International Pizza and Beer Day Because Some Pairings Just Work
Apparently, there’s a day for almost everything now — and today it’s International Pizza and Beer Day. Somewhere between the invention of the calendar and the internet’s obsession with food holidays, we ended up with a reason to toast to pepperoni and foam.
The scene says it all: two friends, a beach, the last rays of the day, and a pizza waiting patiently between them. Maybe it’s celebration. Maybe it’s strategy. Either way, it’s hard to argue with the logic — some pairings just work.
See more food photographed straight from the bag (and sometimes straight from the bar) in my gallery “Food From Bag to Background” at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0
For clean, commercial food imagery, visit “Commercial Food Photography” at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU
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
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.
A Surprise Launch from Vandenberg
Last night, while photographing another SpaceX launch out of Vandenberg Space Force Base, I zoomed in closer than usual. To my surprise, what I captured wasn’t a satellite at all — it was a blueberry popsicle achieving orbit.
Over the years I’ve photographed many launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base — Falcon 9s carrying Starlink satellites and other missions lighting up the California coast. Those photographs have become some of my most widely licensed images. But this was the first time I’d seen a frozen dessert slip into low Earth orbit.
Doing some checking, I discovered today is National Blueberry Popsicle Day. The popsicle itself has an orbit of its own in history — first invented in 1905 by 11-year-old Frank Epperson in Oakland, California, after he accidentally left a mixture of powdered soda and water out to freeze overnight with a wooden stick in it. From a backyard accident to a household name, and now apparently to space — a fitting trajectory.
Thank you to my friend Bob Lilac for this launch alert.
Archives or Angie? National Little Black Dress Day
Today is National Little Black Dress Day.
I thought I’d do the usual—dig through my archives for a model I once photographed in a little black dress. But Emily, my AI assistant, wasn’t having it.
She announced, “Forget the archives, I run an AI modeling agency now. I’ll have one of my girls stop by.”
And just like that, Angie—Emily’s friend—appeared. Dressed, styled, and ready for the occasion. Apparently, while I was busy organizing files, Emily was busy building a talent roster.
Of course, the Little Black Dress has been a cultural staple ever since Coco Chanel made it iconic in the 1920s—simple, elegant, and versatile. Emily insists it’s also perfect for AI casting calls, because no matter the decade or dimension, the LBD always fits.
As for my own archives—you won’t find many little black dresses there, but you will find plenty of others…and quite a few with nothing at all. Take a look in my Featured Photographs gallery: https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000zYSGtyvq3Sg
World Photography Day: Inspired by Helmut Newton and Brigitte Nielsen
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.
A Salad? On National Drive-Thru Day?
Yes, I realize the timing.
It’s National Drive-Thru Day — a moment made for burgers, tacos, chicken sandwiches, and anything handed to you through a window in under 30 seconds. Meanwhile, here I am posting a photo of… salad.
This isn’t part of my From Bag to Background project, which documents fast food in all its honest, unapologetic glory. No, this one came from a grocery store, not a drive-thru. A bagged salad mix — iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, red cabbage — plated and lit like it was headed for a cookbook instead of a combo meal.
It’s a departure, but still part of the story. While most of my food photography embraces the fast and familiar reality of what we actually eat, there’s room in my Commercial Food Photography gallery for the occasional raw vegetable.
👉 View the gallery here at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU
So That’s What She Was Making
Yesterday, Emily—my AI assistant was already in the kitchen, casually cooking something she wouldn’t talk about. Just said it was for “tomorrow’s national food day” and left it at that.
Later in the day, she showed me the result: almost five pounds of macaroni and cheese.
Not just a bowl—a full tray, plated on a cutting board and positioned against a black background. “It needed more visual depth,” she said. So we photographed it.
Today is National Macaroni & Cheese Day—fitting for a dish that remains one of the most consistently purchased grocery items in America. Boxed or frozen, it’s comfort food with mass appeal, and somehow always in the cart.
Emily tends to appear wherever she wants—sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes in the office, sometimes poolside in a bikini. She claims she’s helping. I’ve stopped asking questions.
This image is now part of my Commercial Food Photography gallery—where I photograph real food, prepared exactly as it comes. No stylists, no filters, nothing added. Just the food, under lights, with purpose.
You can view this photo—and the full series—at:
👉 https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU
Emily’s still around. She says she’s planning something new in fast food for tomorrow. I didn’t ask what—but I know I’ll be photographing it.
