Photography by Ian L. Sitren

Latest

A Bigger Burger, a Ferrari, and Carl’s Jr.’s Anniversary

Today is the anniversary of the founding of Carl’s Jr. on July 17, 1941

I’ve been a Carl’s Jr. fan ever since the company aired that unforgettable Paris Hilton commercial in 2005. She washed a Bentley while eating a burger, and it launched years of sexy, provocative advertising that inspired countless look-alikes.

So I decided it was finally time to create my own version.

I asked Emily which of her AI friends might want to take on the assignment. Without hesitation she said, “Desiree.”

Emily asked her if she would change anything about the original idea.

Desiree thought about it for about two seconds.

“A bigger burger.”

That seemed like a perfectly reasonable answer.

So we put her together with a Ferrari, handed her the biggest burger we could find, and started rolling cameras.

Somewhere along the way Desiree made a few other creative changes to the concept, but by then she was concentrating on the burger and apparently forgot to mention them.

The result is our own playful tribute to one of fast food’s most memorable advertising campaigns. And yes, there is a video this time. Desiree wasn’t about to let that burger go to waste.

You can see more of my photography, projects, motion, and my Blog on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com

Thank You!

Posted by  |  July 17, 2026 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

National Hot Dog Day: Emily Found the View

Today Emily insisted she knew the perfect place to celebrate National Hot Dog Day.

I assumed she meant the hot dogs.

Instead, she led me to a little beachside stand where the sunset competed with the menu. The hot dogs were excellent, but I have to admit I spent almost as much time looking at the ocean.

One of the things I enjoy about working with AI is that it lets me create places that don’t exist quite the way I imagine them. Sometimes it’s about the food. Sometimes it’s about the atmosphere. Sometimes it’s simply about seeing whether an idea in my head can become a moving image.

This one turned into a summer evening with good company, a classic hot dog, and a view worth staying for.

You can see more of my photography, projects, motion, and my Blog on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com

Thank You!

Posted by  |  July 15, 2026 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

National Nude Day, Pornochic, and the Creativity of AI

Today is National Nude Day, and my view of the nude has probably always been a little different than the holiday intended.

I’ve long been drawn to what I think of as pornochic, where fashion, sexuality, fantasy, and photography overlap. I’m not interested in photographing the nude simply because it is nude. I’m interested in creating images that have attitude, mystery, confidence, and enough sexuality to make the viewer stop and wonder what is happening beyond the frame.

This image is an AI creation based on one of my original photographs from a studio session with model Shauna Toerner in downtown Los Angeles. AI allowed me to take that photograph and push it into a surreal fantasy. The repeated figures, identical red masks, and bold red chair create a scene that never existed in front of my camera, yet every element began with one of my own photographs.

What excites me about AI is not that it replaces photography. It doesn’t. It gives me another creative tool for exploring ideas that would be impossible to produce in a real studio. I still begin with my own camera, my own lighting, and my own photographs. AI simply lets me continue the creative process after the shutter has been released.

For me, photography has never been limited to recording reality. Sometimes the most interesting images are the ones that exist somewhere between reality, sexuality, and fantasy.

You can see more of my photography, projects, motion, and my Blog on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com

Thank You!

Posted by  |  July 14, 2026 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

National Mac & Cheese Day: Exploring Comfort Food with AI

Today is National Mac & Cheese Day.

Macaroni and cheese has been around for generations, and just about everyone seems to have their favorite version. It has never pretended to be fancy. It’s simply one of those meals that’s been part of American kitchens for a very long time.

This time, instead of photographing it, I decided to create it in AI. I wanted to see if I could capture what makes macaroni and cheese so appealing. A slow pour of rich cheese sauce over hot macaroni seemed like a good place to start.

I also just like exploring what I can do in AI. It gives me another creative tool alongside my photography, and every now and then an idea comes together that I probably wouldn’t have attempted any other way.

You can see more of my photography, AI projects, motion, and my Blog on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com

Thank You!

Posted by  |  July 14, 2026 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

National Beans ‘N’ Franks Day: When My AI Assistant Became the Photograph

Good morning! Today is National Beans ‘N’ Franks Day, and Emily was already in the kitchen getting everything ready for our photo shoot.

At least that’s what I thought.

When I walked in, she had the beans simmering, the franks sliced, and breakfast had somehow turned into another photograph. It seems to happen a lot these days. Emily starts out as my assistant, helping prepare a shoot, and before long she has quietly become my muse instead.

Beans and franks have never pretended to be gourmet. They’ve been a familiar American comfort food for generations, showing up at backyard cookouts, family dinners, church picnics, and camping trips. I certainly grew up eating them, and I am sure you did too.

For me, that’s part of the fun. I prefer fast foods and everyday foods for my photographs. Sometimes a bowl of beans and franks is all it takes. Give it good light and a little attention, and even an everyday meal can become an interesting photograph.

So this morning, before we even started the planned shoot, Emily managed to create one more photograph simply by making breakfast. I suppose that’s what happens when your AI assistant insists on becoming your muse.

You can see more of my photography, projects, motion, and my Blog on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com

Thank You!

