A close up of ornaments of centuries-old idols of Lord Buddha during the Pancha Daan, Five donation, festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal, 30 August 2016. Thousands of Buddhist pilgrims observe the main day of the Pancha Daan also known as a five summer gifts (rice, grain, salt, money and fruits) festival which is observes for world peace and human welfare. (Photo by Narendra Shrestha/EPA)

A stunning photographic collection featuring portraits of people from 30 countries and the food they eat in one day. In this fascinating study of people and their diets, 80 profiles are organized by the total number of calories each person puts away in a day. Featuring a Japanese sumo wrestler, a Massai herdswoman, world-renowned Spanish chef Ferran Adria, an American competitive eater, and more, these compulsively readable personal stories also include demographic particulars, including age, activity level, height, and weight. Essays from Harvard primatologist Richard Wrangham, journalist Michael Pollan, and others discuss the implications of our modern diets for our health and for the planet. This compelling blend of photography and investigative reportage expands our understanding of the complex relationships among individuals, culture, and food.

An actress dressed as Wonder Woman walks between visitors during the season inauguration of the Madrid Warner amusement park in San Martin de Valdeiglesias, near Madrid, Spain, March 18, 2016. (Photo by Andrea Comas/Reuters)

Photographer Howard Schatz had an idea: place actors in a series of roles and dramatic situations to reveal the essence of their characters. Such was the premise behind his book, In Character: Actors Acting, which captures some of Hollywood’s most emotive stars in the act of, well, making faces. Luckily for us, he continued the tradition for Vanity Fair. Here are some of the best.

In this January 6, 2017 photo, transgender inmates get a security check from female officers before entering their cell at Pattaya Remand Prison in Pattaya, Chonburi province, Thailand. The prison separates lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender prisoners from other inmates, a little-known policy despite being in place nationwide since 1993, according to the Department of Corrections. (Photo by Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo)

Mel Winnie Harlow poses for photographers before the presentation of Christian Dior's Spring-Summer 2018 ready-to-wear fashion collection in Paris, Tuesday, September 26, 2017. (Photo by Michel Euler/AP Photo)

South Vietnamese-born designer Quasar drives the six-foot long square-shaped plastic car he built and which is scheduled to be a hit with the young driving set, in Paris, June 23, 1967. The car can be driven at speeds of up to 60 mph (Photo by Michel Laurent/AP Photo)

Catherine Hollis of Chester, Pa., and Izzy Weintraub of Atlantic City eat Cherrystone clams at Atlantic City's annual clam-eating contest September 16, 1946. They finished 96 and 66 clams respectively in 20 minutes. (Photo by Sam Myers/AP Photo)