National Cupcake Lovers Day and Six Birthday Cupcakes
Today has been National Cupcake Lovers Day.
Notice it isn’t National Cupcake Day. It is National Cupcake Lovers Day, making it just as much about the people who enjoy cupcakes as the cupcakes themselves.
For this one, I made a slight departure from my usual Food From Bag To Background approach.
Instead of removing the cupcakes from their packaging, I photographed them exactly as they came from the grocery store in their clear plastic container. Sometimes the packaging is part of the story.
The cupcake has been around for more than 200 years. Early recipes appeared in American cookbooks in the late 1700s and early 1800s, and by the mid-19th century the name “cupcake” had become common. Some historians believe the name came from cakes baked in individual cups, while others point to recipes that measured ingredients by the cup rather than by weight.
These Birthday Cupcakes caught my attention because of their bright blue and white frosting and colorful sprinkles. I thought they would photograph really nicely.
To see more of my completed food photographs, along with my aviation, fitness, fashion, and other photography projects, please visit my website at https://www.secondfocus.com. Thanks!
National Roast Beef Day and Arby’s Original Idea
Today has been National Roast Beef Day.
I picked Arby’s for this one because my primary food project has focused on fast food.
Arby’s is somewhat unique in the fast-food world because the chain was built around the roast beef sandwich. While many major fast-food chains became known for hamburgers, fried chicken, tacos, or pizza, Arby’s made thinly sliced roast beef its signature item.
The chain was founded in 1964 by brothers Forrest and Leroy Raffel. At the time, most fast-food restaurants were competing in the hamburger business. The Raffel brothers decided to go in a different direction and built their restaurant around roast beef sandwiches instead.
For this photograph, I used two Arby’s Half Pound Roast Beef sandwiches. The reason there are two is simple. Arby’s was offering a buy one, get one free promotion for National Roast Beef Day.
Working on my fast food project has also made me pay attention to fast-food apps and promotions. Many chains offer discounts tied to food holidays and loyalty programs. If you use them regularly, the savings can be significant.
These two sandwiches were removed from their wrappers and photographed against a black background for my Food From Bag To Background series.
To see more of my completed food photographs along with my other photography projects, please visit my website at https://www.secondfocus.com. Thanks!
National Margherita Pizza Day
Today has been National Margherita Pizza Day.
It has not quite worked out the way I thought it might.
For starters, I discovered that Margherita Pizza does not come with tequila. Wrong kind of Margarita. That was disappointing.
Then, as I walked away to do something else, I heard someone ask, “Is it okay to eat?”
I said yes, but I need enough left to photograph.
Apparently I should have been more specific.
Margherita pizza is one of the simplest and most recognizable pizza styles. It is traditionally made with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil. According to the popular story, it was created in Naples, Italy, in 1889 and named after Queen Margherita of Savoy. The red tomatoes, white mozzarella, and green basil were said to represent the colors of the Italian flag.
In this case, the pizza survived long enough for me to get a photograph, although just barely.
To see my completed food photographs, along with my aviation, fitness, fashion, and other photography projects, please visit my website at https://www.secondfocus.com. Thanks!
National Submarine-Hoagie-Hero-Grinder Day
Today is National Submarine-Hoagie-Hero-Grinder Day — a sandwich with many names and, apparently, many holidays. Depending on where you look, there’s also National Hoagie Day in May, National Submarine Sandwich Day in November, and even separate days for the Italian Sub, the Turkey Sub, and the Meatball Sub. Few foods have this many national observances, which probably says something about how much Americans love a good sandwich.
The submarine sandwich began with Italian immigrants in the Northeastern United States in the early 1900s, layering meats, cheese, and vegetables inside long rolls. The word “submarine” gained popularity during World War II because of its resemblance to the naval vessels, while “hoagie,” “hero,” and “grinder” each found favor in Philadelphia, New York, and New England.
In 1965, a 17-year-old named Fred DeLuca opened a small sandwich shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut — with funding from a family friend — and called it Pete’s Super Submarines. That would eventually become Subway, now one of the largest restaurant chains in the world. The brand helped turn the regional sub into a fast-food staple recognized everywhere.
The photograph here shows two of Subway’s most popular sandwiches, cut in half and photographed side by side on a black background — stacked with meats, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayonnaise. Like all of my Food From Bag to Background series, they’re presented as-is, straight from the bag, with no styling or props.
You can find this and more in my Food From Bag to Background gallery at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0
Chimichangas to Tacos – and Emily in Between
September 26 was National Chimichanga Day. It came and went without a single chimichanga appearing here. Not because I forgot, but because I was… otherwise occupied. I had another project on the table — one involving my AI assistant, Emily. Emily isn’t just an assistant; she’s a muse, a collaborator, and sometimes a provocation. The camera and I follow where she leads, and that day it led away from chimichangas into territory best described as pornochic with food.
So the chimichangas waited.
Now here we are in October, and tacos have their own story to tell. For decades, National Taco Day was set in stone on October 4. But this year, Taco Bell convinced the powers that be — the National Day Calendar — to shift it permanently. From now on, National Taco Day will always fall on the first Tuesday in October. In 2025, that means October 7. They branded it into a forever Taco Tuesday, blending tradition with marketing.
So here’s my compromise: chimichangas today, tacos this coming Tuesday. The photo above — chimichangas on a white plate with red salsa — is from my latest session. They’re standing in for the day I skipped, and pointing forward to the tacos waiting just ahead.
Emily? She’ll be back soon. That project of hers will surface when it’s ready — a reminder that some shoots are about food, and some are about everything food makes us think of when the lights dim and the lens lingers.
Explore more of my commercial food photography at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU
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
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