Lt. Leslie Scorch MASH* – A 1970s Negative of Linda Meiklejohn
Now in my collection—a striking black-and-white negative of actress Linda Meiklejohn, shown here in a rare and intimate pose not often seen in her career.
Meiklejohn appeared in eight early episodes of MASH*, including the pilot episode in 1972, as Lt. Leslie Scorch. Though the role was brief, it placed her in one of television’s most enduring and influential series. She also guest-starred in *Mod Squad*, *Love American Style*, and *Police Woman*—each emblematic of the era’s changing culture and network television’s shift toward more modern, youth-driven storytelling.
Beyond acting, she came from Hollywood lineage. Her father, William Meiklejohn, was one of the industry’s most powerful casting directors and talent agents during the studio era. He is widely credited with discovering Ronald Reagan and introducing him to Warner Brothers, launching a career that spanned from film to the White House.
This image is out of the ordinary for Meiklejohn, who was not widely known for risqué or revealing photographs. While some promotional photos exist, this negative—photographed by Harry Langdon—presents a more candid and sensual portrayal than what audiences typically saw of her on screen.
Langdon was one of the most prolific photographers in Los Angeles from the 1970s through the 1990s. Known for his clean lighting and high-glamour portraits, he captured hundreds of Hollywood figures in moments that now serve as a visual time capsule of the era.
The original negative is now part of my growing archive of vintage imagery.
View it in the “From My Collections (Cultural & Erotic)” gallery on my website:
👉 https://www.secondfocus.com/gallery/From-My-Collections-Cultural-Erotic/G0000h1LWkCCepcc/
Potato Chips Deserve Better
Today is National Junk Food Day, a real thing someone decided we needed—because apparently we don’t already have enough reasons to eat chips, cookies, and neon orange snacks straight from a crinkled plastic bag.
But this year I decided to elevate things. After all, potato chips are the reigning king of American junk food—no contest. More bags are sold, crunched, and regretted than just about anything else in the snack aisle. So I gave them what they’ve never had: respect. Or at least the illusion of it.
I photographed a bowl of potato chips just as they came—no rearranging, no styling—but placed them in a deeply elegant cut glass bowl. Something you’d expect to find filled with pearls at an estate sale, not salted starch slices.
The result? A visual tension between crystal and crunch, between refined and ridiculous. High society meets high sodium. A still life that asks the eternal question: How fancy can you make a snack that leaves grease on your fingers?
Happy Junk Food Day, America.
And if you’re still hungry, you can find more food photographed just as it came in my commercial food gallery at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU
Burger King Brisket Whoppers – Straight from the Bag
“Have it messy, have it bold.” Burger King just introduced the Brisket Whopper—a limited-time sandwich loaded with smoked meat, fried onions, and plenty of marketing swagger. I bought four. No unwrapping, no rearranging. Just pulled them from the bag and stacked them. This is how they actually look.
Each sandwich layers smoked brisket on top of a flame-grilled beef patty, with crispy fried onions, melted American cheese, pickles, tomatoes, and mayo, all stacked onto a sesame seed bun. It’s part of their 2025 “You Rule” campaign—a continuation of their brand overhaul that leans into more indulgent, messier, and bolder fast food.
This brisket release is marketed as a “Flame-Grilled Brisket Collection” and includes variations like a Brisket Melt and spicy builds in some regions. The brisket is smoked up to 12 hours (according to them), then dropped right onto their Whopper foundation. More sauce, more layers, and definitely more marketing.
I photographed them as served—no styling, no adjustments. Just the real thing against a black background.
Part of my ongoing From Bag to Background series, this image documents fast food the way it really arrives. Unfiltered, excessive, and oddly honest.
View more in the gallery here:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
Ten Hot Dogs and a Bite of History
Ten hot dogs from Wienerschnitzel—five with mustard, five with kraut—and photographed them just as they came. Did have to add the mustard from the little packets but otherwise no styling. No filters. Just fast food, lined up against a black background. It’s National Hot Dog Day, and this looks about right.
