National Hamburger Day: A Step Beyond the Drive-Thru
Today May 28 is National Hamburger Day!
It’s a day that recognizes one of America’s most iconic and enduring foods—no matter how you stack it. From drive-thrus to diners, from backyard grills to corporate chains, the hamburger has been part of our cultural shorthand for over a century.
For this year’s photo, I went local. These are four double hamburgers from Boy’s Hamburgers in Cathedral City, California. No cheese. No styling. Just toasted buns, shredded lettuce, tomato, sauce, and two grilled beef patties—exactly as served.
I picked Boy’s because for National Hamburger Day, it just felt right to go with a place that proudly puts “Hamburgers” in the name. It’s not a chain, but it’s not trying to be upscale either—certainly great food, a step up from the usual big-name fast food. The kind of spot that’s been doing its thing for years without having to change much.
Part of my ongoing From Bag to Background series, this image isolates the food—no branding, no props—letting the burger speak for itself. More on my website at SecondFocus.com
Girls, Tamales, and Weed: A Roadside Stack
Photographed on Perez Road in Cathedral City, the stacked signage reads like a checklist of vices: Showgirls Gentlemen’s Club at the top, followed by The Tamale Spot, and finally Mr. Weed at the base. Neon-lit adult entertainment, Mexican-American food, and a cannabis dispensary — all sharing one stucco arch like an accidental monument to indulgence. Whether intentional or not, the visual alignment is perfect. And no, I didn’t rearrange a thing.
This scene is one of many I’ve captured throughout the Coachella Valley and beyond — places that catch the eye, make you laugh, or quietly say more than they mean to.
You’ll find plenty more on my site: fast food photographed as-is, straight from the bag. Stark desert signage. Protests. Gallery installations. And yes, a body of work that leans into what might be considered porno chic. Go to http://SecondFocus.com
Tesla Protest in Cathedral City Reaches Global Press
One of my photos from the protest outside the Tesla dealership in Cathedral City was syndicated by ZUMA Press and published in the Qatar Tribune business section. The image—showing a lone Cybertruck staged in front of the showroom—ran with a story on rising EV sales in Europe and a dip in Tesla’s numbers. Just out of frame: a protest on the sidewalk by hundreds of people. Interesting to see local scenes like this picked up in international coverage.
Fountain Of Life
Last night…. The Fountain at the Cathedral City Civic Center. Designed and built by two good friends of ours…
“The Fountain of Life was designed by artist Jennifer Johnson in coordination with architect Reuel Young, A.I.A. It was built by House of Stone and Fountains and Landscape Enhancements. Artisans whose families have sculpted stone for more than 600 years carved the fountain pieces out of adoquin stone from a quarry near Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Once the individual pieces arrived in the desert, Johnson spent more than a year adorning the fountain with hand cut mosaic tiles and glass.”
https://www.cathedralcity.gov/residents/fountain-of-life
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