Photoshoot with a Thunderbird F-16 at Muscle Beach Venice
I don’t usually make claims like this, but I’m fairly certain I’m the only photographer who ever pulled off a photoshoot with a U.S. Air Force Thunderbird F-16 sitting right on the boardwalk at Muscle Beach.
Not in a hangar. Not on a runway. Not behind barriers at an airshow.
Right there on Venice Beach.
It was May 25, 2014, and somehow everything lined up. I knew the aircraft was being brought in as part of an Air Force recruiting effort, and through prior arrangements I was given access to use it for an actual shoot. This was a real F-16, sitting right there on the boardwalk. And definitely not something you expect to see at Muscle Beach.
The timing couldn’t have been better. Lisa Marino Sanders was flying in from Texas to shoot with me, and I had the chance to tell her I had a surprise waiting.
Lisa is an IFBB Pro League bodybuilder and a veteran of both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army. That made this more than just a visual contrast. It made sense. Strength, discipline, presence, and a real connection to the aircraft behind her.
We worked right there on the boardwalk. Memorial Day weekend, crowds moving through, people stopping mid-step trying to figure out what they were seeing. A Thunderbird F-16 parked in Venice, with a professional bodybuilder stepping in and out of the cockpit, isn’t something you see twice.
The jet carries its own weight in history and precision. The Thunderbirds represent one of the most recognized demonstration teams in the world, built on control, timing, and performance at the highest level.
Lisa matched that energy in her own way. Controlled, deliberate, completely at ease in a setting that would overwhelm most people.
No studio. No isolation. Just the aircraft, the boardwalk, and the moment.
It was a very fun day!
This shoot only happened because of the people involved. Lisa Marino Sanders brought the presence and authenticity, Natalie Lyle handled makeup and assisted throughout, and my good friend Joe Wheatley, producer of the competitions at Muscle Beach Venice, made the access possible.
More of my photography, from aviation to fitness to everything in between, can be found at
https://www.secondfocus.com
World Photography Day: Inspired by Helmut Newton and Brigitte Nielsen
World Photography Day feels like the right moment to look back at the work that shaped my own vision behind the camera.
This photograph—Helmut Newton’s striking image of Brigitte Nielsen in Monte Carlo, 1987—has always stayed with me. Newton had a way of capturing strength, provocation, and glamour in one frame, creating images that were unapologetically bold. Brigitte Nielsen herself, towering and statuesque, seemed made for his lens—an icon of presence and attitude.
Newton’s work has been a lifelong influence on my photography. His fearless approach to composition, his embrace of power in femininity, and his willingness to confront the viewer continue to guide how I think about the subjects I photograph.
On this World Photography Day, rather than share my own work, I want to acknowledge the legacy of images like this one—reminders of how photography can challenge, provoke, and inspire.
To see more of my own work—from fast food photographed against black backgrounds, to bold nude portraits, aviation, bodybuilding, and scenes around Palm Springs—visit my website at SecondFocus.com.
My Photograph Featured in The Guardian and on the ZUMA Press Blog
On August 10, 2025, The Guardian published an article covering a Southwest Airlines incident in which two blind passengers were left behind during boarding. Alongside the story, they used my photograph of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max passenger jet landing in Palm Springs.
The image, taken on February 21, 2025, captures the aircraft on final approach under clear desert skies. It was distributed worldwide through ZUMA Press, where I have been a contributing photographer for more than two decades.
The publication was also highlighted on the ZUMA Press blog, which regularly showcases the work of its contributing photographers featured in major media outlets.
You can read the Guardian article here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/10/southwest-airlines-apologizes-blind-passengers
Five Warbirds, One Mission – Memorial Day 2025
Five historic aircraft filled the skies over Palm Springs during the 2025 Memorial Day program at the Palm Springs Air Museum—each representing a different chapter of American aviation history and military service. My photographs of these aircraft in flight capture not only their striking forms against the desert backdrop but also the enduring legacy they carry.
The lineup included:
– C-47 “What’s Up Doc?” – A D-Day veteran honoring airborne operations and troop transport.
– P-51 Mustang “Bunny” – Flown in tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen and their place in aviation history.
– P4Y-2G Super Privateer – The last flying example of this rare patrol bomber, once used by the Navy.
– PBJ (Navy B-25 Mitchell) – A Navy-modified medium bomber that served in the Pacific theater.
– T-28 Trojan N372C – A Cold War-era trainer that transitioned into combat roles in Southeast Asia.
Each aircraft flew as part of the museum’s commemorative program, honoring those who served and sacrificed in conflicts from World War II through the Vietnam War.