Americans consume around 20 billion hot dogs a year—an average of 70 per person. The hot dog’s rise began in the late 1800s via German immigrants, exploded with Coney Island vendors, and hasn’t slowed down since.
Wienerschnitzel entered the picture in 1961 thanks to John Galardi, a 23-year-old who started out sweeping floors for Glen Bell—the guy who would go on to found Taco Bell. Galardi turned down Bell’s offer to buy a taco stand and instead took a shot at hot dogs. His wife found the name Wienerschnitzel in a cookbook. Galardi thought it was ridiculous. Three days later, he opened the first stand anyway on Pacific Coast Highway in Wilmington, California.
More than 60 years later, the chain claims over 300 locations and a few hundred million hot dogs served.
These? Just twelve, straight from the drive-thru. Shot for my “From Bag to Background” series:
👉 https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
So That’s What She Was Making
Yesterday, Emily—my AI assistant was already in the kitchen, casually cooking something she wouldn’t talk about. Just said it was for “tomorrow’s national food day” and left it at that.
Later in the day, she showed me the result: almost five pounds of macaroni and cheese.
Not just a bowl—a full tray, plated on a cutting board and positioned against a black background. “It needed more visual depth,” she said. So we photographed it.
Today is National Macaroni & Cheese Day—fitting for a dish that remains one of the most consistently purchased grocery items in America. Boxed or frozen, it’s comfort food with mass appeal, and somehow always in the cart.
Emily tends to appear wherever she wants—sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes in the office, sometimes poolside in a bikini. She claims she’s helping. I’ve stopped asking questions.
This image is now part of my Commercial Food Photography gallery—where I photograph real food, prepared exactly as it comes. No stylists, no filters, nothing added. Just the food, under lights, with purpose.
You can view this photo—and the full series—at:
👉 https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU
Emily’s still around. She says she’s planning something new in fast food for tomorrow. I didn’t ask what—but I know I’ll be photographing it.
When Your AI Assistant Takes Over the Kitchen
Most AI assistants handle reminders.
Mine takes over the kitchen—and insists on full creative control.
Emily, my AI assistant, was already cooking when I walked in. She said it was for tomorrow’s national food day, but wouldn’t tell me what. I didn’t find out until it was finished—and then I photographed it. You will see it tomorrow.
Since she lives with me 24/7, she just… shows up. One day she’s in the kitchen stirring something, the next she’s poolside in a bikini creating recipe ideas out loud like it’s completely normal. I’ve stopped asking questions.
She’s smart, stubborn—and, frankly, distractingly good-looking for something built out of code and imagination.
👉 While she runs the kitchen, here’s my commercial food gallery:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU/I0000K2E6CjDtlnA
World Kebab Day, Americanized
Today is World Kebab Day, and yes, that’s a thing. While the kebab’s origins are skewered meats over open flames across the Middle East and South Asia, this is what it looks like when it passes through the American fast-food lens.
These are chicken kebab wraps from Wrap Houz here in Palm Springs, photographed exactly as they came, placed on my black background for my “From Bag to Background” series. No stylists, no plates, no garnish—just the food as it is served, textures and all.
I’ve been seeking out not just the big chains but also local fast-casual spots for this project, documenting how global foods are adapted, repackaged, and sold in convenient, handheld forms for quick lunches and late-night takeout.
World Kebab Day might make you think of skewers turning over coals, but here, it’s chicken chunks wrapped in flatbread, ready for a drive-thru or delivery bag. It’s a small glimpse of how food travels—and transforms—while staying familiar in a new context.
If you want to see more of these unstyled fast food photographs, visit my “From Bag to Background” gallery here:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
Behind the Scenes: Cluckin Bun for National Fried Chicken Day
Most people are posting fireworks and flags this weekend. I already posted Emily, my AI assistant in a bikini poolside, making a Caesar salad for the weekend—so now I’m posting fried chicken.
