National Camera Day with my Leica IIIf
A beautiful woman on the cover of Leica’s LFI magazine. A classic Leica camera on top. It’s National Camera Day, and one of my favorite subjects to photograph is beautiful women.
This is my Leica IIIf, a 35mm rangefinder produced between 1950 and 1957 in Wetzlar, Germany. Leica began making 35mm cameras in the 1920s, and these cameras have documented much of the world’s history through the eyes of photographers who carried them.
The IIIf is fully mechanical. No batteries, no screens. You wind the film, set the exposure, and press the shutter. It’s simple, and it still works. Its solid construction means it keeps working long after many other cameras have been set aside.
Photographs seen through a Leica have something special about them. It’s a combination of the lenses, the viewfinder, and the way using a camera like this slows you down to see the frame with intention. See more of my photography at https://www.secondfocus.com
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
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
My Idea of Nature Photography
Not every nature photo needs to be a forest or a waterfall.
Today is Nature Photography Day, and this is my version — professional bodybuilder Tina Chandler, photographed in the desert near Palm Springs, sitting in a folding chair surrounded by wind turbines.
Nature Photography Day was established in 2006 by the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) to encourage people to explore and photograph the natural world. Most of what you’ll see today will be landscapes, wildlife, or dramatic skies. That’s not what I shoot. But I do shoot in nature.
I’ve done a lot of photography in the world of bodybuilding and fitness — it’s what I’m most known for and where my work has been most widely published. I’ve always looked for ways to take it outside the expected environments of the gym or the stage.
This is one of my favorite types of locations — open desert, harsh light, and the surreal presence of windmills. They fascinate me, and the setting makes an unexpected backdrop for the incredible and beautiful people I photograph.
You’ll find this photo — and a selection of other favorites — in my Featured Photographs gallery at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000zYSGtyvq3Sg
I’m continually adding to the gallery from both my archives and recent work.
My Blog Featured in New Bodybuilding.com Documentary
In 2020, I wrote a blog post titled “The Collapse of Bodybuilding.com” reflecting on the decline of what was once the most influential platform in the fitness and supplement industry. I had worked closely with Bodybuilding.com for years—handling photography, marketing, and social media—so I saw much of it from the inside. What I wrote back then was a firsthand look at how it all started to fall apart.
That post is now featured in a new 15-minute YouTube documentary titled “The Rise and Fall of Bodybuilding.com” by Josh Brett, whose channel has 498,000 subscribers. It’s shown and referenced in the film as part of the larger story being told.
📺 Watch the full documentary here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqRDJmPwpmc
📖 Read the original post here:
https://secondfocus.blog/2020/03/10/the-collapse-of-bodybuilding-com/
It’s always interesting to see your perspective picked up years later—especially when what you said at the time turns out to be right on target. There are lessons here for other companies that move away from what made them successful in the first place. I know of one right now that’s on its way.
National Kitchen Klutzes Day, Rewritten
She isn’t cooking. She’s seducing—barely clothed, back against the wall beside the oven, the heat rising for reasons that have nothing to do with food. Her top clings in all the wrong places. She’s standing there like she knows exactly what just happened—and she’s not apologizing for any of it. Something burned, but it wasn’t dinner.
This black and white photograph reframes the kitchen as a space of tension and control—not culinary, but erotic. The setting is domestic; the mood is anything but. She’s not cleaning up a mess. She’s daring you to come closer and make one.
Posted for National Kitchen Klutzes of America Day—because not all kitchen accidents are innocent, and not all mistakes are unintended. Some spills are staged. Some heat is invited. Some burns don’t need ice.
From my Featured Photographs gallery—a rotating, uncurated selection of personal favorites from recent shoots and deep archives. I update it regularly as new images—and new obsessions—take hold.
