Mary Stuart was born in Rome, Italy where she grew up. Photography for her is a true and proper cure; a form of art therapy. She was always a solitary girl and when her mother gave her a camera, she discovered that photography helped her to explore the world, lending form to her ideas through the lens so she left the Law Faculty where she was studying to dedicate herself fully to photography. She has a preference for portraits and nocturnal photographs and frequently works with tripods so as to exploit long exposure times. Her work is inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper; urban subjects, sombre and melancholy, and of instant appeal. She considers herself to be very competitive and hopes to discover new challenges during the Master of Photography.