Photography by Ian L. Sitren

Latest

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

National Macaroni Day | America’s Favorite Comfort Food

Today is National Macaroni Day and for that everyone thinks Macaroni & Cheese. We grew up on it, lived on it in college and still eat it because we love it.

In 1937, during the Great Depression, Kraft introduced its boxed Macaroni & Cheese Dinner with the promise that it could “make a meal for four in nine minutes.” At just 19 cents a box, it offered an inexpensive way to feed a family when money was scarce. The product was an immediate success, selling more than 8 million boxes in its first year. Its popularity grew even more during World War II, when rationing allowed shoppers to buy two boxes with a single ration stamp, making it an affordable substitute when meat was in short supply. By 1943, Kraft was selling 80 million boxes a year.

Of course, many restaurants also serve macaroni and cheese, including several fast food chains that offer it as a side dish. There was even a dedicated fast-casual macaroni and cheese restaurant here in Palm Springs called I Heart Mac & Cheese. Sadly, it didn’t last, although the franchise still operates a handful of locations around the country.

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

National Fried Chicken Day | Kentucky Fried Chicken | Food From Bag To Background

Yesterday was National Fried Chicken Day.

Fast food is the focus of my Food From Bag To Background project, so Kentucky Fried Chicken was an easy choice for today’s photograph. Every image in the project begins the same way. The food comes home from the restaurant, is removed from its packaging, and is photographed on a black background with no plates, props, or styling.

Kentucky Fried Chicken traces its roots to Colonel Harland Sanders, who began franchising his fried chicken recipe in 1952 after developing his pressure frying method. That technique reduced cooking time while helping the chicken stay moist inside and crispy outside, making it practical for restaurants to serve fried chicken much more quickly than traditional methods.

One thing I enjoy about this project is taking familiar fast food and presenting it in a way that people don’t normally see. Instead of a bucket on the dinner table, the chicken becomes the entire subject of the photograph. There is no branding competing for attention, just the shape, color, and texture of the food itself.

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

A Madonna Transparency And A Mystery

I recently added this mounted 35mm color transparency slide to my collection. There are no markings on the mount, but it was identified as Madonna. That sent me researching the image, and I found it attributed to Steven Meisel from the photography for Madonna’s 1992 book SEX.

Checking my copy of SEX, I found this exact photograph reproduced as a 10 × 14-inch full-page image. That answered one question, but raised another. What exactly is this transparency?

Published in 1992, SEX was photographed by Steven Meisel and released at the same time as Madonna’s Erotica album. The spiral-bound aluminum book was sold in a silver Mylar package and included the exclusive CD single Erotic. Despite a retail price of nearly $50 at the time, it sold more than 150,000 copies on its first day and approximately 1.5 million copies worldwide, making it the fastest and best-selling coffee table book ever published. Its explicit photographs generated worldwide controversy and remain one of the defining moments in modern photographic publishing.

Many of the exterior photographs for the project were made in Miami, and this image, with its stucco wall, palm trees, and bright Florida light, appears to be from one of those sessions.

The transparency itself remains the mystery. With no markings on the mount, there is no way to know whether it is an original production transparency, a duplicate prepared for publication, or something created later. Finding the exact photograph in the book answered one question, but the transparency itself continues to raise many more. I’ll continue researching its history and provenance, and if I learn more, I’ll be sure to share it.

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

Posted by  |  July 6, 2026 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

National Bikini Day Follow Up: The Monokini

After posting Ronnie for National Bikini Day, I kept thinking about another photograph entirely.

This features American model Peggy Moffitt, photographed by her husband William Claxton in 1964, wearing Rudi Gernreich’s revolutionary monokini.

Although the bikini changed swimwear, the monokini pushed the idea much further. It was a topless swimsuit, but it was also a statement about the body, fashion, publicity, and the power of a photograph. The design was shocking, but the image is what made it impossible to ignore.

For me, this is where swimwear leaves the beach and becomes something much more interesting. It becomes not just fashion, but sexuality and controversy. I do love this!

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

Thank you!

Posted by  |  July 5, 2026 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment