One of my pet peeves is when people use the excuse of being “too busy”. They can’t do this or that because they are too busy. They can’t exercise because they “don’t have enough time”. Whatever it is, there’s an excuse. What people should say though, is that the particular thing you’re questioning them about “isn’t a priority”. That’s more accurate. Otherwise it’s just a bullshit excuse. I have so much work that’s been made over the past year+ that I’ve been meaning to post on the blog, but it hasn’t been a priority. Two posts down from this one is about an 8,000+ mile road trip I did and still haven’t posted about. Now I’m posting about another road trip, and who knows when I’ll get around to posting images from it? Another reason is because I’m trying to figure out the balance of posting/not posting images when they will be involved in something bigger than the blog. I’m currently working on a few book projects and would prefer to have a lot of the content fresh for the book releases. Is that wrong? Better to just post and get the imagery out there? Who knows. There is no right answer I suppose. Either way, my priorities have been in other places than the blog, but I’m trying to be better.
Stone Cold Steve Austin
WWE has been a somewhat steady client over the past 8 or so years. Shooting for them is always entertaining. They are after all in the entertainment business. Admittedly, I’m not much of a wrestling fan anymore, but definitely was growing up. And the person I was a biggest fan of towards the end was Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Texas Rattlesnake. So it was a lot of fun shooting on the set of his show a few months ago. The thing I always appreciated about him was that he always did his own thing. He wasn’t looking for approval. If you liked what he was about, then great. If not, that’s fine too. Fast forward to 2019, and he still has that same attitude to a certain extent. He started his own show so he could do things his way. And watching him do his thing was cool to see. On the show he interviewed The Undertaker, another WWE legend that I enjoyed as a kid. On set though, you get to see that just like every other celebrity athlete, they are just people. On TV they are literally larger than life. Off TV they are still enormous, but still just people. Over the years I’ve shot with a number of elite celebrity athletes like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Most of the time though, they are guarded by people in their crew that are paid to keep people away from them. So for the most part, they come to set, do their business and get out. On the show, it was just a couple guys hanging out, drinking, and bullshitting about old times. Very humanizing. Very candid. After the show we were hanging around on set where Steve has a bar. Everybody was drinking a couple beers and I told the producer that this is a show everyone can watch. Not just wrestling fans because it’s show where two guys have a real conversation. It’s not two famous wrestlers. Just two guys. Looking forward to another one.
Travel
Travel is one of the greatest things anyone could ever do for themselves. It pushes you and forces you to learn in ways that you never expected. It’s also just a hell of a lot of fun. I’m fortunate to travel quite a bit, especially this time of year, and feel very grateful to have completed the this most recent trip. It started out in San Diego with the road trip I do every year at this time with Mojo back to New York to see family for Xmas. In between the focus is always shooting of course, but family is the end goal. After NY, Emily and I then flew to Europe for two weeks, which included time in Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, and the UK. It was a vacation for us, but I realized long ago that I’m never truly on a vacation as most people would think of it. I might not be out shooting for clients, but I’m still shooting. Focusing on bodies of work that will eventually grow into their own thing and one day be part of my business. Anyway, after returning from Europe, Mojo and I got back in the truck and drove to west to San Diego. All told this was a 30 day chunk of time and I haven’t yet gone through all the images, but I’m very happy with what I’ve seen so far. Stay tuned for the selects….
Click HERE to see some images from previous road trips across America
Fly Fishing The Colorado River - Photography
Colorado River Fly Fishing
Bunch of random images from a fly fishing trip on the Colorado River. Great times out there. Can’t wait to get back. It’s no secret that fly fishing is a relaxing sport, but it still not lost on me the effect a river can have on your brain. No matter how much time you spend out there, where it’s 30 minutes or 3 days, you’re a different person afterwards.
Road Trip
Have been all over the place lately and thus slacking on the blog. Most recently wrapped up a road trip out to Colorado and back. Had a great meeting in Santa Fe. Spent some QT with friends for Thanksgiving. And managed to spend a lot of time out on the river. The last day was really the icing on the cake though. We went out split boarding in the morning and then by the afternoon we were fly fishing. Colorado is the best. Will be posting images from this trip soon.
The Drake Magazine
The Drake Magazine
Fly Fishing Photography
As a photographer I’m very confident in my abilities but rarely fully satisfied with results, always thinking they could be better. Which, in my opinion, is a positive thing. This is one of the rare exceptions that I was very satisfied with an image, so to see it go to a great home is also very gratifying. If you know fly fishing then you know The Drake Magazine and it’s high standards for writing and photography. They aren’t like most other publications that just post pics of people holding the big fish they just caught. You also have to appreciate their style of shit talking to the rest of the industry. They know their niche. In the upper right corner of every cover it reads “Seven bucks. $14 for bait fisherman”. The other thing that makes me really happy about this shot is it was made during a great day on the river with friends, not a set-up photo shoot.
