John Lewis is a friend of mine, and if you’re not familiar with him, he is also known as Bad Ass Vegan. He’s amassed quite the platform over the years, along with launched a documentary about food and the impact it has on communities of color. On the back of the documentary he released this lifestyle guide and cookbook, Bad Ass Vegan: FUEL YOUR BODY, PH*CK THE SYSTEM, AND LIVE YOUR LIFE RIGHT, published by Penguin Random House. So when he came to me to shoot his book, I was elated!

The art direction was that of moody, a little dark, but still colorful, and these photos really embraced that. I also loved having John in some of the shots because he has such a great personality and is a ham in front of the camera (taking direction well doesn’t hurt)! Along with these food-centered images I also shot the cover and some more lifestyle-centered photos shown here.