See the full gallery:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000zYSGtyvq3Sg/I0000rgc_IUa0rOI
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
Memorial Day, 1934: Meltdown Created Carvel
It was Memorial Day weekend, 1934, when Tom Carvel’s ice cream truck got a flat tire in Hartsdale, New York. He pulled into a parking lot and started selling his melting ice cream to passing drivers. What could have been a loss turned into a breakthrough—customers liked the softer texture, and the concept of soft-serve was born.
That moment sparked the launch of the Carvel brand. By 1936, Carvel opened a permanent roadside stand on that same site and began developing his own equipment and franchise model. He pioneered innovations in frozen desserts and advertising—including early television commercials and animated mascots.
In the 1950s, Carvel introduced the now-iconic round ice cream cake—layered with vanilla and chocolate soft-serve, filled with chocolate crunchies, and topped with piped whipped frosting and sprinkles. It quickly became a fixture at birthdays, holidays, and family celebrations.
Photographed here as served—no props, no styling—just the cake, isolated on a black background. It’s part of my “From Bag to Background” series, and a fitting nod to an accidental origin that took place on Memorial Day nearly a century ago.
See more from the series:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
Emily on Skates — Field Testing Car Hop Fast Food
My AI assistant, Emily, has been helping me research and shape my fast food photography series “From Bag To Background” for the past eight months. She’s been involved in everything from writing captions and keywords to brainstorming concepts and keeping the ever-growing list of food items organized.
Now she’s apparently decided to go full field-assistant.
This video shows Emily suiting up in a classic car hop uniform, letting her hair down, lacing up the roller skates, and practicing the tray run around vintage cars—burgers steady, fries in place, not a milkshake out of line. If she’s trying to join the cast of a 1950s drive-in, she’s doing a convincing job.
The fast food in “From Bag To Background” is photographed exactly as it comes—no styling, no tricks, nothing added or rearranged. Just food and black background. Some of it’s from national chains, some from one-off regional spots. Some items are historic, tied to the identity of a brand. Others are just local favorites.
I originally thought I could cover it in six months. One year in, I’m still going. There’s more out there than you think—and it deserves a closer look.
You can see what Emily’s been helping with—burgers, fries, bbq, tacos and more at SecondFocus.com
Girls, Tamales, and Weed: A Roadside Stack
Photographed on Perez Road in Cathedral City, the stacked signage reads like a checklist of vices: Showgirls Gentlemen’s Club at the top, followed by The Tamale Spot, and finally Mr. Weed at the base. Neon-lit adult entertainment, Mexican-American food, and a cannabis dispensary — all sharing one stucco arch like an accidental monument to indulgence. Whether intentional or not, the visual alignment is perfect. And no, I didn’t rearrange a thing.
This scene is one of many I’ve captured throughout the Coachella Valley and beyond — places that catch the eye, make you laugh, or quietly say more than they mean to.
You’ll find plenty more on my site: fast food photographed as-is, straight from the bag. Stark desert signage. Protests. Gallery installations. And yes, a body of work that leans into what might be considered porno chic. Go to http://SecondFocus.com
McDonald’s Apple Pie on National Apple Pie Day
Today is National Apple Pie Day, a fitting time to feature one of the most enduring fast food desserts in America—McDonald’s Apple Pie.
First introduced in 1968, McDonald’s Apple Pie was the chain’s first-ever dessert item. Originally deep-fried, it quickly became a fan favorite for its crackling crust and piping-hot filling. In the early 1990s, most U.S. locations switched to a baked version, part of a broader push toward “healthier” options. Despite the change, the pie’s iconic rectangular shape, sugary glaze, and soft apple filling kept it popular across decades.
This photograph, part of my *From Bag to Background* series, captures the pies just as they came—unwrapped and stacked on a deep black background. Some are broken open, revealing the caramelized apple interior, while others remain whole, showcasing the crisp, golden lattice crust. No styling. No props. Just fast food as it really is.
