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.
Los Angeles Streetball Culture - Venice Beach
Venice Beach Basketball Courts & the Venice Basketball League
There are places where basketball feels bigger than the game itself, and Venice Beach Basketball Courts is one of them. The courts sit just steps from the Pacific, surrounded by noise, movement, and a constant flow of people, but once a game starts, everything narrows in. The Venice Basketball League has been played here for decades, drawing a mix of locals, pros, and travelers into something that feels equal parts competition and performance.
Where Streetball Becomes a Stage
There’s a rabid energy to these courts that you don’t find anywhere else. Games unfold with an audience just feet away—tourists, regulars, salty characters, players waiting for the next run—all watching closely. Every possession matters, but so does how it looks. Style, confidence, and presence carry as much weight as the score. Make no mistake, ball in Venice is a show!
The setting adds to it. Ocean air moves through the courts, music drifts in from the boardwalk, and the light changes quickly as the sun drops behind the horizon. It’s not just a place to play—it’s a place to be seen.
The Venice Basketball League
The Venice Basketball League has built a reputation as one of the most competitive outdoor leagues in the country. Games are physical, fast, and often unpredictable. You’ll see former college players, overseas pros, and local legends sharing the same court.
What makes it different isn’t just the level of play—it’s the environment. There’s no separation between players and spectators. The energy sits right on top of the game, and you feel it in every possession.
Basketball as a Universal Language
Over the years, I’ve photographed basketball in small towns, backyards, alleys, and places most people would never think to look. What stands out in Venice is how all of that comes together in one place.
People from all over the world pass through these courts, but the game stays the same. No introductions needed. You step on the court, and you understand the rules immediately. It’s one of the clearest examples of how basketball connects people across completely different backgrounds.
More Venice Beach Basketball Photography
Over the years I’ve linked up with Nick Ansom on a number of fun projects, including his “Survival Hoops” - a collection of hoops made from junk then hung in the alleyways of Venice.
View the hidden alley basketball hoops of Venice
Part of a Larger Project: American Backcourts
These photographs are part of a long-term body of work documenting basketball hoops and courts across the country. While much of that work focuses on quiet, overlooked places—barns, driveways, rural towns—Venice Beach sits at the opposite end of that spectrum.
It’s loud. It’s visible. It’s constantly moving.
But it’s the same game.
That contrast is what ties it all together. Whether it’s a handmade hoop in a small town or a packed court on the California coast, the feeling is consistent. The game shows up everywhere.
→ View the full collection of basketball culture photography
→ Inquire about editorial and commercial image licensing
If you’re interested in seeing how this fits into the broader series, you can view the full project here:
American Motels
It’s interesting how bodies of work tend to grow on their own over time. Motels have never been a goal or “to do” while on the road but I’m endlessly attracted to them. Not exactly sure why either. Maybe it’s their place in American culture or because of all the time I’ve personally spent in them? The images here were made as recently as last month all the way back to 2015. And the memories they give me are fun to experience again. Some of the places I stayed in and others were just a walk/drive by. During my time as a photographer, I’ve had the pleasure of staying at some of the nicest hotels in the country while shooting for clients, but also some of the worst of the worst. Both are memorable for different reasons. Always an experience though. That’s probably what I like about them. More to come from this series.
Side note: The second to last image here was made in 2015 in Gila Bend, AZ. Drove by this place last week and the hotel almost completely bulldozed.