Click here to order a copy of The Drake or hit me up if you’d like a print.
Outdoor Fitness Photography for Athletic Brands: New Balance Track Campaign
Real Athletes. Real Action. Campaign-Level Sports Photography for New Balance
When New Balance reached out to collaborate on a campaign shoot in Los Angeles, the goal was clear: showcase their latest gear—sneakers, track pants, shirts, and shorts—on real athletes, in motion, in the environment where performance matters most.
We shot on location at an outdoor track and surrounding areas, using only natural light to create a clean, authentic feel. The athletes? Professional sprinters and runners, each one bringing real intensity and movement to the images. The result: visuals that feel powerful, vibrant, and honest—perfectly aligned with the New Balance brand.
The images were used across all platforms, from social media and web to digital ads and print. It was a collaborative process from the start, with clear art direction from the New Balance team and a shared focus on delivering visual content that felt both elevated and real.
This is the kind of work I love—translating performance and athletic identity into commercial imagery that brands can actually use to connect with their audience.
If you're a brand looking for high-impact, athlete-driven visuals—let’s talk. Whether you're launching a new product or building out a full campaign, I bring the same attention to detail, collaboration, and creative consistency that brands like New Balance rely on.
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.
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.
Barbershop Los Angeles
Los Angeles Barbershop - Photography
Traditional Barbershop - Old School
People were always saying “Oh, you haven’t been to Vinny’s in Los Angeles? You have to go check out Vinny’s”. Heard that constantly, and after reaching out a couple times with no response, I remember thinking “they must just be a bunch of LA assholes”. Thankfully, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Like most barbers, the crew is a solid bunch of guys that like to have fun and probably don’t pay much attention to random emails from unknown photographers. Omar Romero is the owner, who not only put together an extremely slick shop, but also might be the owner of the best head of hair you’ll see on a human being. Seriously. As you’ll see from the exterior shot, it’s a very unique place. It occupies the bottom floor of a building in what I can only assume used to be two different apartments. What I love the most is that they kept the entrance the same, in that there are different doors for each side of the shop. Omar and all his guys are also one of the only crews around that dress from head to toe in uniforms. How’s that for carrying on tradition?
Follow Omar on Instagram @omarthebarber and the shop @vinnys_barbershop
Click here to check out “Barbershops of America”
Click here to read the last Q&A from The Proper Barbershop.
“….we should all be grateful for people walking in to our shops. They don’t owe us crap….
1) Where are you from and what did you do prior to becoming a barber?
I’m originally from Ensenada Baja California but I grew up in South San Diego, CA.
Before becoming a barber I had varies odd jobs. Bus boy, server, did landscaping and worked almost every summer with my dad. He’s a retired Truck driver.
2) How did you get into barbering?
it all started with watching Cry-Baby and I love Lucy... I know it sound cliché but it’s true. I’d also watch early Elvis with his amazing hair! I loved hair instantly. I was 8 when I started to appreciate good hair in cinema and magazines. When I got to middle school i always wanted a proper haircut but to my surprise it was almost non existent. It would frustrate me and made me start researching more about the whole barbering world. I soon realized that it wasn’t just about a haircut. More of a tradition that I grew to obsess over! I would instantly be defensive when I’d set foot in a barber shop, always knowing that I would be disappointed. I realized that people who were barbers at that point (mid 90s) were just doing it for a quick buck. As soon as I realized that, I started manifesting this idea of a shop with charm of yesteryear but efficiency of modern times.
At 16 1/2 I met my mentor, Mr. Ralph Upshaw and his son Rick Upshaw. They opened their doors to me and and they got me on the right path. It was far for me so I decided to stay in San Diego and finish my hours at Associated Barber College.
3) What was your experience at Sweeney Todd's like?
It was a very important experience!
Without going there I wouldn’t have learned the importance of structure. I have always been a stickler about a clean shop. Even if the shop was owned by people whom didn’t care much about keeping tidy.
Todd Lahman showed me that taking pride in being a barber was something special. That IT IS a real job and it must be treated as such.
4) What did you take away from Sween's that is in place at Vinny's?
Again, structure and consistency
5) The building that Vinny's occupies is quite unique for a barbershop. Do you know the history of it? Why did you choose that building?
All I know is that it was built in 1917 and it’s been many different store fronts.
I chose that building, honestly for convenience. I used to live down the street because it was so cheap in that neighborhood (at the time).
