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.

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 Backcourts

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.

Click here to see more of my American photography

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

More Western Cowboy Photographer here

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.

Photograph of two friends on a fly fishing road trip in a classic truck

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.

Scenic Colorado fly fishing on the South Platte River in 11 Mile Canyon

Black and white photograph of a fly fisherman on the South Platte River with dramatic storm clouds in the background

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.

A fly fisherman takes a break on a rock to tie on a fly in 11 Mile Canyon

Take a break on the South Platte River

A fly fisherman casting into a scenic section of 11 Mile Canyon surrounded by beautiful granite walls

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.

Photograph of a fly fisherman walking through a rock runnel in 11 Mile Canyon

Fly fisherman walking through a tunnel in 11 Mile Canyon, Colorado

Black and white photograph of a fly fisherman netting a trout in front of large granite walls

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 photo of a fly fisherman in 11 Mile Canyon with a large trout in his net

Black and white photograph of a fly fisherman netting a trout on the South Platte River

A fly fisherman hopping from boulder to boulder in 11 Mile Canyon, Colorado

Boulder hopping in 11 Mile Canyon

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.

A fly fisherman casting into early morning light on the South Platte River in 11 Mile Canyon

Early morning fly fishing in 11 Mile Canyon

A rain storm in 11 Mile Canyon

Afternoon rainstorm in Colorado

Photograph of two friends putting their fly rods into a roof top holder at sunset in a scenic mountain location

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

Click here to see “America” images from previous trips.

Bull Sale - Nevada

Bull Sale Photography

Been spending a lot of time up in Nevada outside of Lake Tahoe for a commercial client, but it’s grown into a lot more than that. I really enjoy the country up there and have taken to photographing various aspects of it. Not the land so much, but everything that goes along with it. The ranches, horses, people. etc. One morning I was shooting with a girl who owned a couple wild mustangs (will be posting those images soon). We finished shooting by about 9 am, so I had the rest of the day to kill, with the commercial shoot following the next day. Was pretty beat from not sleeping much the night before, so I pulled off into the local firehouse parking lot to make a tailgate sandwich. That’s where the day took a turn. Two guys in a truck rolled up and asked if I knew where the bull auction was. We talked for a minute or two, and next thing you know I was at the bull auction. Figured why the hell not? It’s a world completely foreign to me, so why not check it out. I have no plans on buying a bull, but it sure sounded like a fun event to photograph.

If I haven’t said this before, the camera is a passport. One of the many things I love about photography. It’s opened doors and taken me to places I never would have thought about. And the older I get, the more curious I become about interacting with and documenting other people and other cultures that are the opposite of my own. It’s so much fun to learn how other people live in different parts of the world. Sure, this part of Nevada is only 8 hours away from my home in San Diego, but it’s a different world. I used to be obsessed with the need to travel to far off countries in order to experience other cultures. Exotic travel is great, but there is so much culture right here in America that can easily be taken for granted.

I loved being a silent witness at the bull auction right from the start. The people were so inviting when I introduced myself and told them what I was doing. Everything about the event was stimulating. The sights, sounds, and smells. I’m from a small town in Upstate New York, and prefer to spend as much time as possible in the country/mountains, but have never seen anything like this in person. Hope to be showing you a lot more of this in the future.

Click here to see more of my Western photography

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.

Click here to see more of my street photography

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.

View from Venice Beach basketball culture and courts here

Basketball hoop made from junk in a Venice Beach Alleyway

Survival Hoops - Venice Beach, California by Nick Ansom

Photograph of a basketball hoop made from a bucket and street sign

DIY Basketball Hoop - Golden Girls Mural

A creative basketball hoop in Venice Beach, California

Creative basketball hoop hung on a telephone pole in Venice, CA

Photograph of a basketball hoop made from a blue bucket with the LA Dodgers logo hung on a palm tree in Venice Beach, California

Basketball hoop with LA Dodgers logo made with a bucket and wood

A basketball hoop made from junk with a backboard painted to look like a watermelon

Basketball Hoop Art - Venice Beach

Photograph of a basketball hoop made from old bicycle rims in Venice Beach

Basketball hoop made from bike parts

Photograph of an artistic basketball hoop in Venice, Beach, CA

Art Hoop - Venice, CA

A basketball hoop made from an old computer in Venice Beach, CA

Venice Beach Alley Basketball Hoop

Photograph of a basketball hoop made from a surfboard and mop bucket in Venice Beach, CA

Surfboard basketball hoop - Venice Beach

Photograph of a basketball hoop made from junk car parts in Venice Beach, CA

Junk art basketball hoop

An artistic basketball hoop made from junk

Artistic basketball hoop

Home made basketball hoop

Artistic homemade basketball hoop

Photograph of a basketball hoop with Area 52 painted on the backboard

Area 52

Photograph of a one of a kind basketball hoop in Venice Beach, CA

Black Lives Matter - Venice Beach

Photograph of a colorful artistic basketball hoop in a Venice Beach alleyway

Alley basketball hoop - Venice Beach, CA

A unique basketball hoop made from common junk in a Venice Beach alleyway

Venice Beach basketball hoop

Creative basketball hoop made from a baby's car seat on a telephone pole above a "caution children playing" sign

Youth Basketball - Venice Beach

A basketball hoop made with a milk crate and wood backboard

Milk crate basketball hoop

Junk art basketball hoop in Los Angele, CA

Basketball hoop made from an old wheelchair

Creative basketball hoop made from old Weber grill parts in Venice Beach

Basketball hoop made from a Weber Grill

Photograph of the Survival Hoops creators Nick Ansom and Lori Powers

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.

AmericanBackcourtsCulture.jpg

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

New York Street Photography

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.

To see more disruptions from my American series click 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.

Click here to see more from this project.

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

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.

Click here to pick up a copy of American Backcourts

Colina Del Sol - San Diego

Colina Del Sol - San Diego

Basketball hoop with a chained padlock on it - San Diego, CA

Basketball hoop with a chained padlock on it - San Diego, CA

Andis Clippers

Andis Clippers

People will probably get sick of my ramblings about personal projects, but I don’t care. It’s an important message to send. As of now it’s been about 10 years since the Barbershops of America series began and I’m still on the lookout for old shops during my travels. One of the most rewarding parts about these projects is their ability to organically connect me with like minded people/brands. Andis Company is one of those brands. They started out in the 1920’s and is now being run by it’s fourth generation of the same family. Hard not to get behind a company like that. A couple years ago I stopped in to their headquarters in Wisconsin and was given a behind the scenes tour. The operation is incredibly impressive, but what stood out the most was the camaraderie and interaction between all the employees. Even during my limited time there it was obvious that they enjoyed each other and enjoyed working for Andis. So I’m proud of our past collaborations as well as this most recent image they licensed for an ad on social justice that ran in USA Today.

Andis Company

Andis Company