Meet Rob Hann | Photographer/Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rob Hann and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rob, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I guess risk taking has been an integral part of my life. I’ve always been drawn to adventure rather than more conventional paths. I’ve taken leaps of faith throughout my life which have led me to where I am now. I’ve consistently tried to avoid boredom and that’s involved taking risks which have always paid off… so far!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I bought a film camera in 1986 with the intention of becoming a photographer. I was 31 years old. As a child and throughout my schooldays I’d shown a certain amount of talent for art and for English language. I was a good storyteller. I liked looking at photographs, judging what I thought was good or bad, but hadn’t considered taking pictures myself. I’m not a very technically adept person and it took me a while to feel comfortable using the camera. I started shooting pictures of friends, having been hugely inspired by the portrait photography of Irving Penn. At the age of 38 I got my first work shooting for magazines in London. I photographed a lot of musicians, actors, writers etc. and have 7 photographs in the permanent collection of The National Portrait Gallery in London. In 2001 I flew to Los Angeles and took a road trip throughout the southwest shooting whatever I found interesting in the mostly desert landscapes. The trip was exciting and I immediately wanted to take more trips. I moved to New York City in 2003 and continued to get on the road whenever I could. I was still shooting portraits for magazines and record companies in the UK and the US but in 2010 started selling prints of the road trip photography on the street in SoHo, NYC. That went well and I was quickly spotted by Christiane Celle, the owner of Clic, and by Christian Larsen of Larsen Warner gallery in Stockholm who both started selling my large limited edition prints. I quit the commissioned portrait work to concentrate entirely on my road trip photography. Clic sells my prints through locations in NYC, East Hampton, St.Barth and three California locations in Montecito, Ojai and Marin. I’ve had two solo shows with Larsen Warner as well as a solo museum show in Sweden. My first book, Diesel Fried Chicken, was published by The Artist Edition in 2018. I still sell small prints on the street in SoHo on the weekends. Having been drawn to the desert southwest for many years my partner, sculptor Nora Chavooshian, and I bought a house in Joshua Tree in 2020. We’ve been spending winters there and visit as often as possible throughout the year. Much of my work is shot throughout the southwest and southern California in particular. One thing I’ve learned is to be persistent and consistent, to never give up. There have been times where I wasn’t getting success or recognition but just kept going. I believe if you keep working hard at your craft, have a consistency of vision, and have a little talent, then you’ll eventually succeed.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I guess we’re talking about San Diego? I don’t really know the city. However I can recommend a few places in and around Joshua Tree. The Joshua Tree National Park is amazing with many fantastic hikes both long and short. There are excellent restaurants, La Copine in Flamingo Heights and Kitchen in The Desert in 29 Palms, great music at Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown and for something different try a sound bath at The Integratron in Landers.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So many people have helped and supported me throughout my life and career but my partner, sculptor Nora Chavooshian, is hugely supportive and encouraging.

Website: robhann.com

Instagram: @rob.hann

Image Credits
All photos by Rob Hann except the portrait of me which is by Nora Chavooshian