joseph City. Really awesome looking clouds until you realize it's smoke from the Cholla Power Plant. 

TRAVEL.MORE.

Rob Hammer