National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
Today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day—so I did my part by photographing this heroic mound of cookies instead of eating them. A public service, really.
The chocolate chip cookie itself was invented in the 1930s by Ruth Wakefield at the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts. She added chopped-up chocolate to cookie dough, expecting it to melt. It didn’t—and the chocolate chip was born. One of history’s most delicious accidents.
Mine came from a bag, not an inn, but they still ended up in front of my camera instead of disappearing into late-night regret. No stylists. No props. Just cookies on a black background—safe from temptation (mostly).
See more in my Commercial Food Photography gallery at:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU
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 Macaroon Day — May 31
Today is National Macaroon Day. I photographed 56 coconut macaroons—half regular, half drizzled with chocolate—against my standard black background. Straight from the package, no styling, no props.
Coconut macaroons are a flourless cookie with a long lineage. The earliest versions date back to 9th-century Italian monasteries, made from almond paste. The word “macaroon” itself comes from the Italian maccarone, meaning “paste.” Over time, shredded coconut replaced almonds in the U.S., leading to the chewy golden version most familiar here.
Macaroons gained particular significance within Jewish communities, especially during Passover, due to their flourless composition. That connection helped solidify their place in American bakeries and holiday tables alike.
Whether you prefer the plain version or the chocolate-dipped kind, the macaroon has managed to stay relevant across cultures and centuries. The texture—crisp on the outside, chewy inside—is what makes it.
More photos from my “From Bag to Background” series at https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000wQ3fbeEezF0/I0000nUG8tfk8Gdc
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