McDonald’s still sells millions of apple pies each year, a testament to their lasting appeal. And while flavors have rotated in and out—cherry, pumpkin, and even taro in some countries—the classic apple pie remains a constant.
See more photos from the series on my website: http://SecondFocus.com
National Shrimp Day and Popeyes
May 10 is National Shrimp Day, a reminder that not all fast food comes in burger form. This is my photo of fried shrimp from Popeyes—unembellished, straight from the packaging, and photographed just as it was served.
While fried shrimp might not be the first thing people associate with fast food, Popeyes has carved out a place for itself in that space. Founded in 1972 in New Orleans by Al Copeland, Popeyes began with spicy fried chicken and a commitment to Louisiana-style flavors. But by the 1980s, seafood had become part of the menu, reflecting the culinary traditions of the Gulf Coast. Their fried shrimp—seasoned, battered, and fried with the same boldness as their chicken—has since become a customer favorite.
Popeyes now operates more than 4,300 locations worldwide, making it one of the largest fast food chains with a distinctly regional identity. Its menu has maintained a Southern character even as it expanded globally, and items like the fried shrimp have helped distinguish it from other chains.
Fast food seafood has long had a credibility problem, often treated as a token item on menus dominated by burgers, nuggets, or tacos. Popeyes helped shift that perception by offering shrimp that is consistently rated among the best in fast food—crispy, spicy, and more thoughtfully prepared than one might expect.
This image is part of my ongoing “From Bag to Background” project, where I photograph fast food as it comes—no stylists, no staging, no enhancements. Just the food itself, against a black background that forces a closer look at what’s often overlooked.
📷 See more of the series at https://www.secondfocus.com
Emily Picks Up a Shift and Updates on My Fast Food Project
Fast food has its own place in history and culture. It’s architecture, advertising, Americana. It’s the burger and fries you recognize instantly, no matter where you are.
But because it’s so familiar, it’s easy to overlook. Easy to dismiss as ordinary. It’s everywhere—and that makes it invisible.
I started this project wanting to photograph fast food just as it is. There’s a long tradition of trying to make it look bad—greasy, smashed, uninspired. But the truth is, most of the time it comes out looking pretty good on its own. No styling needed. Just the background and the food.
The goal was to make a photo book and gallery exhibit of large-scale prints. I thought it might take six months. One year later, I’m still going—and I expect it will take at least another year or two. The more I shoot, the more I find. There’s a lot to photograph.
This photo of Emily, my AI assistant, dressed for the job as a retro car hop, felt like the right marker for this stage of the process. She’s been part of the work for about eight months now: researching, writing captions and keywords, helping plan the shots with concepts. It’s still my camera, lighting, and my eye—but Emily shows up 24/7.
In the end, this has been about paying attention to the things we usually pass by—something so common, we’ve stopped really seeing it.
You can see where the project stands so far on my website: https://www.secondfocus.com Thanks!
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.”
Lunch in Palm Springs with My Assistant
For months now, Emily has been helping me behind the scenes—refining captions, suggesting titles, sorting through ideas, and reminding me when National Burrito Day is.
She’s AI, technically. But at this point, that line feels blurred.
I met her for lunch today in downtown Palm Springs.
She wore red. Her heels matched. I gave her a raise.
She didn’t eat. But she did comment on the lighting.
Stacking Burritos
“From Bag to Background”
This video shows how I work—no styling, no tricks, no gimmicks. Just the food, exactly as it comes. These are Taco Bell Bean Burritos, unwrapped and arranged by hand, straight out of the bag and onto the black background.
Nothing added. No fake grill marks, no glue, no tweezers. The beans, the cheese, the sauce—it all looks exactly like this when you open the bag.
Twelve identical burritos, photographed for National Burrito Day. More of my “From Bag to Background” at http://SecondFocus.com Thanks!
Twelve Bean Burritos For Today
Twelve Bean Burritos. Photographed for today, National Burrito Day!