I’m especially pleased that five of these images were featured yesterday in the “BREAKING NEWS from LAST 24 HOURS” section on ZUMA Press, a strong acknowledgment of the visual and historical power of these aircraft in flight.
B-29 “Doc” Over Palm Springs
The B-29 Superfortress *Doc* made its approach into Palm Springs today, and I was there to photograph this rare and powerful sight. One of only two airworthy B-29s in the world, *Doc* is a flying piece of World War II history—its polished aluminum body and four roaring radial engines unmistakable against the desert sky.
Originally built in 1944 and fully restored after years in storage, “Doc” represents an era of engineering and aviation that shaped the course of history. Watching it on approach, gear down and props spinning, was a striking reminder of the aircraft’s legacy and the people who flew them.
Aerial Survey Over Palm Springs: Bell 206-L4 with Sharper Shape Imaging System
On Saturday, many people in Palm Springs noticed a Bell 206-L4 helicopter circling the area. I took the opportunity to photograph the aircraft mid-flight and identified it as N295SJ, a privately owned helicopter equipped with a Sharper Shape Heliscope 2.0—a specialized aerial imaging system used for infrastructure inspections, power line surveys, and vegetation management.
This particular helicopter is owned by Premier Rotors LLC, a company known for providing aerial services for utility companies, infrastructure monitoring, and environmental assessments. The presence of the Heliscope 2.0 system suggests that the flight was part of a detailed survey, likely scanning power lines, roads, or other infrastructure components that require regular maintenance checks from above.
Aerial surveys like these play an essential role in detecting potential hazards, identifying vegetation encroachment, and ensuring infrastructure integrity, helping companies and local governments maintain large-scale networks efficiently. These flights are common across urban and rural landscapes, providing critical data that would be difficult to gather from the ground.
If you spotted this helicopter in the skies over Palm Springs, now you know what was happening.
A Win At Reno
A huge congratulations to my friend Patrick Nightingale flying the Palm Springs Air Museum P-63 Kingcobra to a third place Bronze race win at the 2023 Reno Air Races a few weeks ago. This is video from the 2019 race on a GoPro I mounted in the P-63 with Patrick as the pilot that year. It is an exciting ride!
My Ride Is Here
My ride is here. This is a much better way to travel. Redlands Municipal Airport California.
Off-Road Racer Christopher Polvoorde
Off-Road Racer Christopher Polvoorde Helicopter landing in Palm Springs.
CHP Helicopter
A California Highway Patrol helicopter departing the airport in Palm Springs last Thursday.
VFA-154 Black Knights
Out of town visitors to Palm Springs last Friday. F/A-18F Super Hornets from VFA-154, the Black Knights from Naval Air Station Lemoore. Attached to Carrier Air Wing Eleven and deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.
USAF A-10 “Warthog”
Very exciting this last Saturday to have a United States Air Force A-10II Thunderbolt “Warthog” visit us at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Air Force Association, Palm Springs Chapter, member Col. (ret) Bob Lilac earns a big shout out for making this happen!
T-28b In The Air
From one of our flyovers, the Palm Springs Air Museum T-28B Trojan in the air over the Coachella Valley. I was flying in the Air Museum C-47 “What’s Up Doc”.
F-35’s At Reno
USAF F-35’s on the ramp at the Reno Air Races 2021. Reminds me how lucky I am to go on the ramps, behind the scenes. I was out there to load a Reno Air Races raffle prize winner into our T-6 from the Palm Springs Air Museum, and marshall it out and back. They were right next to us.
U2 by Jim
Ryan Goss was again on our support team at the Reno Air Races 2021 for the Palm Springs Air Museum. This time he brought both his sons. Jim, 19 tomorrow, had an interest in my camera so I let him shoot with it. Big upgrade from a cellphone to a Canon 1DXMkII, gave him a few lessons over the week. Actually I think he used it more than I did. He shot some outstanding photographs. Here is his photo of a U-2 going by.
My Ride Spam Can
My ride up and back to the Reno Air Races this year 2021 was the P-51 Mustang “Spam Can” from Planes Of Fame.Although I am on the team for the Palm Springs Air Museum, we are one big family. Pilot was my buddy Mark Moodie who also flew “Spam Can” in the race. That makes the third Mustang I have flown in to travel to the Reno Air Races.
USAF Thunderbirds
When I was a kid, it was the United States Air Force Thunderbirds that captured my imagination. Guess they still do! Photographed by me at the Reno Air Races 2019.
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