iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 4h

A HOMECOMING 50TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON 2026 @rxtheatre Jill Halfpenny PRIVATE LIVES DIR BY BLANCE McINTYRE Alice Audrey O’Hanlon, Nigel Harman and Jodie McNee FUN HOME DIR BY SARAH FRANKCOM David Threlfall KING LEAR DIR BY MATTHEW DUNSTER @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 16/10/2026

Lesley Joseph, Johnny Vegas, Lucy Beaumont and Shobna Gulati. Portraits for @rxtheatre A HOMECOMING 50TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON 2026 ROAD BY JIM CARTWRIGHT DIRECTED BY SELINA CARTMELL @wrenagency @wrenldn #davidstewart #lesleyjoseph #johnnyvegas #lucybeaumont #shobnagulati

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

I have been looking start a new project and noticed how isolated people are coming whether it is individuals or groups. I have always found it best to start by shooting something and seeing where it goes rather than wait until all the ideas are fully formed. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Before the portrait I would make rough doodle of the set and person and then construct the scene from the materials I had lying round the studio. I limited the amount of the sheets of film to 4 max. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

2024-2026 After finishing the Featherstone Street project due to the lack of light in the space I still had a list of people who I had not photographed. I continued shoot with artificial light in a small set in the basement of my studio. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

In 2022 I collaborated with @DecoPublique and White Elephant Contemporary Art on portraits of 14 subjects that had made Morecambe their home. Entitled Destination Morecambe the sitters were all photographed in the art deco cafe, Brucciani of Morecambe. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

As the world came out of lockdown the industry slowly came back to life. The better commissions were still coming from the theatre and entertainment side. Breeders, Intelligence, Portia Coughlan, Wolf. Styling on Breeders @eveferret & @MarkS33Art @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2021-2024 Featherstone Street for me was a way to go back to basics, just the camera and natural light. Working with the camera on a tripod portraits become more constructed. Creating work in this traditional way is fast being overlooked, and ultimately lost. @wrenagency @WrenLdn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

During the pandemic the building across from studio was demolished allowing it to be filled with light. I decided to use this and produced a series of daylight portraits of people I had worked with over my career. It was the perfect lockdown project. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

In 2020 Geoffrey Valentine was released. I had been sitting on these 5 images since they were taken in 2017. They were images of my father lying in his coffin in the chapel of rest 2 weeks after he had passed away in January 2017. @wrenagency @WrenLdn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

2019-2021 Commissions followed after the release of Paid Content in a similar vein to the work. Large set piece set ups with casting, styling, props and locations all being part of the process. Casting @Ali_Fearnley Styling @eveferret & @MarkS33Art @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

There were big changes occurring in the production process and big interference on shoots. The amount of people on shoots from client and agency side had grown. Casting @Ali_Fearnley Styling @eveferret & @MarkS33Art @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I asked some of the creatives I had worked for over the years for some thoughts and received many ridiculous stories of what they had witnessed in their workplace. Casting @Ali_Fearnley Styling @eveferret & @MarkS33Art @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

2018 I had been working on new project for a few years which was coming from my personal experience of working as a photographer on advertising commissions. It was becoming a more corporate space and less creative. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The collaborations with the teams from the theatre and entertainment commissions felt very different to working on the advertising ones it was generally all coming from a visually educated place. Unlike advertising where the clients now had the power. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

My commissions were moving away from mainstream advertising. The social media world was becoming the new place for ads and so crafted imagery with thought and story was out. My personal projects had led me to work more for theatre and entertainment clients. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

2013-2016 In Teenage Pre-occupation the teens appear insecure, looking for something to follow, obsessed with what other people are doing. These are my observations of certain aspects of Teenage life at this time seen from the outside. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Being surrounded by my teenage sons, daughter and friends, I had noticed some interesting things about them that seemed to be related to the current culture. I thought it would be good to document these thoughts, as in the next 5-10 years all may change. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Due to the lukewarm reception to the In-tension series I made a mini series of images of women with fruit which were specifically made for the commercial portfolio. They were way more Adland friendly. Casting @Ali_Fearnley Styling @eveferret @MarkS33Art @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

2010-2013 Stray was made in 2013 with Stylists @eveferret @MarkS33Art and tom stewart. The narrative follows a roaming man who takes on unusual characteristics after a loss. Here are portraits of the main cast. stray-film.com @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The commissions I received were mainly people based and still involved some humour. The jobs which involved the weird characters and misfits still came through thankfully. Casting @Ali_Fearnley Styling @eveferret @MarkS33Art

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Thrice Removed was essentially a British point of view as the observations were from my everyday life. There was still humour in the work but it had become much more subtle due to the photographic aesthetic. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

2009-2012 In April 2009 Thrice Removed was launched. The project is a series of inter-related characters, stories and places that developed from my observations. Some ideas came from weaving together several things I have witnessed. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

I had been working on new work throughout this period some of which would make it into Thrice Removed a more naturalistic series, the other forming the 2 mini projects In-decision and In-tension. Casting @Ali_Fearnley Styling @eveferret @MarkS33Art @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

