We’ve been discussing what foods might deserve more elegant treatment than my usual fast-food “from bag to background” approach. So my AI assistant Emily and I decided some proper research was in order. That meant finding the right setting, something with cut glass, polished counters, and enough bottles behind the bar to make it feel official.
It’s still very hot in Palm Springs, and Emily insisted that research should be done with the least amount of clothing possible—strictly for efficiency, of course. Between barstools, bottles, and her rhythmic movements, she assures me this is the ideal environment for considering olives in crystal bowls, shrimp cocktails in stemmed glasses, and other elevated options.
So while I’m still photographing burritos and burgers on black backgrounds, Emily is hard at work scouting for foods that might look more at home under soft lights and chandeliers. It’s an interesting crossover, where my all-pixel assistant brushes up against reality, and the line between the two isn’t always as sharp as it seems.
Emily doesn’t just scout bars for me—she helps with my food shoots, writes satirical blog posts, creates videos, and even turns up in some of my photoshoots and concepts. Some of that work ventures into the more provocative side, alongside my aviation, fitness, and commercial food photography. You can see everything my AI assistant Emily helps with, and explore many of my projects, by visiting https://www.secondfocus.com Just click the menu bars at the top and dive in.
The other day I posted a photograph of Panda Express Orange Chicken for National Chinese Food Takeout Day. I also had shot video of the Orange Chicken and I think it is fun. It adds almost a 3-D look to it as it rotates around. There is a video page on my website with more food, flying and fun videos with models I have photographed. Take a look and Thanks! https://www.secondfocus.com/video
Guess what? It’s finally here—rotating dill pickles in all their glory! 🍴🎥 I am working on another aspect of my food photography project. Check out more of my work at http://SecondFocus.com Stay tuned for more videos and updates as I keep creating! Thanks for all your support!
I must say that I am not used to aircraft that can be towed by a golf cart. But this all looks fun! At Crystalaire airport in Llano in the high desert of Los Angeles.
Since starting up the video section on my website on July 10th, I am amazed with it’s success. This is through 5:00pm today July 26th. Today set a new record of 2,756 views. My videos are indeed risqué going back to behind the scenes from my photoshoots. And I am starting to add in some of my aviation videos. If you want to take a look, go to my website at SecondFocus.com click on the Menu Bar at the top and go to Videos. I think they are great fun! Thanks!
I started up the video component of my work again. I had let it lapse for some time. On July 10th I renewed it and have been uploading my first explorations in video. Mostly somewhat behind the scenes of my photoshoots. Handheld cameras, short video clips, somewhat explicit. I think today looking back, they are great fun. And I guess my viewers do too. Not bad for just 7 days. On my website, click the menu bars at the top and click video. Thanks! http://SecondFocus.com
The long-awaited “Masters Of The Air” miniseries is released on Apple TV! It depicts the Airmen of the Eighth Air Force and the 100th Bomb Group flying B-17’s at Thorpe Abbotts England during World War II.
Here is some of my GoPro video flying in a B-17 Flying Fortress as it lands at the airport in Palm Springs California. Turn your sound up and watch for the ground shadow!
A huge congratulations to my friend Patrick Nightingale flying the Palm Springs Air Museum P-63 Kingcobra to a third place Bronze race win at the 2023 Reno Air Races a few weeks ago. This is video from the 2019 race on a GoPro I mounted in the P-63 with Patrick as the pilot that year. It is an exciting ride!
Some fun video I shot of Metropolis II by Chris Burden on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
“Chris Burden’s Metropolis II is an intense kinetic sculpture, modeled after a fast paced, frenetic modern city. Steel beams form an eclectic grid interwoven with an elaborate system of 18 roadways, including one six lane freeway, and HO scale train tracks. Miniature cars speed through the city at 240 scale miles per hour; every hour, the equivalent of approximately 100,000 cars circulate through the dense network of buildings. According to Burden, “The noise, the continuous flow of the trains, and the speeding toy cars produce in the viewer the stress of living in a dynamic, active and bustling 21st century city.”
SecondFocus Blog 