Western Photography
Cowboy Photography - American West - Cattle Ranching
Maybe it’s the nostalgia? Maybe it’s the hats? I don’t know. However you spin it though, I appreciate everything going on in the pictures here. To really boil it down though, there are a couple factors that turn me on to this culture and lifestyle. First is the freedom. Cowboys/ranchers/farmers. Whatever you want to call them. They work their asses off, but they do so on their own terms, not someone else’s. They freelance, like me. I always say that if I’m not exhausted, dirty, or bloody by the end of a shoot, then chances are it wasn’t that much fun. And I wouldn’t dare to compare the work I do in a day to that of a cowboy, but I certainly connect with it. Another part is their “work” hasn’t changed that much since the old days. Sure there are more laws and guidelines, especially in California, but the bones of it is pretty much the same. And there’s a lot to be said for that, especially since everything else in the world changes minute by minute, and not usually for the better. The simplicity of their trade is another parallel to draw. That’s not to say that what they do is easy, because it certainly isn’t. Quite the opposite. With photography everyone is so focused on gear, gear, gear. Gotta get the latest and greatest piece of gear. Gotta light this with 12 strobes or it won’t look good! Admittedly, I was guilty of that in the past too. At a certain point though, I realized that was all about false impressions. Yes, your equipment needs to be at a certain level to operate as a professional, but that doesn’t mean you constantly need to be upgrading. Having a better camera doesn’t make you a better photographer. Hell, if you know what you’re doing, you could make an entire career with one camera and one lens. So you don't need that new 150 megapixel Medium Format bullshit. Fun to play around with? Yup. Not what matters though. Focus on making images not on the gear. That’s what I mean by simplicity. Location is the last thing I’ll mention. In general, the places where these people live and work is also something I connect with. Living in San Diego has a lot of pluses, but I’d much rather be out in the mountains or the country. It feels more like home and fits my personality/interests much more. Along with the location comes a certain type of attitude or lack there of. City people and country people are just different. No way around it. I prefer the later.
What a day this was with Spencer and Jessica of the Anderson Cattle Company (click to buy some of their beef) and their crew. Really grateful to have documented the work done by these folks. Not only was it fun, but also incredibly impressive. Watching the control they had over their horses and the way they used them as vehicles was a pleasure. That goes for the women too. They can rip. At the end of the day I asked one of the guys how long it took until he was comfortable with that sort of environment. To which he replied that you don’t, really. “Controlled chaos”. You just get use to the controlled chaos, he said. A very fair and accurate way to describe that type of event.
Something well worth noting in my opinion is that none of the people you see in these pictures were paid to be there. They are all friends of the Anderson’s and volunteered to work their asses off in the hot sun. A favor that is always returned over and over again throughout their lifetimes. On this day they helped on their ranch, but next time the Anderson’s will be the one’s lending a hand. The way life should be.
One of my favorite photographers of all time is William Albert Allard. He made a great deal of photographs in the American West documenting the lifestyle and I’d argue that nobody has ever done it better. In one of his books he talked about time spent on a ranch with some cowboys in Nevada. He asked one of the guys if he was ever afraid of being replaced by a machine. “Bill, they just ain’t come up with nothin’ yet that’ll take as much abuse as a cowboy”.
Follow along with the Anderson’s on IG @2aranchwife
Looking upstream through 11 Mile Canyon, the South Platte winds between granite domes and ponderosa pines, offering miles of classic trout water.
Fly Fishing Photography - 11 Mile Canyon - South Platte River
11 Mile Canyon Fly Fishing Photography on Colorado's South Platte River
The South Platte River has no shortage of famous stretches of water, but 11 Mile Canyon has always felt a little different to me.
Maybe it's the granite walls. Maybe it's the winding road that follows the river through the canyon. Or maybe it's because the farther you move away from the parking areas, the easier it becomes to forget how close you actually are to Denver.
These photographs were made during several days spent fishing, camping, and exploring the canyon with friends. Rather than focusing on fish counts or fishing reports, the goal was to document the experience that keeps people returning to places like this year after year.
Fly fishing road trip in a classic Bronco
Why 11 Mile Canyon Is One of Colorado's Most Photogenic Fly Fishing Destinations
Located below Eleven Mile Reservoir near Lake George, Colorado, this stretch of the South Platte River combines clear water, enormous granite boulders, steep canyon walls, and healthy trout populations.
The result is a landscape that feels uniquely Colorado.
For photographers, the canyon offers something different around every bend. Early morning light reflects off the cliffs, afternoon thunderstorms build over the ridges, and the river constantly changes character as it moves through the canyon.
It's the kind of place where you can spend an entire day with a camera and never make a cast.
A fly fisherman prepares his gear standing next to a classic Ford Bronco
Fly Fishing the South Platte River Beyond the Crowds
One of the best things about 11 Mile Canyon is that the experience changes dramatically depending on how far you're willing to walk.
