Stuart was born in Newcastle 1977. He studied at the Northern Media School where he gained a Masters degree in Screen Arts. Upon completion, Stuart embarked on his first expedition with fellow student and friend Pandula. On a shoestring budget and completely unpaid, they travelled to the Tamil Tiger controlled regions of Northern Sri Lanka in an attempt to tell the story of the civil war that had raged for over twenty years, and give voice to the 500,000 refugees displaced by the conflict; a true baptism by fire, professionally. Since then Stuart has become a multi-award-winning photographer and filmmaker. His assignments have taken him around the world, photographing a wide range of topics, from critically endangered animals to remote tribes. He regularly works for the prestigious BBC Natural History Unit, as well as National Geographic and Discovery Channel, filming internationally acclaimed documentaries that are screened to audiences across the globe.