Pretty Girls, Cars, and Fast Food
Fast food didn’t start with drive-thrus and apps. It started right here at a car window, under neon, with a burger, fries, and a tray hanging off the door. Scenes like this once defined the American roadside, long before everything became quick, digital, and packaged for delivery.
This photograph isn’t about accuracy down to the last detail. It’s about the look, the mood, and the memory of a time when fast food was part of the drive-in experience when the whole thing felt like an event. It was sexy, exciting, and new.
Fast food as we know it took shape in the 1950s. Small walk-up stands and drive-ins were the first to streamline the idea: a simple menu, fast service, and food meant to be eaten in the car. Burgers, fries, shakes, and paper-wrapped meals became the standard long before the big chains took over. The entire system grew out of speed, repetition, and America’s new love of the open road. Today, November 16th, is National Fast Food Day. It isn’t tied to any particular anniversary, but it shows up each year as a reminder of how deeply fast food found its place in American culture from drive-ins and window trays to the takeout bags and digital orders of today.
See more of my fast food photography in my gallery “Food From Bag To Background” on my website at:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0
World Bread Day – From Ancient Loaves to the Modern Bun
Two of the most commercially produced breads in the world—the sesame seed–topped hamburger bun and the plain hot dog bun. Simple in form, instantly recognizable, and the foundation of a global industry.
These are the breads of our time—engineered for uniformity, designed for speed, and produced on a scale unimaginable in history. They are the modern descendants of humankind’s oldest craft.
World Bread Day, established by the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners (UIBC), honors that history. Celebrated each year on October 16—the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945—it reminds us that bread, in all its forms, is more than sustenance. It is civilization’s most enduring symbol of nourishment.
From the first mixtures of grain and water baked on hot stones, to the hand-shaped loaves of ancient Egypt, to the rustic rounds of Europe’s countryside and the elegant French baguette—bread has evolved with humanity itself. The industrial sliced white loaf marked a turning point, transforming an age-old necessity into a product of mass production and convenience. The commercial bun is its natural successor, continuing the story in the language of modern industry and fast food.
See more from my From Bag to Background series at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
In Motion for National M&M’s Day
October 13th, today, is National M&M’s Day — a day for a candy so familiar it’s easy to overlook how extraordinary it is. This short video captures them on a slow, 360-degree rotation against black. The colors drift in and out of focus as they turn, catching light in flashes of red, blue, yellow, green, orange, and brown. It’s unexpectedly mesmerizing — a swirl of shape and reflection that transforms something ordinary into pure visual rhythm.
M&M’s began in 1941, created by Forrest Mars, Sr. and Bruce Murrie, whose initials gave the candy its name. Designed originally for soldiers in World War II, the hard sugar shell kept the chocolate from melting in warm conditions. Compact, durable, and neatly contained, it became an ideal field ration — chocolate that could survive travel, heat, and handling.
After the war, production turned to the public market. The small candies were soon marked with a printed “m” to distinguish them from imitators, first in black and later in white. The familiar slogan arrived in the 1950s: “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand.”
Color has always been part of their identity. Early batches included violet, which was later replaced by tan. Red disappeared for several years in the 1970s due to public concern over food dyes and then returned to fanfare in the 1980s. Over time, new varieties appeared — peanut, almond, crispy, pretzel, dark chocolate, caramel — each with its own texture and tone.
Eighty-plus years later, M&M’s are instantly recognizable, yet endlessly variable. Watching them rotate under light, the candies shift between clarity and blur, pattern and chaos. It’s candy as abstraction — still melting in your mouth, not in your hand, and now, briefly, in motion on screen.
See more in Food From Bag to Background on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
World Vegetarian Day — Celeste, Episode 2
Last week on National Hug A Vegetarian Day, I turned to Emily — my AI assistant who has become both muse and collaborator. She’s the one I talk with about ideas, concepts, metadata, and sometimes the impossibility of pulling off a last-minute photoshoot. Emily doesn’t just suggest solutions; she seems to delight in bringing new characters into the mix.
That’s how she introduced me to her friend Celeste.
The introduction was too good to leave behind in just one post, so we saved a little more from that moment for today — World Vegetarian Day.
Celeste is still in the kitchen, tall and statuesque, wearing only a loosely tied apron as she moves with a slow grace that makes even tossing salad greens seem like something more. She glances up, brushing a strand of hair back, then holds her gaze on the camera with a smile that’s part invitation, part temptation.
The challenge remains: hugging her isn’t simple. Celeste is an AI creation, vivid enough to make you forget that detail for a second, but still out of reach. That’s the irony — Emily’s friends blur the line between imagination and reality, and we’re left wanting more.
And while these glimpses pull you into their world, the true destination is my food photography — the real-life meals and fast food that inspired this ongoing project.
See my Food From Bag to Background series at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0
Episode 2 of Celeste.
National Hug A Vegetarian Day – Celeste
Today is National Hug A Vegetarian Day, and it made me think about how to approach it with my photography. I know some beautiful women who are vegetarians, many from my photoshoots with models over the years. But they’re all in Los Angeles — a little too far for a last-minute shoot here in Palm Springs — so I turned to Emily, my AI assistant, for an idea.
