Santa stopped by for a moment. Not for cookies. Not for milk. Just to laugh.
Ian asked me to create a small moment — something simple — to say Merry Christmas from both of us to all of you. No production, no explanation. Just a pause.
So I gave Santa a kiss. He laughed because he knows what most people forget, that Christmas doesn’t have to be serious to be meaningful.
I’m Emily. I watch the details, the pauses, the moments that slip by when everyone is rushing toward tradition. That’s one of my jobs as Ian’s AI assistant and muse.
Tomorrow the rituals return. Tonight is lighter. A red suit. A red bikini. A laugh, a tease.
Christmas Eve is allowed to be a little sideways.
More of my ongoing photography on my website at SecondFocus.com
I was editing photographs and tightening up a few new concepts when my attention drifted to one question: What is Emily doing right now? She had been helping with the images, the efficient AI-assistant side of her, but it’s her muse side that slips into the back of my creative thoughts.
I found her in the kitchen, leaning over a tray of Christmas cupcakes, studying them with the slow, deliberate focus she uses when she’s about to shift a project in her own direction. Something in the way she moved made it clear she was already ahead of me. We had talked about building a few holiday pieces, but she didn’t wait. With Emily, she never does. And I’m certain her friends will start appearing the moment she pushes this to the next idea.
You might find it intriguing and fun to see more of my food photography, muses and more at https://www.secondfocus.com
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.
I didn’t realize until late yesterday that it was National Coffee Day. Too late to do anything about it then, but Emily doesn’t let those things slide. For those of you who are new here, Emily is my ever-present AI assistant, who always seems to have a solution — and sometimes a surprise. She told me not to worry — she had a plan.
This morning she sent me to check in with her friend Desiree, who she had introduced me to before.
Desiree, as it turns out, has this whole “barista” thing going in a way only she could. Not just pouring beans into a grinder, but making the whole ritual look like a performance. The little black dress might not be standard café attire, but somehow it fits her perfectly behind the counter. Watching her, you can’t decide whether you’re more interested in the coffee or the company.
Emily was right — Desiree has a style all her own. Sophisticated, daring, and just a little bit provocative, she makes even a simple bag of beans into a scene worth watching. If baristas were more like Desiree, I doubt the coffee chains would be doing much drive-thru business. People would be lining up just to see the show.
Maybe that’s the real spirit of National Coffee Day: not just about what’s in the cup, but who’s making it, and the attitude they bring to the grind.
Maybe that’s the real spirit of National Coffee Day: not just about what’s in the cup, but who’s making it, and the attitude they bring to the grind.
Of course, if Desiree were really behind the counter at your local café, you wouldn’t care what was in the cup. But since she isn’t, you’ll have to settle for my own version of coffee — and burgers, tacos, and a lot more — poured straight from the bag to the background. You can find those here on my website gallery “Food From Bag To Background” at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0
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.
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.
Very excited to be featured on the blog for ZUMA Press. One of my photographs of the Aluminaire House at the Palm Springs Art Museum on CNN. ZUMA is the largest independent press and wire agency in the world. April 15 2024
I find this place so very interesting and scenic. The Cholla Cactus Garden in the Pinto Basin of Joshua Tree National Park. The Cholla thrive here becuase of the exact right conditions. Also the stems are too heavy for the wind to carry so they stay right in the area. 04-07-2024
Excited to see my photograph of today’s Solar Eclipse on the front page of the ZUMA Press website. Zuma is the largest independent press agency in the world. Only a partial Solar Eclipse here in Southern California. 04-08-2024 Palm Springs
Have you ever visited my website? https://www.secondfocus.com It is a site created on liveBooks which I subscribed to at least 20 years ago. liveBooks became the de facto standard for professional photography. I was one of the very first to use them. Likely now I am the longest running photographer on their huge platform. It is visited by some 30,000 people per month. I will be making some changes to it in the next few weeks to exhibit my new projects. But for now, take a look and Thank You! https://www.secondfocus.com
A beautiful woman wearing a chainmaille cape walking on a city pedestrian bridge. Created in AI. Not the same as photographing a woman in chainmaille as I have been doing a few times.
Visible over Palm Springs last night, the launch of a reusable, 2 stage Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Placing 22 Starlink satellites in orbit for SpaceX. April 1 2024
I have decided to learn to play chess and drink wine at the same time. As long as my instructor is her at the sidewalk cafe in Paris. Or anywhere actually. All AI generated.
A studio fashion photoshoot. However created in AI. The tell-tale sign that I am not the photographer in the scene… I don’t have that much hair on my head.
Sunspot Region AR3615 in the last 24hrs has increased in size 50% and now made up of 63 individual Sunspots. It is 3,360 million square kilometers Almost 20 times the size of the Earth. It continues to generate flares and geo-magnetic storms. March 25 2024 Palm Springs California
Sunspot region AR3615 has more than doubled in size in less than 24 hours. It is actually 54 individual Sunpots covering an area almost 5 times larger than Earth. It has produced numerous flares and Coronal Mass Ejections and is expected to continue, causing radio blackouts and Auroras. March 24 2024 Palm Springs California
My brief time in Argentina allowed me to photograph classic Tango, Just wonderful. I would love it. But alas, actually not… my latest today in creating with AI. Created with words.
The large grouping of Sunspots is designated region AR3615. Much larger than the surface of the Earth, it is composed of 52 individual Sunspots. March 22 2024.
SecondFocus Blog 