Bio
David Stesner was introduced to photography by his grandmother, who gave him his first camera when he was 10 years old. His passion for photography grew as he spent endless summer days photographing the local people and landscapes at his family’s Long Beach Island, New Jersey beach house. He began studying photography in earnest at University of the Arts, Philadelphia, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. From there, he moved to New York City and began assisting legendary photographers such as Albert Watson, Steve Hiett, and Michael Thompson. Breaking out on his own, he photographed executives and high-profile attorneys for advertising and annual reports. Eventually, his talent led him to shoot music groups and celebrities, as well as models for fashion shoots. He has photographed for magazines such as Allure, InStyle, and Cosmopolitan, and has been published in French Glamour and French Elle, as well as many European and Asian publications and advertising campaigns. Currently, Stesner’s focus is beauty, still lifes, and his personal fine-art work. He lives in New York City with his wife, Deanna; their son, Shane; and their daughter, Blake.
Recent Work
THE BUTTERFLY PROJECT (Series 1-6) was inspired by Stesner’s visit with his son to the Museum of Natural History’s butterfly exhibit in New York City. Stesner was intrigued by the many exotic species that were on display. “The butterflies exude such beauty, vibrancy, and life with their iridescent metallic qualities and opalescent colors,” Stesner says. The series is especially meaningful to Stesner as it stemmed from life events at the extremes of human emotion: mourning the untimely passing of his sister Barbara and celebrating the birth of his daughter, Blake.
The creatures are symbolic of life, death, beauty, and change, as they morph from caterpillar to butterfly. “The shimmer that they reflect is almost unearthly, and their gentle and fragile qualities are a reminder of how fragile life is,” Stesner says. He composes the images under his lens with preserved exotic butterflies that he acquires from all over the globe. He places the butterflies on different reflective, textured, and metallic backgrounds to contrast with the specimens’ colors and light-emitting qualities. “I try to keep balance and symmetry or, in some cases, throw the balance slightly off,” Stesner says. “During the editing process, I choose images that strike me, and while composing, draw comparisons to the way humans interact with one another. The images are not just about butterflies, but are also representative of human harmony, joy, relationships, actions, and emotions. When editing and manipulating the images in Photoshop, I give them new life by creating movement while juxtaposing realism with surrealism and abstraction.” The photos are printed on archival metallic photo paper with sizes varying from 32 inches wide up to 48 inches and beyond. They’re printed on metallic photo paper, which gives them an amazing luster. They are often matted and framed in modern white frames or mounted under clear acrylic.
Current Work
His latest work, THE BUTTERFLY PROJECT 7 (Lamborghini Editions, Ultra), in collaboration with Lamborghini/Manhattan Motorcars, is inspired by his lifelong fascination with these supercars. This series is a natural progression of his previous butterfly projects, with even more provocative results. In addition to the ephemeral nature that had always drawn Stesner to the butterflies, he was entranced by their colors—and found that intensity mirrored in the Lamborghinis’ hues. Stesner’s work focuses on powerful tenets of color psychology. Butterfly wings are the definition of delicate; a Lamborghini is the essence of sexy power. But cast the butterfly in red, as in his photo titled Enchained Laughter (left), and it takes on the supercar’s strength: Red is the color of blood, desire, of danger, energy, and passion.
Lamborghini/MMC hosted a one night only photo exhibit of Stesner's work in their midtown, New York City location showcasing these most recent works on November 16, 2016.