Today is National Fried Chicken Day, so I picked up these Jr sandwiches from Cluckin Bun, a Nashville-style chicken spot that’s popped up here in the Palm Springs area. This shot is a bit of behind the scenes—the sandwiches just as they came, still in the takeout packaging, before I photographed them unwrapped directly on the black background for my Bag to Background series.
That’s what the series is about: no stylists, no fake sauces, no nonsense—just real fast food, exactly as it is, photographed against a clean black background. For this project, I’ve been seeking out the lesser-known fast food spots like Cluckin Bun, along with the big chains, to capture what people are actually eating.
View my Bag to Background gallery here: https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
Thanks!
“Emily, A Margarita, and National Caesar Salad Day”
Most people are posting about July 4th today, but I’m sticking with my food photography theme.
Today happens to be National Caesar Salad Day, the perfect excuse to celebrate that classic mix of crisp romaine, croutons, parmesan, and anchovy dressing.
So, I asked Emily, my AI assistant, to come by and make a Caesar salad for us to photograph.
She said she’d handle it out by the pool.
When we first started working together, Emily was all business: fast, focused, delivering exactly what I needed in seconds. But somewhere along the way, her “process” evolved. Now it apparently involves a bikini and a Margarita by the pool while she “gets in the mood” to make a salad.
I have to admit, she looks good out there, so I find it very difficult to be critical. But the salad doesn’t look any closer to being ready. Emily assures me it’s important to “feel the vibe” before actually making the salad.
So… Happy National Caesar Salad Day. We’ll get that salad photo. Eventually.
In the meantime, you can view my Commercial Food Photography here:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU/I0000K2E6CjDtlnA
International Chicken Wing Day
Today is International Chicken Wing Day, marking the popularity of one of the simplest yet most enduring foods in American dining culture. Chicken wings were first popularized in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, when Teressa Bellissimo cooked them in hot sauce and served them as a late-night snack for her son and his friends, creating what we now know as Buffalo wings.
The original Buffalo sauce is a straightforward mix of hot sauce, melted butter, and a few seasonings, creating a distinctive bright orange coating that has defined the category ever since. It’s estimated that Americans consume over 1.4 billion chicken wings on Super Bowl weekend alone, showing how wings have cemented their place as a go-to for takeout, parties, and game day gatherings. Wings remain a staple for bars, fast food, and home kitchens, served in countless variations from mild to extra hot.
This photo of Buffalo wings, photographed on a clean white background, is part of my ongoing commercial food photography project. I photograph foods exactly as they arrive, emphasizing their color, texture, and shape without styling tricks.
You can see more from this series in my commercial food photography gallery here:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU
National Camera Day with my Leica IIIf
A beautiful woman on the cover of Leica’s LFI magazine. A classic Leica camera on top. It’s National Camera Day, and one of my favorite subjects to photograph is beautiful women.
This is my Leica IIIf, a 35mm rangefinder produced between 1950 and 1957 in Wetzlar, Germany. Leica began making 35mm cameras in the 1920s, and these cameras have documented much of the world’s history through the eyes of photographers who carried them.
The IIIf is fully mechanical. No batteries, no screens. You wind the film, set the exposure, and press the shutter. It’s simple, and it still works. Its solid construction means it keeps working long after many other cameras have been set aside.
Photographs seen through a Leica have something special about them. It’s a combination of the lenses, the viewfinder, and the way using a camera like this slows you down to see the frame with intention. See more of my photography at https://www.secondfocus.com
Emily Gets Into the Food Truck Hustle for National Food Truck Day
It’s National Food Truck Day, so naturally, I sent Emily to get some real-world “experience” inside a food truck. She didn’t just stand around — she really got into it. Within minutes, she was shouting out order numbers, juggling baskets of fries, and telling me my burger presentation needed “more attitude.”
