Stuart Forster is a photographer and features writer.

His work has been published in magazines, newspapers and books around the world. These include newspapers such as the Washington Post, Guardian, Financial Times, Independent, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald plus magazines such as The Wisden Cricketer, Real Travel Magazine and Tatler. He has also contributed to the forthcoming National Geographic book, More Journeys of a Lifetime, due for publication in October 2011.

In 2010 he was shortlisted for the German Travel Writer of the Year Award for his feature on skiing, published in Ryanair maazine. His illustrated feature on the Kaveri (Cauvery) river, which flows through southern India, was nominated in the Travel Photojournalism category of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Awards (2007). One of his images was selected for the National Union of Journalists 2009 Photography Matters exhibition, of leading news photos from 2007 and 2008.

Stuart spent several years in India. He explored Kerala while researching for the guidebook Driving Holidays Across India (Outlook Traveller, 2009) and wrote about snakeboat racing for Kerala (Stark World, 2006). He travelled extensively in Karnataka while researching Bengaluru and Karnataka (Stark World, 2008). In doing so, his experiences ranged from drinking tea with a maharaja to trekking in the jungle, and eating food from streetside handcarts and in five star restaurants.

His photos have appeared numberous books, including The Wisden Cricketer's Almanack (Wisden, 2009), China - Eine Bildreise (National Geographic, 2008), Indien - Eine Bildreise (National Geographic, 2008), Dresden (Bradt Guides, 2007), The Seventy Wonders of China (Thames & Hudson, 2007) and Uebelsetzungen (Langenscheidt, 2007).

Actively interested in travel and photo-journalism, Stuart believes that photographic images are more than just documentary; they can inform and lead to greater understanding of the world. Photographs can bring people to question what is happening around them and in distant lands, engendering interest in places, people and cultures.

Stuart frequently travels to research stories, capturing the spirit and feel of places and events. His passions include trying local cuisines, delving into history and experiencing the soul, culture and contemporary attractions of destinations.

A selection of Stuart's images were exhibited at the Pingyao International Photography Festival in China (2006) and at Zimbabwe House on The Strand in London (November 2010).

PDFs of published work can be sent on request. You can also read some of Stuart's online travel writing at www.thetraveleditor.com.

Feel free to make contact to commission photographic or written work. Stuart is willing to travel on assignment.