The areas closest to the road are popular for good reason. Access is easy and the fishing can be excellent.
But some of my favorite photographs have come from the less-traveled sections where the canyon narrows, the crowds disappear, and the only sounds are moving water and wind through the pines.
Those stretches feel more like backcountry fishing than a roadside destination.
Massive granite walls rise directly from the South Platte River, creating one of the most scenic and recognizable stretches of fly fishing water in Colorado.
Scenic Colorado fly fishing on the South Platte River in 11 Mile Canyon
Black and white photograph of a fly fisherman in 11 Mile Canyon with storm clouds building in the distance
Camping and Fly Fishing in 11 Mile Canyon
Many anglers visit the canyon for a day trip, but staying overnight changes the pace entirely.
Spillway Campground offers easy access to the river and makes it possible to fish the morning and evening windows without spending hours driving.
The best moments often happen outside the fishing itself.
Coffee before sunrise.
Rigging rods beside camp with frozen fingers.
Afternoon rainstorms rolling through the canyon.
Drinking beer with friends around a fire after a long day on the water.
Those moments are every bit as important to the story as the fish.
Take a break on the South Platte River
Fly fisherman on a scenic section of the South Platte River in 11 Mile Canyon, Colorado
Photographing the Culture of Fly Fishing
One reason I've continued photographing fly fishing for so many years is that the sport extends far beyond the act of catching trout.
Road trips.
No cell service.
Off the grid camping.
Stories.
The unknown and unexpected.
Places like 11 Mile Canyon provide the backdrop, but the people and culture surrounding the sport are what continue to draw me back.
Fly fisherman walking through a tunnel in 11 Mile Canyon, Colorado
Netting a trout on the South Platte River
Part of a Larger Colorado Fly Fishing Photography Project
These images are part of an ongoing body of work documenting fly fishing across Colorado and the American West.
Additional locations include:
Each river has its own character, but the goal remains the same: documenting real anglers in real places rather than staged outdoor imagery.
Black and white photograph of a fly fisherman netting a trout on the South Platte River
Boulder hopping in 11 Mile Canyon
Fallen timber, polished granite, and swift current create the kind of structure that makes every run in 11 Mile Canyon worth fishing carefully.
Fly Fishing Photography Prints and Licensing
Many of the photographs from 11 Mile Canyon are available as fine art prints for homes, offices, lodges, and fly fishing enthusiasts.
View the collection of fly fishing prints
The collection is also available for editorial and commercial licensing for outdoor brands, publications, tourism organizations, and advertising agencies.
For print or licensing inquiries, contact me directly at rob@robhammerphotography.com.
Early morning fly fishing in 11 Mile Canyon
Afternoon rainstorm in Colorado
Fly fishing in 11 Mile Canyon is often less about covering water and more about slowing down, reading the current, and appreciating the landscape around you.
End of the fishing day - 11 Mile Canyon
American Road Trip
Fresh off another lap around America as is the custom this time of year. Last year being the exception of course because of COVID. Spent plenty of time on the road in 2020, but wasn’t able to go back east to be with family on Cape Cod for the first time in I don’t even know how long. Made this year extra special. These trips are so important to me. Not just because I’m able to see family, but also because the time alone out on the road allows the head to clear and leads to so much growth as a person and as a photographer. Some days it feels like you drove 1,000 miles and didn’t come up with a single picture that’s worth a damn. There’s been times I’ve gotten all the way to the east coast and questioned whether I made a single image I’d be proud to share. That in itself is a lesson worth learning. Just knowing that it’s so hard to mentally process what you’re seeing and what you’ve made out of it. The amount of visual stimulation received from 15-20 hours a day on the road is incomprehensible. All the while making decisions on what is and what isn’t a photograph. That’s part of what I love about it though. The not knowing. Not having a plan but trusting that you will find what you’re looking for regardless of what you feel at the time. That’s fun. Reacting to the environment around you which is constantly changing. For me there is nothing more invigorating.
