Rory Lewis: Portrait & Headshot Photographer

This portrait, created as part of the ongoing work of the Rory Lewis Non-Profit, documents General Sir Roly Walker, the professional head of the British Army.

Commissioned into the Irish Guards in 1993, General Walker has commanded at company, battle group, brigade, and strategic levels, with operational service in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He commanded the Grenadier Guards in 2009 and later served across brigade, divisional, army, and strategic headquarters.

In October 2025, I had the honor of photographing Major General James Bowder OBE, the third consecutive Major-General of the Household Division I have captured for the Rory Lewis Non-Profit. Following my portraits of Major General Benjamin Bathurst CBE and Major General Chris Ghika CBE, this latest sitting continues an evolving visual record of those entrusted with upholding the highest traditions of the British Army and the Crown.

Field Marshal David Julian Richards, Baron Richards of Herstmonceux, GCB, CBE, DSO, DL—appointed Honorary Field Marshal by His Majesty The King in June 2025—sat for my non-profit archive on Monday, 6 October 2025. This portrait marks a significant addition to our mission to document the living history of Britain’s senior military leadership through the art of portraiture.

On October 7, 2023, Israel was plunged into chaos when Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack, leaving over a thousand civilians dead and the nation on the brink of war. Among the Americans closest to the events was Gunnery Sergeant Marcus Lewis, Commander of the Marine Security Guard Detachment at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

In the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, I had the privilege of photographing Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Stauffer as part of my ongoing Heroes in Focus (Rory Lewis non-profit) military portrait initiative. This work exists to document service with dignity—creating lasting, museum-grade portraits that honour leadership, commitment, and the human story behind the uniform.

My third visit to The Royal Lancers marked a significant moment in the continuing evolution of my long-term military portraiture work, now undertaken through my non-profit practice. Returning to the regiment in 2024 allowed for a deeper, more reflective engagement—building upon earlier sittings to create a cohesive body of work rooted in heritage, continuity, and service.

The Rory Lewis Non-Profit is proud to have funded the latest addition to the distinguished gallery of British Army leaders: a portrait of General Sir Patrick Sanders, KCB, CBE, DSO, ADC Gen. Serving as Chief of the General Staff since June 2022, Sir Patrick’s career exemplifies the leadership, dedication, and strategic excellence that define the modern British Army.

The Rory Lewis Non-Profit is honored to have captured and preserved the legacy of Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the current Chief of the Defence Staff, marking him as the fifth Chief of the Defence Staff photographed by Rory Lewis. This portrait continues the Non-Profit’s mission to document and celebrate the leadership and service of Britain’s most distinguished military figures.

In 2022, Rory Lewis Non-Profit was honoured to record a formal portrait of General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, KCB, CBE, undertaken in London during his tenure as Chief of the General Staff. The commission was created for permanent display within the gallery of former Chiefs—an historic lineage marking the stewardship of the British Army’s senior leadership.

In 2021, I had the privilege of photographing Major GeneralChris Ghika CBE at Horse Guards, London — a setting steeped in history, once occupied by the Duke of Wellington himself. The portrait sought to capture not just a military leader, but a custodian of national pageantry and heritage.

The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment is among the most distinguished mounted units in the world. Tasked with ceremonial duties, they embody centuries of tradition as part of the Household Division, serving as the Monarch’s official bodyguard and providing escorts at state and royal occasions.

In 2019, the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards commissioned a series of portraits of their Commanding Officer and Senior Warrant Officers, photographed in Windsor. These sittings form a vital addition to the Rory Lewis Non-Profit Military Portrait Archive, an ongoing effort to document the leadership and heritage of British and Allied service members. The project seeks to protect these likenesses for national history, museum collections, and future generations.

Our 2019 sitting with Major General Benjamin Bathurst CBE of the Welsh Guards took place at Horse Guards, London, within the historic office once occupied by the Duke of Wellington. Seated behind the very desk that once belonged to the “Iron Duke,” Bathurst joined a long line of leaders who have shaped the ceremonial face of Britain’s Armed Forces.

