Background
Swannell was born in London in 1946.
Swannell was born in London in 1946.
After leaving school at the age of 16, Swannell worked first as an assistant at Vogue Studios and then assisted David Bailey for four years before setting up his own studio. He spent the next ten years travelling and working for magazines such as Vogue, Harpers & Queen, The Sunday Times and Tatler. During this time he developed his very distinctive, individual style in both fashion and beauty photography.
Swannell provided the photograph for the cover of the 1973 album The Manitoba in the Bowler Hat and the 1976 Mr.
Mick album by British rock group Stackridge, and has many other record cover photograph credits to his name. He is known for his royal portrait photographs.
Other portrait commissions have included the 2004 Christmas card for Tony and Cherie Blair. Richard Attenborough, Michael Caine, Bryan Ferry, Norman Foster, Bob Hoskins, Glenda Jackson, Tom Jones, Ken Livingstone, Joanna Lumley.
Royal photographer
In February 2012 Swannell was commissioned to take the official photographs of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh to mark the Diamond Jubilee of her accession to the throne.
On 7 June 2011 Swannell gave an illustrated talk "My world in pictures" at the Royal Geographical Society in aid of the National Autistic Society.
During his career Swannell has photographed all the leading members of the British Royal Family, apart from Princess Margaret.