People always ask if I have a plan or a route for these trips and the answer is no. The only thing that is generally guaranteed to be on the agenda is food. BBQ, specifically, which will determine the direction but not the route. This time it was Texas BBQ. Kreuz Market in Lockhart. They’ve been slinging world class smoked meat since 1901. It was a great stop in both the food and photo category as they allowed me to hang out for a bit to make some images before standing in line for 45 minutes to eat. Other than that, the trip east was wide open.
If you look at the map of my route, one direction is much different from the other. That’s because 3 commercial shoots came up last minute that I couldn’t turn down. So the trip west was cut much shorter than expected. Not ideal but it’s happened before and will surely happen again. Knowing that you have to cover 3,000+/- miles in such a limited time can be quite stressful. Mostly because you know it leaves very opportunity to explore and make images. My experience though, is that this actually leads to great you wouldn’t otherwise be presented with. Try as I might, bee-lining it across the country just isn’t possible. I’m too taken with things that come into my vision and am forced to make images of them. This is great, but it also consumes a lot of time. On the last day of travel before the first shoot I needed to drive 22 hours straight in order to arrive on set at the designated call time with just a little extra left for a couple frames and a shower to freshen up. So I drove through the night which put me in the Nevada desert as the sun was rising. Most people think of Nevada as a fly over state or that place where Vegas lives. I’ve truly grown to love it there photographically. It’s so interesting. Especially out in the middle of nowhere, which is where I found myself at sunrise and wound up making my favorite image(s) of the whole trip. Another lesson learned. Thank you, road.
Check back soon for images from this trip
Lake Tahoe Photography
Street Photography - South Lake Tahoe - California
Another edition of making time to shoot for yourself. There’s a book title in there somewhere actually. Had some free time on a multi-day commercial shoot up in Tahoe recently and put it to good use walking around the neighborhoods making street photographs. Specifically these are from South Lake Tahoe which has changed quite a bit since my first visit there 10-ish years ago. Not my favorite ski town, but damn is it gorgeous. Unbelievably so. When you take the time to get out and see the lake and all that comes with it, you’re appreciation for the place as a whole completely changes. It’s not a town where you could spend a lot of time unless your days are spent recreationally doing any of the countless activities that the lake/mountains offer. All that said, I’m starting to love it there.
Street Basketball Art - Venice Beach
The Hidden Hoops of Venice Beach: Basketball Art in the Alleyways
Just a few blocks away from the oceanfront courts of Venice Beach, a different kind of basketball exists. Tucked into alleyways and mounted to the sides of telephone poles and back walls, these hoops are built from scrap wood, bent metal, and whatever materials happen to be on hand. They aren’t part of any official court or league—they’re improvised, functional, and entirely rooted in the creativity of the neighborhood.
These photographs document a series of handmade basketball hoops throughout Venice—objects that blur the line between sport, necessity, and art.
Basketball Hoops Built from Junk: Functional Street Art
Nick Ansom is at the helm of the Venice Basketball League. He is responsible for all the creative energy and growth that happens locally as well as across the country and overseas. If you haven’t seen what he’s done with the Hoop Bus, check it out. Very impressive. I linked up with Nick a while back because of our obvious shared interest in basketball. Yet another example of personal projects leading to fun outcomes/relationships. COVID was a strange time for the VBL because it literally couldn’t happen. The city put a device on all the rims that prohibited play. As the saying goes though, Basketball Never Stops. Instead of sitting around crying about it, Nick put his energy into another creative endeavor - Survival Hoops. Along with another artist friend Lori Powers, they started creating hoops out of junk. It started small, but after a while they had built and hung 100+ beautifully weird hoops all over the alleys of Venice Beach. About a month ago we linked up and documented their work. I really enjoyed seeing what they had created and am honored to be part of a piece of basketball culture. It would be easy to write this project off as someone just being bored and having time to kill during a pandemic. You would be wrong though. What they created is much bigger than that. It’s well thought out, deliberate, and has brought a lot of happiness not just to the people who have played on them, but also to the locals in Venice that walk by these hoops every day. And hopefully now it will be preserved in some kind of document for people to see years from now.
A Different Side of Venice Beach Basketball
Most people associate Venice Beach Basketball Courts with loud rowdy games, eccentric locals, and a constant flow of tourist spectators looking for a show. But the game doesn’t stop at the edge of the courts.