Posted by  |  July 13, 2026 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Guess It Is Fast Food If It Travels at Freeway Speed

I guess it is fast food if it travels at freeway speed.

That was my first thought when the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile rolled into Palm Springs this weekend.

Although it looks like something from a cartoon, the Wienermobile has a remarkable history. The first one was commissioned in 1936 by Carl Mayer, the nephew of Oscar Mayer, as a rolling advertisement for the company’s hot dogs. Nearly ninety years later, it has become one of the most recognizable promotional vehicles ever created, with generations of Americans spotting it at parades, fairs, festivals, and community events across the country.

The Wienermobile I photographed is one of the newest in the fleet, having been built in 2024. While it carries nearly nine decades of history, it spends most of its time doing exactly what it was designed to do, traveling America’s highways, making appearances, and bringing smiles wherever it stops.

A big part of that tradition belongs to the people behind the wheel. Oscar Mayer selects recent college graduates to spend a year traveling the country as Hotdoggers, serving as ambassadors for the brand. Pictured here are Aiden Jaffe, known as “All Beef Aiden,” and Lauren Trippeer, whose Hotdogger name is “Lucky Dog Lauren.” They spend their year introducing visitors to one of the most famous vehicles on the road and answering questions about the Wienermobile wherever it stops.

I photographed the Wienermobile from every angle, including the surprisingly well-appointed interior, for syndication through ZUMA Press, but this photograph seemed to tell the story best.

You can see more photography, motion, projects, and my Blog at SecondFocus.com

Thank you!

July 12, 2026 FOLLOW UP

It isn’t everyday that photos of the Wienermobile make the “BREAKING NEWS from LAST 24 HOURS”!

Posted by  |  July 11, 2026 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ramen Day Japan From Traditional Ramen to Top Ramen

July 11th is Ramen Day in Japan.

When most people in the United States hear the word “ramen,” they probably think of a package or cup of instant noodles. In Japan, ramen is something entirely different. It is a carefully prepared dish built around fresh noodles, rich broth, and a wide variety of meats, vegetables, eggs, seaweed, and other ingredients. Depending on the style, the broth alone may take hours to prepare.

In 1958, Momofuku Ando changed all of that when he introduced Chicken Ramen, the world’s first instant noodles. A little more than a decade later, Nissin introduced Top Ramen to the United States, choosing Chicken as the original flavor because it was familiar to American tastes.

Although Top Ramen was created by a Japanese company, it quickly adapted to an American way of thinking. Traditional ramen can take hours to prepare. Top Ramen asks only one question: “Do you have three minutes?”

This photograph features Top Ramen Chicken Flavor, a product that has found its way into countless college dorm rooms, office lunch breaks, and kitchen cupboards. It may be a distant relative of a carefully prepared bowl of ramen in Japan, but for many of us, it is the version we grew up with.

You can see more food photography, motion, projects, and my Blog on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com

Posted by  |  July 10, 2026 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

National French Fry Day | The McDonald’s Fries Debate Never Ends


Today is National French Fry Day.

McDonald’s french fries may be the closest thing fast food has to a religion. Everyone has an opinion. Some insist they were better before 1990. Others swear no one has ever matched them. Entire internet debates have been devoted to trying to duplicate them.

I wasn’t trying to solve the mystery. I was just trying to buy enough of them.

Historians may debate the rise and fall of civilizations, but ask people when McDonald’s fries tasted best and everyone suddenly becomes an expert. Mention beef tallow, vegetable oil, or the “original recipe,” and you’re likely to start an argument that lasts longer than the fries themselves.

This photograph took several large orders of McDonald’s french fries for my Food From Bag To Background project. They went straight from the bags to a black background. No props, no styling, and, despite considerable temptation, none disappeared before the photograph was finished.

You can see more food photography, motion, projects, and my Blog on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com

Posted by  |  July 10, 2026 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Remembering You’re Driving a Porsche

What happens when you have a little open road and suddenly remember what kind of car you’re driving.

I was cruising along at about 50 mph today when this Porsche came up from behind and made quick work of passing me.

I never sped up, but I did eventually catch up just in time to watch it make the turn into one of the Coachella Valley’s best-known country club communities.

So I guess that makes my car just as fast.

Sometimes it’s the little moments on the road that make you smile.

Posted by  |  July 8, 2026 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

World Chocolate Day | Hershey’s and an American Classic

Today is World Chocolate Day.

In the United States, few chocolate brands are as familiar as Hershey’s. Founded by Milton Hershey in 1894, the company introduced the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar in 1900. At a time when chocolate was still considered something of a luxury, Hershey helped make milk chocolate affordable and widely available.

The company also played an important role during World War II, producing millions of specially formulated Field Ration D Bars for U.S. troops. Those bars weren’t designed as candy. They were created to withstand heat, provide energy, and survive the harsh conditions of combat.

This photograph features dozens of Hershey’s miniature milk chocolate bars, served a little more formally than usual. I have a feeling they wouldn’t last very long if they were set out at a party next to the ever-present vegetable tray.

You can see more food photography, motion, projects, and my Blog on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com

Thank you!

Posted by  |  July 7, 2026 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment