We’re fascinated by the last meals of death row inmates. How do you decide between a burger or nachos when faced with impending death?

Artist Henry Hargreaves is right there with us. He created a photo series called No Seconds, illustrating some of the most famous last meals in history.

In an interview with Giorgia Zardetto for the show’s catalog, Hargreaves says:

“As I read the requests, I began to imagine these prisoners as people and not just numbers. The story became much more real in my mind and I wanted to represent this visually…I wanted the viewer to think of them as a person for a moment instead of them being anonymous.”

Personal thoughts on the death penalty aside, Hargreaves has created a beautiful photographic series. We were curious about the process behind No Seconds, so we asked him a few questions.

What inspired you to create these images?

When I read about Texas getting rid of special last meals for death row inmates, I wondered what [past inmates] actually requested, and found it was all public record. As I read through their culinary requests, I found I was able to see these inmates as people and not just statistics.”

How long does each image take to create?

Approximately half a day.

What camera do you use to photograph?

Canon 5D Mark 3.

Do you get help with the food styling?

I had a chef friend help out on a few, then I did the rest.

Are the images available for purchase?

Yes, people can contact me through my site and I’d be happy to send them the information.

Click through the gallery to see the haunting last meals of our country’s most famous criminals.