It continues in quieter places—out of view, away from the crowds—where the structure of the game is stripped down to its simplest form: a hoop, a ball, and a small piece of space to play.
These alleyway hoops reflect that side of basketball. Informal, resourceful, and entirely local.
Part of the American Backcourts Project
These photographs are part of a long-term body of work documenting basketball hoops across the United States. Over the past 15 years, the project has focused on the overlooked places where the game exists—rural driveways, barns, small towns, and improvised courts like these in Venice.While the settings change, the idea remains the same: basketball shows up wherever people find a way to build a hoop.
View the American Backcourts series
Collecting Basketball Hoop Photography Prints
A selection of these photographs is available as fine art prints, produced on museum-grade paper for collectors, interior designers, and spaces looking to incorporate basketball culture in a more understated way.
View the full Basketball Hoop Photography collection here
See More Venice Beach Basketball
While these alleyway hoops offer a quieter perspective, the main courts of Venice Beach remain one of the most iconic places to watch and play the game.
Survival Hoops - Venice Beach, California by Nick Ansom
DIY Basketball Hoop - Golden Girls Mural
Creative basketball hoop hung on a telephone pole in Venice, CA
Basketball hoop with LA Dodgers logo made with a bucket and wood
Basketball Hoop Art - Venice Beach
Basketball hoop made from bike parts
Art Hoop - Venice, CA
Venice Beach Alley Basketball Hoop
Surfboard basketball hoop - Venice Beach
Junk art basketball hoop
Artistic basketball hoop
Artistic homemade basketball hoop
Area 52
Black Lives Matter - Venice Beach
Alley basketball hoop - Venice Beach, CA
Venice Beach basketball hoop
Youth Basketball - Venice Beach
Milk crate basketball hoop
Basketball hoop made from an old wheelchair
Basketball hoop made from a Weber Grill
Nick Ansom and Lori Powers - Creators of Survival Hoops in Venice Beach, CA
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.
Observations From The Streets of San Francisco
Walking San Francisco: Photographing Architecture, Texture, and the Street
San Francisco is a city that reveals itself slowly. The longer you walk, the more the streets begin to feel less like routes and more like a series of surfaces, shapes, and quiet visual relationships. These photographs were made during unstructured walks through different neighborhoods, paying attention to buildings, streets, and the way light interacts with the built environment.
This work approaches San Francisco street photography as a study of place rather than activity. Many of the images are absent of people, allowing architecture, texture, and atmosphere to carry the frame. The goal isn’t to describe the city, but to observe it as it exists when nothing is being asked of it.
Architecture as the Subject
In these photographs, buildings are not backdrops — they are the subject. Facades, windows, doors, walls, and corners become compositional elements that speak quietly about time and use. Paint fades unevenly. Materials weather differently. Lines repeat and break across blocks.
San Francisco’s architecture holds a visible record of change. Older structures sit alongside newer ones, often within the same frame. By focusing on these details, the photographs document how the city holds its history in plain sight, without nostalgia or commentary.
Texture, Light, and Stillness
Much of this work is rooted in stillness. Cracked sidewalks, layered paint, utility lines, and signage form subtle visual rhythms that are easy to miss when moving quickly. Light plays a critical role — cutting sharply across facades, flattening surfaces in fog, or revealing detail through shadow.
Walking through San Francisco, these elements repeat and evolve. Neighborhoods shift, but certain textures remain constant. The photographs are made by waiting for those small moments when surface, structure, and light briefly align.
Street Photography as Observation
There is no attempt here to explain the city or impose a narrative. The photographs function as visual notes — fragments gathered while paying attention. By stepping away from gesture and event, the work allows the city’s atmosphere to remain unresolved.
Seen collectively, these images offer a restrained way of looking at San Francisco: through its streets, its surfaces, and the quiet spaces that exist whether or not anyone is watching.
Explore the Complete San Francisco Street Photography Gallery
This ongoing archive of architectural and urban street photography documents neighborhoods, textures, and the visual atmosphere of San Francisco.
View the Full Gallery
Related Content
Bright, Natural Fitness Photography for Active Brands
Real Smiles, Real Sweat: Fitness Photography with a Bright Vibe
Not every fitness shoot has to be gritty and intense. Sometimes, what a brand really needs is a visual story that feels approachable, fresh, and full of life.
