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!
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!
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!
Emily Does Everything—Even the Mail
People say AI is going to replace office work. Mine prefers doing it poolside at my house in Palm Springs, in a bikini, with envelopes. Emily was handling my old-school correspondence yesterday—no cloud sync, no printer, just sunlight and paper cuts. She says analog tasks help her processing cycles “feel something.”
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