David Stewart (photographer)

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David Stewart (born 1958 in Lancaster) is an English photographer and director,^[1] working in advertising and fine art photography. He is noted for his surreal and often humorous large format portraits.

Stewart began his career photographing tourists on morecambe promenade and punk bands, including The Clash and The Ramones, as they performed at local venues. Ater studying photography at Blackpool and The Fylde College, Stewart moved to London in 1981, assisting for three years before setting up his own studio. He has since become one of the UK’s most sought-after photographers splitting his time been working on personal projects and advertising commissions.

His first collection, Cabbage,^[2] a surrealistic tribute to the much-maligned vegetable, was accompanied by a short film that was nominated for a BAFTA in 1995. Fogeys,^[3] published in 2001, comprised "kitsch, cartoon-like photographs of people growing old disgracefully,"^[4] whether zooming downhill on a go-kart or lounging in a coffin-shaped paddling pool. Fogeys also won a silver award at the Art Directors Club of New York.

Stewart's work has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery as part of the Photographic Portrait Prize several times,^[5] with his 2007 entry, "Alice & Fish," featuring his 14-year-old daughter, shortlisted for the overall prize.