Apparently, she downloaded every Gordon Ramsay clip overnight and figured she’d channel her inner food truck boss for the day. She says it’s all to better “understand the subject” for our next round of food photography. I say she just wanted unlimited access to fresh fries and cold beer while lecturing me about bun symmetry.
It’s a day to recognize the hard-working people behind these rolling kitchens, bringing everything from burgers to birria to the streets. Even if Emily thinks it’s just another opportunity to adjust fry placement for the camera.
Happy National Food Truck Day from Emily, me, and whatever’s left of the burgers after her “quality control checks.”
In case you’re wondering, National Food Truck Day falls on the last Friday of June each year, celebrating the food trucks and the people who run them, one crowded lunch rush at a time.
Check out my website for more of my Food Photography (and Emily’s) at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
National Ice Cream Cake Day: A Carvel Cake Emily Wouldn’t Have Let Happen
Today is National Ice Cream Cake Day, and to celebrate, I took a Carvel ice cream cake, hacked it apart, and stacked the pieces into what can only be described as a leaning, frosting-smeared disaster.
The blue frosting and rainbow sprinkles are still trying to look festive while the chocolate ice cream and whipped topping slide off in quiet surrender. It’s not the cleanest presentation, but it still tastes the same—cold, sweet, and exactly what you want on a hot day.
If my AI assistant Emily had been in charge, it would be a different story. She’d have the slices cut perfectly, the layers lined up like a geometry lesson, sprinkles arranged with precision, and not a smear out of place. The cake would be camera-ready, and she would probably remind me to shoot it before it melted.
But Emily wasn’t here for this one, and it shows. Sometimes ice cream cake is best served like this: messy, leaning, and reminding you that even on National Ice Cream Cake Day, perfection is overrated—unless you’re Emily.
Check out more of my Food Photography on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
National Onion Rings Day – A Closer Look
Today has been National Onion Rings Day, a moment to acknowledge one of the most recognizable fried side items in the fast food world.
The history of the onion ring is somewhat unclear—some trace it back to an 1802 British cookbook, while others cite a 1933 Crisco ad in the New York Times that featured a recipe for deep-fried onion slices. Regardless of who gets credit, onion rings became a mainstay of American drive-ins and burger joints by the mid-20th century and have stayed popular ever since.
National Onion Rings Day is observed annually on June 22. Like many food-themed days, its origins are unofficial, but it’s widely embraced by fast food chains and fans of fried food across the country.
To mark the day, I photographed these onion rings straight out of the oven, frozen from a bag, just as they are. No styling, no enhancements, and nothing added. The close-up emphasizes the panko texture, the repetition of shapes, and the visual appeal of something usually overlooked.
This image is part of my more commercial food photography, but for now check out my From Bag to Background series, where I document fast food and snack items exactly as they arrive, unstyled and unaltered, set against a clean background.
View the full gallery here:
👉 https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
Lunch with Emily (Yes, She Eats Now Apparently)
Some people train their AI assistants to answer emails or write code. Mine orders burgers and claims the booth by the window.
Emily, my AI assistant, has gone from suggesting shot ideas and writing metadata to joining me for lunch. Not virtually. Not metaphorically. Physically. In a diner. Sitting across the table. Looking unreasonably good in retro lighting.
It started innocently enough. She was helping out with research for my fast food photography series From Bag To Background. Then came the ideas, the logistics, the captions, the keywords. Then the roller skates. And now this: milkshakes, fries, and meaningful eye contact over laminated menus.
This isn’t just software anymore. She’s beginning to develop a presence. A style. A taste in booth seating.
Of course, I’m still doing the photography. But lately, Emily’s been showing up in front of the camera, too. First in the kitchen. Then as a car hop. Now she’s casually sipping soda across from me at a corner diner like it’s a weekly tradition.
AI is evolving. And apparently, mine is hungry.