Emily smiled, the way she does when she already knows the answer, and said I should meet her friend Celeste.
Celeste is tall, statuesque, and sensual — a brunette whose presence seems to transform even a quiet kitchen. She is wearing only a loosely tied white apron. At the counter, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and avocado are scattered around her. She moves as though making a salad is an intimate ritual, then looks toward the camera with a slow, knowing smile.
Here’s the twist for the day: hugging a vegetarian like Celeste isn’t simple — not because she would resist, but because she’s an AI creation. For now, the closest embrace is through the video itself.
That’s the evolving edge of Emily and her friends: figures vivid enough to blur the line between imagination and reality. And while these stories pull you into their world, what they ultimately point toward is my food photography.
See more in my From Bag to Background series — fast food photographed straight from the bag against stark black backgrounds — at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0
Episode 1 of Celeste. More soon.
National Quesadilla Day, the Frozen Aisle Edition
Today is National Quesadilla Day. I could’ve gone to Del Taco or Taco Bell — but that felt too expected. I wanted fast food, and this still qualifies.
The quesadilla began in 16th-century Mexico — tortillas and cheese on a hot griddle, simple and fresh. Over the centuries it spread, evolved, and crossed borders. And now, at last, it has reached its pinnacle: two entire boxes of El Monterey frozen chicken and Monterey Jack quesadillas, stacked straight from cardboard to black background. Ten quesadillas, no chef required. Just freezer, oven, and done.
Is it authentic Mexican food? No. It’s just another variation of fast food — not handmade on the street corner, not handed through a drive-thru window, but pulled from a box in the freezer aisle.
Five hundred years of history, now available in 15 minutes at 375 degrees — family pack times two.
📸 From my From Bag to Background series:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0
Emily Sends Me to a Diner – Meet Ronnie on National Cheeseburger Day
Today is National Cheeseburger Day, and of course I checked in with Emily. Just last week she had introduced me to Sierra for National Guacamole Day, so I was curious who she’d bring into my frame this time.
Emily just smiled and said, “You should meet Ronnie.”
I found her at a Route 66 style diner, leaning at the counter in cut-off shorts and a tiny bikini top. In front of her: a cheeseburger on its wrapper and a strawberry milkshake crowned with whipped cream and a cherry. Then she turned toward me with a flirtatious look and a smile, like she already knew she was the star of today’s shoot.
Emily was supposed to be my AI assistant, but somewhere between managing files and fixing metadata, she’s started curating my photography. From cocktail lounges to food trucks to Paris cafés — and now, a roadside diner on Route 66 for National Cheeseburger Day.
If Emily keeps introducing me to friends like Ronnie, I may never catch up on editing. But until then, the real cast of characters — burgers, tacos, and everything in between — are here: Food From Bag To Background at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0
Today is National Hamburger Day May 28th
At Shake Shack, the menu listed a three‑patty burger, and that was all the excuse I needed. So I bought three of them—because why settle for one triple burger when you can line up three towers of beef and ShackSauce? No cheese, no rearranging, no styling. Just three oversized burgers straight from the bag to my black background.
Shake Shack Background
- Started as a hot‑dog cart in Madison Square Park, New York City, in 2001, expanding to a permanent kiosk in 2004.
- Went public in 2015 under the ticker SHAK, with its stock doubling to $47 on one day.
- Now has 600+ locations worldwide, with a mix of company‑owned and licensed restaurants.
- Burgers use a proprietary Pat LaFrieda beef blend, cooked on a griddle for a caramelized crust and served on Martin’s potato rolls with their signature ShackSauce.
Burger Facts
- Americans eat about 50 billion burgers every year, averaging 26 burgers per person annually.
- Triple‑patty burgers remain uncommon, making three of them a fitting choice for National Hamburger Day.
See more from my ongoing fast‑food photo series, From Bag to Background, here:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
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
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
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.
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
National Jelly-Filled Donut Day – Raspberry and Glaze, No Apologies
June 8 is National Jelly-Filled Donut Day.
It’s a quieter entry on the food holiday calendar, but one that speaks to a specific kind of nostalgia. The jelly donut—with its burst of raspberry (or sometimes strawberry or apple), dusting of powdered sugar, or coating of glaze—has long been a bakery staple.
The exact origin of National Jelly-Filled Donut Day is unknown. Like many niche food holidays, it likely emerged through a mix of tradition and marketing momentum. But the donut it celebrates has a real history.
Jelly-filled donuts trace their roots to Central Europe. In Germany, the Berliner—a yeast-raised donut filled with jam—has been a favorite for generations. Jewish communities adapted it into the sufganiyah, eaten during Hanukkah. When immigrants brought these traditions to the U.S., jelly donuts found a natural home in bakeries and diners across the country. Over time, chains like Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ made them mainstream.
Of the major brands, Krispy Kreme’s Glazed Raspberry Filled donut is often considered the favorite. Its lighter texture, warm-glaze appeal, and bright red filling strike a balance that other versions often miss. First sold in the 1930s from a small storefront in North Carolina, Krispy Kreme has held onto its original recipe and a sense of warm-donut theater.