This blog post is a little collection of recent fitness images that lean into that lighter side—bright colors, natural light, real smiles, and real movement. These sessions are all about capturing people who genuinely love being active, whether that’s a high-energy group workout in the park or a personal trainer laughing between sets with a client.
Most of these images were shot using natural light and strobes to feel natural but polished, and I focused on letting moments unfold rather than forcing poses. When the energy is right, you don't need to fake anything. Real interaction and movement always look better than anything staged.
Whether you're a fitness brand looking to launch your next campaign, a local Denver trainer updating your website, or a gym owner who wants to show the personality behind the brand—this is the kind of work that speaks to people.
Bright. Positive. Real.
If your brand leans toward the uplifting, inclusive, and empowering side of fitness, I’d love to help tell that story with visuals that feel like your community.
Let’s make something that feels good - rob@robhammerphotography.com
McKittrick Oil Field
A lot of people are under the impression that California is all sunny beaches, when really a great deal of it is made up of farms, desert, and desolate land like you see here at the McKittrick Oil Fields. To be honest, I had no idea that they even existed until stumbling on them a few weeks ago during a trip up to San Francisco for a commercial shoot. These images go into the “reaction” category, as this certainly wasn’t something I set out to photograph. Most of the images from my “America” series are that way. Although over time it’s become obvious that a factor which often attracts me is disruptions. This scene is a textbook example. The way these oil fields and all the equipment disrupt an otherwise natural and beautiful scene is shocking. It’s also a shame. Lot of money to made there though, so it’s not going to stop. Beyond the obvious things in the images though, scenes like this always make me curious about the lives of the people who work and live here.
Street Photography - San Diego
San Diego Photo Gallery
Trying to be better about posting more of all the different genres of my photographs here on the blog, and that includes commercial work. Here are some street photographs made in downtown San Diego over the past few months over several sessions. Still trying to pull this whole project together in a cohesive way. Not sure how to do that as the body of images has grown so large that I don’t even know where to begin. Way back in say 2015 when this series started I was calling it “The Lajolla Poject” because I only intended on focusing this series on the streets/neighborhoods of LaJolla. Now it’s spanned all the way up to San Francisco. Time for a long talk with a photo consultant.
Street Photography San Francisco
San Francisco Photo Gallery
From a few hours of aimless wondering around one of the worlds great cities - San Francisco. Feel so grateful to have a client up there that I shoot for on a fairly regular basis, and am always sure to make some free time to squeeze in some street photography. Would love to rent an AirBnB in the city for a couple months just to continue this series. The city has so much character and texture that I’m not sure there would be a point where I’d grow tired of photographing it. Wish I felt the same way about San Diego.
Click HERE to see images of San Francisco from the last trip.
Fly Fishing the Owens River
Owens River Fly Fishing
Mammoth Lakes, California - Winter
Some time over the past couple months has been spent archiving my library of images which is a hell of a process. Sorta seems like moving houses in that you have no idea how many stuff you’ve accumulated over the years until it’s necessary to move it. Archiving my library is daunting but necessary. Should have been doing it all along. A lesson I’ve learned during this process is how easy it is to forget about images once they sit on hard drives for a certain period of time. Life goes on. You get busy. Commercial shooting and other paying projects get put on the front burner. So now I’m faced with having to archive 10+ years of imagery onto a separate site that will allow the images to be licensed instead of collecting dust on a shelf. That aside, it brings a lot of joy to see images from trips past that I haven’t looked at since they happened. Also brings the thought of travel to the forefront and what COVID has done to the possibility of doing it at all. Internationally at least.
The images you see here are from a camping trip last year to Lone Pine, CA in the Alabama Hills. On the way out we hit the Owens River briefly to see if there were any trout hanging out in a particular section we’d never been to. Turns out, there weren’t……
Click HERE for an archive of fly fishing imagery which will is still a work in progress and always will be as my library continues to grow.