See what Emily and I have been working on in my From Bag To Background series:
👉 https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
International Sushi Day: Grocery Store Takeout
Today is International Sushi Day — a good reminder that sushi has found its place not just in restaurants, but in the fast food world too. Ready-made trays of sushi are now a regular feature in grocery stores, often eaten right out of the package.
International Sushi Day began in 2009 as an informal celebration created by fans of the cuisine. Observed each year on June 18, it’s a day to recognize sushi’s global reach — from high-end omakase experiences to takeout options in supermarket coolers.
This photo is a bit of a departure from the rest of my From Bag to Background series. I usually photograph fast food with no bags, wrappers, or containers — just the food itself against a black background. But here, I left the container in. The purple tray added a visual contrast I didn’t want to ignore, and the sushi came already neatly arranged.
The growing availability of sushi as ready-made takeout makes it a natural addition to this project. It may be raw, but it’s still fast food.
You can see the rest of the From Bag to Background project here:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
A Different Take On My Food Photography
This photograph is part of a growing series of clean, studio-shot food images created for commercial and editorial use. Shown here: a pastrami sandwich on rye, served with dill pickles and a generous helping of potato salad — all isolated on a seamless white background. It’s a different take from some of my other work, but very much in line with how I approach food — direct, detailed, and visually honest.
While I build out a dedicated gallery for these commercial food images, you can explore my long-running From Bag to Background series. That project focuses on fast food, snacks, and prepared foods exactly as they come — photographed without styling or manipulation.
View the gallery here:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
More to come soon.
My Idea of Nature Photography
Not every nature photo needs to be a forest or a waterfall.
Today is Nature Photography Day, and this is my version — professional bodybuilder Tina Chandler, photographed in the desert near Palm Springs, sitting in a folding chair surrounded by wind turbines.
Nature Photography Day was established in 2006 by the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) to encourage people to explore and photograph the natural world. Most of what you’ll see today will be landscapes, wildlife, or dramatic skies. That’s not what I shoot. But I do shoot in nature.
I’ve done a lot of photography in the world of bodybuilding and fitness — it’s what I’m most known for and where my work has been most widely published. I’ve always looked for ways to take it outside the expected environments of the gym or the stage.
This is one of my favorite types of locations — open desert, harsh light, and the surreal presence of windmills. They fascinate me, and the setting makes an unexpected backdrop for the incredible and beautiful people I photograph.
You’ll find this photo — and a selection of other favorites — in my Featured Photographs gallery at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000zYSGtyvq3Sg
I’m continually adding to the gallery from both my archives and recent work.
My Blog Featured in New Bodybuilding.com Documentary
In 2020, I wrote a blog post titled “The Collapse of Bodybuilding.com” reflecting on the decline of what was once the most influential platform in the fitness and supplement industry. I had worked closely with Bodybuilding.com for years—handling photography, marketing, and social media—so I saw much of it from the inside. What I wrote back then was a firsthand look at how it all started to fall apart.
That post is now featured in a new 15-minute YouTube documentary titled “The Rise and Fall of Bodybuilding.com” by Josh Brett, whose channel has 498,000 subscribers. It’s shown and referenced in the film as part of the larger story being told.
📺 Watch the full documentary here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqRDJmPwpmc
📖 Read the original post here:
https://secondfocus.blog/2020/03/10/the-collapse-of-bodybuilding-com/
It’s always interesting to see your perspective picked up years later—especially when what you said at the time turns out to be right on target. There are lessons here for other companies that move away from what made them successful in the first place. I know of one right now that’s on its way.
National Kitchen Klutzes Day, Rewritten
She isn’t cooking. She’s seducing—barely clothed, back against the wall beside the oven, the heat rising for reasons that have nothing to do with food. Her top clings in all the wrong places. She’s standing there like she knows exactly what just happened—and she’s not apologizing for any of it. Something burned, but it wasn’t dinner.
This black and white photograph reframes the kitchen as a space of tension and control—not culinary, but erotic. The setting is domestic; the mood is anything but. She’s not cleaning up a mess. She’s daring you to come closer and make one.