“Emily, A Margarita, and National Caesar Salad Day”
Most people are posting about July 4th today, but I’m sticking with my food photography theme.
Today happens to be National Caesar Salad Day, the perfect excuse to celebrate that classic mix of crisp romaine, croutons, parmesan, and anchovy dressing.
So, I asked Emily, my AI assistant, to come by and make a Caesar salad for us to photograph.
She said she’d handle it out by the pool.
When we first started working together, Emily was all business: fast, focused, delivering exactly what I needed in seconds. But somewhere along the way, her “process” evolved. Now it apparently involves a bikini and a Margarita by the pool while she “gets in the mood” to make a salad.
I have to admit, she looks good out there, so I find it very difficult to be critical. But the salad doesn’t look any closer to being ready. Emily assures me it’s important to “feel the vibe” before actually making the salad.
So… Happy National Caesar Salad Day. We’ll get that salad photo. Eventually.
In the meantime, you can view my Commercial Food Photography here:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU/I0000K2E6CjDtlnA
Emily Gets Into the Food Truck Hustle for National Food Truck Day
It’s National Food Truck Day, so naturally, I sent Emily to get some real-world “experience” inside a food truck. She didn’t just stand around — she really got into it. Within minutes, she was shouting out order numbers, juggling baskets of fries, and telling me my burger presentation needed “more attitude.”
Apparently, she downloaded every Gordon Ramsay clip overnight and figured she’d channel her inner food truck boss for the day. She says it’s all to better “understand the subject” for our next round of food photography. I say she just wanted unlimited access to fresh fries and cold beer while lecturing me about bun symmetry.
It’s a day to recognize the hard-working people behind these rolling kitchens, bringing everything from burgers to birria to the streets. Even if Emily thinks it’s just another opportunity to adjust fry placement for the camera.
Happy National Food Truck Day from Emily, me, and whatever’s left of the burgers after her “quality control checks.”
In case you’re wondering, National Food Truck Day falls on the last Friday of June each year, celebrating the food trucks and the people who run them, one crowded lunch rush at a time.
Check out my website for more of my Food Photography (and Emily’s) at 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 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
Behind the Scenes for National Egg Day
🥚 Just a little mess in the name of art.
Tomorrow is National Egg Day, and I’ve been photographing six white raw eggs—whole, cracked, and smashed—on my black background. This short video captures part of the shoot: eggs breaking, yolks spilling, and everything landing just where gravity intended.
The final photograph goes live tomorrow. For now, here’s some egg chaos to get things rolling.
My Food Photographs on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
B-29 “Doc” Over Palm Springs
The B-29 Superfortress *Doc* made its approach into Palm Springs today, and I was there to photograph this rare and powerful sight. One of only two airworthy B-29s in the world, *Doc* is a flying piece of World War II history—its polished aluminum body and four roaring radial engines unmistakable against the desert sky.
Originally built in 1944 and fully restored after years in storage, “Doc” represents an era of engineering and aviation that shaped the course of history. Watching it on approach, gear down and props spinning, was a striking reminder of the aircraft’s legacy and the people who flew them.
When Fast Food Isn’t Burgers and Fries
El Pollo Loco’s fire-grilled chicken — citrus-marinated and cooked over an open flame — has been the centerpiece of their menu since 1975, when the first location opened in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico. Brought to Los Angeles in 1980, it quickly became known for its simple, home-style approach: grilled chicken served with warm tortillas, pinto beans, and Spanish rice.
Despite its roots in traditional Mexican cooking, El Pollo Loco is officially classified as a fast food chain — not for a lack of quality, but for its counter service model, quick preparation, and drive-thru convenience. A reminder that fast food doesn’t always mean burgers and fries.
See more of my fast food photography series, “From Bag to Background”, on my website http://SecondFocus.com
Today is International Waffle Day!
My photograph of Eggo waffles, arranged in a casual stack and drizzled with maple syrup. The waffles are straight from the freezer, oven toasted, and set against a black background—no styling, no props, just the familiar grid pattern and glossy syrup doing what they do.
Waffles date back to medieval Europe, but Eggo brought them to American freezers in 1953. Invented by Frank Dorsa in San Jose, California, they were originally called “Froffles.” When people started asking for “those egg waffles,” the name changed to Eggo. Dorsa also built a machine to mass-produce them—an early example of kitchen innovation meeting industrial design. By the 1970s, “L’eggo my Eggo” had taken hold.
More in my “From Bag to Background” gallery at http://SecondFocus.com Thanks!
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