I saw it up for rent for over a year and I needed to do something quick. After I left Sweeneys I had a “speak easy” barber shop behind Golden Saddle Cyclery in Silverlake. They shared a space in the back with our local comic book store “Secret Headquarters”. My friends David Pifer and David Ritchie (owners of SHQ) gave me a spot there and I rented for 1 year. I had to make my business legit...
6) There are a lot of solid shops in LA. How was it opening your shop in Silverlake?
It was fine. There are a lot of shops in LA and I knew that going in, but I didn’t let that hold me back. I decided to put my head down and just plow forward. I figured if we give the public genuine/ sincere service that we won’t have to worry about competition. There is so many people that need cuts! I won’t allow myself to have hang ups like every shop owner I had ever worked with.
2 of my guys just opened up a shop each about 2 miles away from Vinny’s. Beautiful shops, and I couldn’t be prouder or happier. Víctor Bañuelos opened Elysian Barber Shop (@elysianbarbershop) and Arya Abarghoei opened Victory Barber Co. (@victory_barber_company)
7) What do you get into outside of the shop?
I love cycling, making music, camping and Bodyboarding
Tell me more about the music
I started music right before I decided to stick to barbering. I thought it would be a good fit.I figured I could cut hair anywhere I traveled to.I’ve been part of a independent label for almost 20 years now. ‘WILD Records’ (@wildrecords). I record most of the acts on it and I also currently perform with my band Omar & The Stringpoppers.
8) Biggest lesson you've learned as a barber turned shop owner?
Grown men are very fragile..... (customers) hahaha.
Expand on that
if a person shows up late to their appointment and we have to skip their turn, they get bent out of shape and take it personal, not realizing that the next person after them is probably on a lunch break or a tight schedule.
Or if you “squeeze” them in they take it as a personal attack and throw in your face that they pay or tip well.
To me it’s not about the tip or the money (don’t get me wrong, I NEED money), but it’s about running a well oiled machine. Respecting every customer that helps feed my children.
9) There are 10(?) chairs at Vinny's. What is the key to managing all those barbers?
I think the key is to listen to the people renting out the chairs. If they have input, hear them out. A lot of times they have better ideas than I do.
Respect their stations, lockers, knick knacks etc...
Also, the biggest one- lead by example!!!! I can’t stress that enough.
I hate shop owners that want to be the “Boss”
Be a leader. Roll your sleeves up and get things done.
At the end of the day, when the barbers start leaving the nest, you’ll be left without your “minions” to do your “dirty work”.
Get in a good habit to show your crew that we all have to have each other’s backs and that we all have the same greater good goal...
10) Vinny's is one of the only shops I see where the barbers are wearing uniform tops, bottoms, and shoes. Can you talk about your decision do that and why you run your shop the way you do?
Reason for uniforms is because I feel that if you put on the uniform it makes you feel professional, clean and well put together. I felt like it is important that when patrons walk through our doors they see our staff and recognize that we in fact work here and are ready to serve you.I used to cut hair in regular clothes and always felt like I was rushing through haircuts or wasn’t fully invested in the days work. As if I was just in for a few and then had to rush out.
Besides- walking around with other people’s hair all day long is just not for me. Haha.
Once you throw the uniform on it feels like you’re the one in charge of your station and service.
11) Random thoughts on what you do.....
Yeah, we should all be grateful for people walking in to our shops. They don’t owe us crap! In fact without them we won’t eat. So stay grounded! Respect everyone and the rest will fall in place.
Museum of Photographic Arts - San Diego
People might get sick of hearing me say this but it doesn’t matter - I’m a huge advocate for photographers personal projects. And in my opinion, if you’re not working on at least one then you’re doing yourself a disservice. Barbershops of America is one of my longest running personal projects. Since starting it almost 8 years ago it has sort of taken on a life of its own. Leading to many friendships and commercial work with a lot of like minded people/companies. I really love this project and have no plan on stopping, so being asked to talk at MOPA earlier this month was a huge honor. Really enjoyed presenting and was great to see people who have never heard about the project having a genuine interest in the images/story/book. Hope to do something like this again soon.
American Photography
Photographing America - Road Trip
Suppose the only way to describe this set of images is quirky? If you come up with something better, let me know. They were all made on a recent road trip from San Diego to Colorado and back. This kind of shooting wasn’t the main focus, but it is always a focus while on the road. Did a lot of with the 50mm, which has been sitting on a shelf for the better part of 5+ years. Odd how you fall in and out of love with different lenses. Could have cared less about it for these last 5+ years, now I can’t get enough of it.
Kings Club Barbershop - Dana Point, California
Best Barbershop in Dana Point, California
Americana - Barbershop Photography
It’s been so long since I sat down with the guys at Kings Club Barbershop to record this thing that I don’t really remember much of what we talked about. I do recall that it was a great time, but it was also completely unfiltered, so you might wanna skip it if you’re offended easily. Either way, they are a great group of guys (and barbers) that you should hit up if you’re in the Dana Point area and need a cut. Beautiful shop too. I’ve known them since way back when I first started shooting for this project in 2012-ish and they’ve been in both books. The shop has been through a lot since then, including a fire that completely destroyed the place, so it was cool to catch up with them to talk about everything that has happened since we first met.
ROAD TRIP
Just wrapped up another road trip, and like every one before, it was amazing for many different reasons. For me as a person and a photographer, there is nothing better than being out by myself on the road. The freedom and lack of influence by other people is the best. This one was a bit shorter than my usual coast to coast trip done this time of year. I drove out to Colorado and did quite a bit of shooting for various projects/reasons, as well as visiting friends to do some camping, mountain biking, and white water rafting. More from all of this soon.
Commercial Fishing - San Diego
Posted a similar batch of images from this series a few month back, maybe even half a year ago. In that post I talked about the need to live with images for while before you realize what you had seen during the shoot, what’s good, and what’s shit. Went back a week ago and looked at that gallery of images and decided I did not like them at all, and one of the reasons is because they were all black and white. After seeing one of the images by chance in color, it occurred to me that the subtle colors of the locations that translate in the images are very effective. They are real and tell a good story. My appreciation for more subtle colors is growing quite a bit. Especially after spending time on Instagram and seeing how people feel the need to have everything perfect. Perfect isn’t real.
Best Distillery in Los Angeles
Dead of Night Distillery
Craft Spirits - Los Angeles
It seems that most people think of gin as that nasty pine needle tasting liquor that your grandfather had at his house. And I used to think the same thing. 6 months ago if you offered me a gin drink, I would have ignorantly turned it down thinking that all gin just tastes like floor cleaner. Dead of Night Distillery has completely changed my mind though. I’ve always been a beer guy, never much for liquor, but tasting this gin and the cocktails made with it, has me singing a different tune. Really great stuff and i’m excited to see where this recently opened distillery goes. If you’re anywhere in the Los Angeles and looking for spirits to make great craft cocktails, look up where to buy Dead of Night’s products. Aside from their vodka, gin, and rum, the head distiller also creates incredible small batch experimental spirits like limoncello, aquavit, and amaro.
Follow them on Instagram @dead_of_night_distilery or go to their WEBSITE.
Best place to fly fish in Mammoth, California
Fly fishing in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Mammoth Lakes, CA.
Read MoreCleveland Photo Gallery
Cleveland, Ohio Street Photography - America
If we’re being honest, I’ve lived my whole life under the assumption that Cleveland is a complete shithole. Have probably passed it on the road 20 times for that very reason. Was out there a few weeks ago for a commercial shoot and was not only pleasantly surprised, but felt like an idiot for those assumptions. It might be one of the cleanest “cities” in America. It’s hardly big enough to classify as a city like New York or Chicago, but damn it is clean. Shockingly so. Any time I’m in a place for a commercial shoot I make it a point to get out and do some shooting for myself as well. It’s a great way to relax and learn more about the place you’re in. After a couple hours of walking around, my opinion was completely changed. Also noticed immediately that the people there are incredibly nice. Like, go out their way for you nice. It just felt like a very hospitable place. Cheers to you, Cleveland.
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.
Project Backboard
Community basketball court renovations
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!
Smitty's Market
Best BBQ in Lockhart, TX
Smitty’s Market
I love BBQ. Everything about it. The smell. The taste. The smoke. The buildings. The pits. The process. Even the meat sweats. There really isn’t anything about BBQ I don’t like. Even take a lot of enjoyment out of the different sides that each place serves. Since I started road tripping X amount of years ago, there really hasn’t been a single one that didn’t involve BBQ in some way. That usually means eating it, but I’ve also began documenting it whenever possible, which obviously leads to eating afterward. Win win. Smitty’s down in Texas is as beautiful a BBQ joint as you’ll find anywhere. When you work up a mental picture of old school Texas BBQ in your head, Smitty’s is probably it, or damn close. Their pit room is the kind of thing I see in my dreams. Mouth watering smells, heavy smoke, and dark bricks that have been crusted over from cooking with fire for years and years. Smitty’s is the real deal. Love how the chopping block which was once a flat top is now worn in from endless hours of cutting and serving meats. I could hang out here forever……if there weren’t so many other good BBQ joints to explore.
FYI: If you visit Smitty’s get the sausage.
Contact me if you’d like a print for your home, office, or commercial space - rob@robhammerphotography.com