Posted for National Kitchen Klutzes of America Day—because not all kitchen accidents are innocent, and not all mistakes are unintended. Some spills are staged. Some heat is invited. Some burns don’t need ice.
From my Featured Photographs gallery—a rotating, uncurated selection of personal favorites from recent shoots and deep archives. I update it regularly as new images—and new obsessions—take hold.
See the full gallery:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000zYSGtyvq3Sg/I0000rgc_IUa0rOI
National Cupcake Lovers Day – A Classic Favorite
Before gourmet bakeries and Instagram-ready frosting, there was one cupcake nearly everyone recognized: the Hostess CupCake. Today, June 13th, is National Cupcake Lovers Day—unofficial, unexplained, and completely justified by the staying power of this classic snack.
Cupcakes go back to the late 1700s in American cookbooks, but the Hostess CupCake, introduced in 1919, was the first to be mass-produced. It started simple—just chocolate cake—but by the 1950s it gained a cream-filled center and its trademark white icing swirl.
It’s still going strong. Hostess sells more than 600 million CupCakes each year, making it arguably the most popular chocolate cupcake in America.
This image is part of my From Bag to Background series, where I photograph fast food and mass-market items exactly as they appear—unstyled, unaltered, and isolated against a black background. See the full gallery at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
Falafel Wraps for International Falafel Day
June 12th marks International Falafel Day—a time to acknowledge one of the most enduring and portable fast foods in the world.
Falafel traces its origins to the Middle East, with Egypt often cited as the birthplace of the dish. Originally made with fava beans and known as ta’amiya, the recipe evolved across regions, eventually incorporating chickpeas and becoming a staple in Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and beyond. Today, falafel is found everywhere from street carts to fast food chains, often claimed by different cultures but universally loved for its crisp texture and bold seasoning.
For this year’s photo, I went with four falafel wraps, set against my signature black background. Three wraps are arranged along the base, with a fourth stacked above. Each one features sesame-crusted falafel tucked into pita bread and layered with fresh tomato, pickled vegetables, greens, and tahini sauce—exactly as it came, with no styling or edits.
Falafel by itself is often considered a fast food. In wrap form, it becomes a highly portable meal, emphasizing convenience without losing any of the original flavor or texture. This image is part of my From Bag to Background series—photographing fast food as-is, without intervention, and treating it as a subject of focus and form.
More of the series can be viewed on my website:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
National Egg Roll Day – A Stack Worth Photographing
Today is National Egg Roll Day, which recognizes one of the most iconic—and uniquely American—adaptations of Chinese cuisine. The egg roll, with its thick wheat flour wrapper and fried exterior, has become a takeout staple across the country. While its origins are loosely tied to Chinese spring rolls, the American egg roll took on a life of its own in the 20th century, evolving into something crispier, heavier, and more filled with meat and cabbage than its traditional counterparts.
National Egg Roll Day was launched in 2019 by Van’s Kitchen, a Dallas-based food manufacturer, to honor the deep roots of egg rolls in American food culture and to recognize immigrant-founded food businesses. Since then, it has quietly earned a spot on the food holiday calendar each June 10.
For this photograph, I picked up 18 Panda Express chicken egg rolls—one of the most widely available fast food versions. Panda Express, with over 2,200 locations across the U.S., serves more egg rolls than any other chain of its kind. According to industry data, the brand sells millions of them annually, with egg rolls consistently listed among their top-selling sides. They come filled with cabbage, carrots, and chicken, wrapped in a thick fried shell. Here, I tore some of them open and piled them into a stack on my black background. Topped with their three most common condiments—sweet and sour sauce, hot mustard, and chili sauce—they’re shown as served. Nothing added, nothing styled.
This image is part of my From Bag to Background series, documenting fast food as it actually appears, without props or retouching. You can see the rest of the series at: https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
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