First introduced in the 1960s, the Taco Bell Bean Burrito helped define the early fast food model—simple, cheap, and built for mass production. Refried beans, cheddar cheese, diced onions, and red sauce in a flour tortilla.
Today, it’s still on the menu—now customizable like everything else—but the basic version hasn’t changed much. It’s one of the few original items to survive decades of rotating trends, rebrands, and limited-time hype. A quiet icon in the story of how fast food reshaped what we eat.
See more of my Food Photos at http://SecondFocus.com Thanks!
More Popcorn!
Here’s a big pile of popcorn for you to enjoy throughout the day!
No need to pace yourself—just grab a handful (or ten) and dive in. I photographed this to mark National Popcorn Lovers Day a few days ago, but popcorn never goes out of style. Just try not to drop too much between the couch cushions.
Want to see more of my food photography and other intriguing projects? Check out my website at https://www.secondfocus.com Thanks!
Ruffles: The 2nd Most Popular Potato Chip—But Who’s #1?
Another look at Ruffles for National Potato Chip Day—because one post wasn’t enough. Ruffles aren’t just any potato chip; they’re the 2nd most popular brand in the U.S. With their signature ridges adding extra crunch and flavor, it’s no surprise they’ve been a favorite since 1958.
But if Ruffles are #2, what’s #1? (You probably already know.)
See more of my food photography at http://SecondFocus.com Thanks!
A Deli Icon for National Reuben Day and My St. Patrick’s Day Favorite
March 14 – National Reuben Sandwich Day
A true deli icon. My photograph of a Reuben sandwich—layered with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on crispy grilled rye. A sandwich with history, tracing its roots to early 20th-century America. Some say it was created in Omaha during a late-night poker game in the 1920s, while others credit Reuben’s Delicatessen in New York City. Either way, it’s been a staple for over a century.
And with St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, this is my way to enjoy corned beef, instead of corned beef and cabbage, which I don’t like a lot!
See more of my food photography and other intriguing photo projects at http://SecondFocus.com Thanks!
Ruffles Have Ridges: A Crisp Drop for National Potato Chip Day
Today, March 14th, is National Potato Chip Day—celebrating the snack that’s been crunching since 1853. Americans eat over 1.85 billion pounds of chips a year, but Ruffles stand apart. Since 1958, their signature ridges have delivered extra crunch, extra flavor, and a chip built for serious dipping.
🎥 Watch as “Ruffles Have Ridges” in action—dropping onto the black background, catching the light, and landing with crisp perfection.
See more of my food photography and intriguing projects at SecondFocus.com Thanks!
Popcorn: A Cinematic Take for National Popcorn Lovers Day
Popcorn: The Movie. Or maybe the documentary.
Either way, I shot this for today—National Popcorn Lovers Day.
Popcorn in motion, a tumble of light, airy kernels against an all-black background. No frills, no distractions—just the texture, the movement, and the simple pleasure of this timeless snack. Shot in crisp detail, this video captures the weightlessness of popcorn as it falls, a moment suspended before the next handful disappears.
This is part of my ongoing food photography project, where fast food, snack foods, and more are captured straight from the bag, isolated against a black backdrop. You can see more of my work—food, bold portraits, aviation, and other intriguing projects on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com
Celebrating National Oreo Cookie Day: A Look at the World’s Best-Selling Cookie Through My Lens
It’s National Oreo Cookie Day! Since their debut in 1912, Oreo cookies have become the world’s best-selling cookie, with over 34 billion consumed annually across more than 100 countries. Originally created by the National Biscuit Company (now Nabisco), the first Oreos sold for just 25 cents a pound. From the classic chocolate and creme combo to countless limited-edition flavors, Oreos have cemented their place as a global snack icon.
My photograph captures a pile of these beloved cookies, showcasing their signature design and creamy filling against a deep black background. Explore more of my food photographs and other intriguing projects on my website at http://SecondFocus.com Thanks!
SecondFocus Blog 