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
Giant Taco Alert
When it comes to big and delicious, these “Giant Tacos” at Crazy Coyote Tacos live up to their name and then some. This is three of these massive tacos loaded… it’s a lot of food. Hidden away in an easy-to-miss shack of a building at the end of the road by Morongo Outlet Mall, this spot has been serving outdoor drive -up food for 25 years. If you know, you know… and if you don’t, you need to find out. My Food Photography and more on my website at http://SecondFocus.com Thanks!
National Taco Day!
Happy National Taco Day! 
This celebration now falls on the first Tuesday in October, instead of October 4th, so it could align with Taco Tuesday. Perfect timing, right?
Tacos have a rich history dating back centuries in Mexico, where they began as simple street food for workers, featuring soft corn tortillas filled with flavorful meats, veggies, and salsas. Fun fact: the word “taco” may have come from 18th-century Mexican silver miners who used “taco” to describe the little explosives they used to extract ore. Since then, tacos have evolved into a global favorite!
Celebrate with your favorite taco—whether it’s classic carnitas, spicy al pastor, or a veggie twist—and check out more of my food photography at http://SecondFocus.com And this photograph will be shown at the Artists Center at the Galen in Palm Desert later this year. Thanks!
Del Taco Then and Still Now
Del Taco was founded as a roadside fast food diner in 1964 in Yermo, California. The original menu featured tacos, cheeseburgers, fries, and tostados. While tostados are no longer on the menu, tacos, cheeseburgers, and fries are still there, although a little more expensive. At the time tacos were 19 cents and cheeseburgers were 24 cents. That first day they took in $169 in sales, the equivalent of 900 tacos! On my website you will find my Food Photography as well as many others of my photography and video clips. Take a look at http://SecondFocus.com Thanks!
Taco Tuesday With Jack!
“Taco Tuesday fun fact! 🌮 Did you know Jack In The Box sells a staggering 554 million tacos a year? That’s over 1,000 tacos every minute! I couldn’t resist and picked up ten for my Fast Food photo project. 📸 Check out more of my work at http://SecondFocus.com. Thanks for taking a look!”
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