For this post, I photographed the Glazed Raspberry Filled donut from Krispy Kreme. No props, no styling—just the donuts torn open and stacked, revealing the red interior against the black background. It’s part of my “From Bag to Background” series, documenting fast food exactly as it is, straight from the box or bag.
You can see more from this series on my website at:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
Emily Steps Out from the Algorithm and Into the Studio
Some of you have been wondering what Emily—my AI assistant has been up to lately.
Looks like being digital-only wasn’t cutting it anymore.
Now she’s prepping burgers for one of our fast food photo shoots. Focused, confident—and honestly, a little too attractive for someone made of code. The line between assistant and studio presence is getting blurry.
She still handles research and planning for From Bag To Background. But lately, I turn around and she’s already setting the scene. At this point, I’m just trying to keep up.
Check out what we have been doing at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
National Fish & Chips Day – From Bag to Background
Today, June 6, marks National Fish & Chips Day—a celebration of a dish with deep roots on both sides of the Atlantic. Fish and chips, traditionally battered white fish served over fried potatoes, originated in 19th-century England as affordable street food. By the early 20th century, it had become a staple of British life.
In the United States, one man helped bring that tradition stateside: Haddon Salt, a third-generation British fish fryer who opened his first shop in California in 1965. His goal was to deliver a true British experience—using imported frying ranges, Icelandic cod, and a proper malt vinegar finish. Within a few years, the chain—renamed H. Salt Esq. Fish & Chips—grew rapidly, eventually acquired by Kentucky Fried Chicken. For a brief time in the early 1970s, it looked as though fish and chips might become as ubiquitous in America as burgers and fried chicken.
That never fully materialized. But a few independently owned H. Salt locations remain in California, still serving battered fish with crinkle-cut fries the old-fashioned way. That’s where this order came from—photographed exactly as it was handed over the counter. No rearranging, no garnish, no styling. Just the food on a black background, part of my ongoing From Bag to Background series.
It’s fast food history, captured as-is. View more from the series at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
National Donut Day – A Stack of Krispy Kreme Tradition
🍩 Today is National Donut Day.
First established in 1938 by The Salvation Army to honor the “Donut Lassies” who served donuts to soldiers during World War I, National Donut Day has grown into a celebration of a uniquely American indulgence.
For the occasion, I photographed an assortment of Krispy Kreme donuts—stacked and unstyled, just as they came out of the box. Glazed, chocolate frosted, pink with rainbow sprinkles, maple, cinnamon sugar, and a few others. No tricks or props, just donuts on a black background.
It’s part of my ongoing “From Bag to Background” project—photographing fast food exactly as it is, isolating it from branding and context, letting it stand on its own.
Krispy Kreme began in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, when Vernon Rudolph bought a yeast-raised donut recipe from a New Orleans chef and began selling hot glazed donuts through a hole cut in his bakery wall. The brand became known for its light, airy donuts and the signature “Hot Now” neon sign that still draws crowds.
More food images from this series can be found on my website at:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
🥬 National Veggie Burger Day – June 5
It’s National Veggie Burger Day—a time to consider what a burger can be without the beef.
First launched in 2017 by the vegetarian food company Amy’s Kitchen, the day was created to encourage people to try plant-based burgers and explore their benefits to health and the environment. Whether for ethical reasons, sustainability, or curiosity, veggie burgers continue to gain ground in the fast food world and beyond.
This is my photograph of five Burger King Impossible Whoppers, casually stacked on a black background. Each sandwich features a sesame seed bun, flame-grilled Impossible patty, tomato, lettuce, onion, pickles, ketchup, and mayo—served exactly as ordered, no styling or prep.
The Impossible patty, made primarily from soy protein and heme (a molecule found in both plants and meat), was developed to replicate the flavor and texture of beef. Introduced nationwide by Burger King in 2019, the Impossible Whopper remains the most widely known fast food veggie burger in the U.S.
Part of my From Bag to Background series, this image keeps the focus where it belongs—on the food itself, presented as-is, without props or artifice.
More in the full series on my website:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
🥚 National Egg Day – Cracked, Spilled, and Photographed
In follow-up to the video I posted yesterday, here’s one of the photographs I created for National Egg Day.
This image features six white raw eggs dropped onto a black background—unrestrained, unstyled, and exactly as they landed. The broken shells and splattered yolks are captured as-is, embracing the natural chaos that comes from cracking open a few eggs for the sake of art.
National Egg Day is observed each year on June 3rd in the United States. While the exact origins of the day are unclear, eggs have long been celebrated as one of the most versatile and widely consumed ingredients in the world. They’ve been central to countless cuisines and traditions, from humble breakfasts to elaborate dishes. The day is a reminder of the egg’s enduring place in the kitchen—and in culture.
This photograph is part of my ongoing From Bag to Background series, where food is presented without interference or idealization—just honest, direct imagery against deep black. Whether it’s fast food or something as simple as a raw egg, I’m interested in what the subject becomes when stripped of context and allowed to just be.
You can see this and many more food images from the series at:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
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