The more observational style of shooting was working when applied subject matter that had been manipulated by model making. It gave an acceptance to the image that it was just casually observed. It was anti advertising, it didn’t heroically present product. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

All around there was endless amounts of advertisingabout lifestyle choices, with shinny happy people having the time of their lives. No idea necessary. I received a commission with a great idea. Casting @Ali_Fearnley Styling @eveferret @MarkS33Art @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

After 9/11 there seemed to be a directional shift in the work. Brands were becoming global and with it the sense of Britishness was being removed. The humour was becoming more subtle, the colour palette more neutral. 1 /2 casting and styling @scorpioredhair @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

I did not get any of the smiley people commissions, I seemed to get the outcasts, weirdos and unlikable characters to photograph as it was these types where you could play the humour element. Casting @Ali_Fearnley Styling @eveferret @MarkS33Art @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

2001-2005 More commissions followed similar to the Fogeys work. Working with stylists @eveferret and @MarkS33Art they would layer the images with props that told back stories. Casting @alifearnleycasting @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

The Fogeys book was launched in Dec 2001. My portfolio was all people photos. 1 Marmite Sandwiches you either love’em or hate'em 2 How will you provide for your financial future 3 There are somethings in life you can’t choose Casting @Ali_Fearnley Styling @eveferret @MarkS33Art

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

As the project continued I stated to explore working more on location and slowly moving away from the minimal style. I was using props and costume and developing characters. 1 Charles Between the Sticks 2 Gameboys 3 Hippy Replacements Styling @eveferret @MarkS33Art

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

1997-2002 In the late 90’s I started on the project “Fogeys”. In response to the imagery of elderly people at the time which tended to be black and white documentary work I went for staged, bright colour and humour. 1 Strawberry Fair 2 Retiring 3 Tea-time with Beryl

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Advertising posters grabbed the attention visually and delivered the idea with a copy line. My minimal, surreal images were a perfect fit. 1 /2 Bikini Chair/Tall Boy “What the Heal’s going on” 3 /4 “Amtico creating floors and stares”@wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

The minimal set with coloured background led to many commissions for Advertising and Design. All shot large format and colour transparency film. 1 Browns 2 “you won’t want to take them off” Johnny Moke shoes. 3 “Surprise” Bizarre Inc Album cover. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

1994-1998 The method of shooting outside in daylight with large painted canvas backgrounds produced interesting results. Here are 4 uncropped examples of this, allowing the setup to be visible. 1 Cabbage Girl 2 Barkman 3&4 Vauxhall Tigra Ads. #davidstewart @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

In 1994 I started working on a short film called “Cabbage”. The characters from the film were photographed for an accompanying catalogue. 1 Man Plank (The Cabbage farmer) 2 Buoy-Boy (The son from Cabbage) 3 Mother in coat (The Mother from Cabbage) @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

I had been doing still life work for 8 years, it was time to move on. I scaled up the table top set to a floor and wall, replaced the objects with people. 1 Black Tower Bottle 2 Man in black 3 “You won’t want to take them off’ for Johnny Make Shoes @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

The still life with the table top set up and horizon line was popular when budgets were tight. It allowed any product to be displayed clearly. 1 Pomegranates for Krizia. 2 Apples representing USA, Europe, U.K. 3 A bottle of Kia-Ora. Remind you of anything? @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Mothercare and Sony were clients that used my minimal style to illustrate an idea. Some of the commissions won advertising awards and helped me reach a wider audience. By association with the work I had become the guy who does the coloured backgrounds. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

The scale of the objects I was commissioned to shoot was getting larger and so was the studio. A campaign for Electrolux involved model making their product into various pieces. The photography was there for attention and the idea was delivered by the copy. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

In an attempt to break into mainstream advertising I started to shoot on a much more vivid colour palette still using the minimal graphic style from my early work. Using horizon lines to create perspective became a main part of the set up. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

I produced new work and would try to imitate the feeling of daylight with the studio flash. Pointing the lights away from the subject at walls seemed to be the closest I could get. The reaction to these dimly lit still life images was that they were too drab. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

I would shoot mundane objects and add a bit of surreal oddness to them. It was a counteraction to the other still life around which used faded white to grey backgrounds. The work was slightly comedic, the subject was just plonked down and shot, no pampering. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

My first portfolio was all still life work shot on large format film. There was a minimal graphic style throughout all the work, mainly studio flash lighting, but the 3 posted here are using daylight. @wrenagency @wrenldn

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Carl Jason Randall “Author” featured in the project Featherstone Street Darkside. @wrenagency @wrenldn #davidstewart 2024 #shotonfilm #filmisnotdead #4x5 #largeformat

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Josh Wright “fixer”featured in the project Featherstone Street Darkside. @wrenagency @wrenldn #davidstewart 2024 #shotonfilm #filmisnotdead #4x5 #largeformat

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David Stewart @davidstewwwart.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Jooney Woodward “Photographer” featured in the project Featherstone Street Darkside. @wrenagency @wrenldn #davidstewart 2024 #shotonfilm #filmisnotdead #4x5 #largeformat

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