San Diego Magazine -Hiking and Biking
San Diego Hiking Trails
Fun assignment a month or two back for San Diego Magazine shooting the cover/feature for their Hiking and Biking issue which seems to be a recurring thing for me. It’s been a great way to get out into parts of San Diego that I’ve never seen before. The cover “model” was Karlene Chavis - Chief Meteorologist for CBS 8. She a big hiker and was awesome to shoot/talk with during the couple hours we were out on the trail. It never gets old interacting with the real person that you don’t get to see/know on TV. I’m not at all implying that she is fake while doing the news, but there is only so much a person can do during their live broadcast. And when someone is on television, the public develops a persona for them and they are expected to always act a certain way. So whenever you’re able to see a newscaster, athlete, celebrity, etc. as just normal, not someone putting on a facade, it’s quite refreshing.
Click here to see more of my adventure photography
San Diego Magazine - Best hiking trails in San Diego
Basketball Never Stops
Basketball during Covid-19
It’s hard getting people to stop playing basketball. They will find a way. These image are from a court in south east San Diego during Covid that were shut down for obvious reasons. Still though, people wanted to ball and wouldn’t let anything stop them. Hard to get angry at that. They climbed the fences, went through the holes, whatever it took. So the city had to take further measures. No doubt they were only temporary solutions. Basketball never stops.
Colina Del Sol - San Diego
Basketball hoop with a chained padlock on it - San Diego, CA
ROAD TRIP
Hopefully I’m wrong but this is probably the last road trip of the winter. If that’s the case, I’m thankful it was so productive. Started with some personal shooting, then a commercial shoot in Nevada, more personal shooting, and then some incredible snowboarding with friends in the San Juan’s. Really grateful for all of it, but also hate saying goodbye to winter. It’s never long enough. Or maybe I’m just greedy?
Fitness Photographer for Wellness Brands
Authentic Campaign Photography for Health, Fitness & Supplement Brands
Some shoots stick with you—and this one definitely did.
This project was created for GNC, shot at Unbreakable Performance Center in Los Angeles. The goal was to create strong, authentic visual content that aligned with GNC’s mission: fueling strength, inside and out. The story behind the people in front of the camera made that mission come to life in a powerful way.
One of the athletes featured was Kirstie Ennis, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, amputee, and all-around badass. She's an adaptive athlete, mountaineer, and motivational speaker—and someone whose presence in front of the camera is both powerful and humbling. She doesn’t just show strength—she redefines it.
Alongside her was Jay Glazer, founder of Unbreakable and a force in both the sports and wellness worlds. His gym is home to elite athletes, fighters, and celebrities—but more than that, it’s a space that’s all about building both physical and mental toughness.
For this shoot, I focused on clean, brand-forward imagery with impact. We used Unbreakable’s raw and gritty environment as a backdrop, while keeping the lighting and compositions sharp and intentional. The visuals had to reflect real movement, real muscle, and real power—because that’s what the brand (and these subjects) are all about.
If you're a nutrition or wellness brand looking for visuals that feel grounded in real people, real athletes, and real stories—I’d love to talk. Whether your shoot calls for high-performance energy or quiet strength, I bring the same mix of professionalism, collaboration, and grit to every project.
Pasquale The Barber
Life has a tendency to take over. I don’t mean that as a bad thing, but it certainly has a natural way of pushing certain things to the side. Maybe it’s just priorities? Who knows. If the downtime caused by COVID has been good for anything though, it’s been a recalculation of what’s important and what isn’t. For me, I’ve been happy to unearth some projects from the archives that haven’t ever seen the light of day. This doc we did on Pasquale The Barber is one of those projects. It was so much fun in a lot of ways, one being that it’s my first time “directing” a video production. I use those terms lightly though because it was a very small personal production between myself and cameraman Jordan Valente. I’ve know Pasquale for years now, ever since photographing him at his shop for the 1st barbershop book way back in 2011(?). This video was shot in 2018, but got buried on a hard drive when life and other commercial projects took over. The only real downside of waiting so long to put this together is that “Pat” has since retired and moved into a senior home. Fortunately we were able to track down his son who was able to play the documentary for him on his computer at the facility. And I’m told he enjoyed it very much. Cheers to Pasquale and all the other old school barbers still carrying on the tradition.
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