Soldati della Repubblica è il mio secondo grande progetto dedicato al ritratto militare. Sulla scia del successo di Soldiery – British Army Portraits, ho proseguito il mio intento di documentare il volto moderno, le tradizioni e la storia vivente dell’Esercito Italiano. Tra tutte le unità che ho ritratto, il periodo trascorso con il 5º Reggimento Cavalleggeri, gli storici Lancieri di Novara, rimane uno dei più coinvolgenti e indimenticabili.

Forged in the adversity of the First World War, the Royal Tank Regiment stands as the oldest tank unit in the world. Today, the Regiment is based at Tidworth and equipped with the formidable Challenger 2 main battle tank—an enduring symbol of British armoured warfare.

In 2018, I had the rare honour of photographing His Royal Highness, The Duke of Kent, in a portrait sitting that captured not only royal stature, but a lifetime of military service. Dressed in his ceremonial uniform as Field Marshal, His Royal Highness stood as a living symbol of dedication, discipline, and enduring legacy within the British Armed Forces.

Il Reggimento Corazzieri, corpo d’élite e guardia d’onore del Presidente della Repubblica Italiana, è una delle unità militari più antiche, prestigiose e simboliche del Paese. Il loro motto, «Virtus in periculis firmior» — Il coraggio diventa più forte nel pericolo — riassume perfettamente la natura di questo straordinario reparto.

Il 23 agosto 2018 ho raggiunto Palermo per ritrarre le donne e gli uomini del Reggimento “Lancieri di Aosta” (6º), nell’ambito del mio progetto non profit Soldati della Repubblica, realizzato attraverso la Rory Lewis Non Profit. All’interno della storica sede siciliana del reparto ho potuto riunire, davanti all’obiettivo, Ufficiali, Sottufficiali e Lancieri, in una serie di ritratti che celebrano al tempo stesso l’individualità e l’identità condivisa di questi Soldati della Repubblica.

Il Reggimento “Nizza Cavalleria” (1°) occupa un posto di rilievo all’interno del progetto Soldati della Repubblica. Tra i più antichi reparti di cavalleria dell’Esercito Italiano, rappresenta perfettamente la continuità che desidero catturare: un ponte vivente tra secoli di storia e il volto del soldato moderno.

As part of the Rory Lewis Non-Profit’s mission to document and preserve the people, traditions, and visual heritage of modern military forces, I was honoured to begin the Italian chapter of my project Soldati della Repubblica with the distinguished 8th Cavalry Regiment “Lancieri di Montebello”.

Among the many regiments I photographed, the 1st Battalion, The Rifles stands out for its deep-rooted traditions and enduring character. Little has changed for The Rifles since the Napoleonic Wars—they remain at the forefront of battle, defined by precision, independence, and quiet professionalism. True to their motto, Swift and Bold, they carry no flag; instead, their Battle Honours are worn proudly upon their uniforms.

One of the most meaningful opportunities through my non-profit archive has been the privilege of photographing senior figures within the British Armed Forces. Among these sittings, capturing a British Field Marshal stands as both an artistic milestone and a moment of profound historical significance.

For nearly a year I’ve been traveling across the United Kingdom and Europe as part of Soldiery — British Army Projects, an ongoing initiative through Rory Lewis Non-Profit to create a contemporary visual archive of the British Army. The aim is simple but vital: to preserve a truthful, dignified record of the men and women who serve today, before uniforms, traditions, and identities inevitably change.

Working with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles stands as one of the defining highlights of the Soldiery project, produced through the Rory Lewis Non-Profit. While many civilians have a general awareness of the Gurkhas, few fully understand the depth of tradition, discipline, and identity that defines this extraordinary regiment.

As Colonel of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, Major General Bruce has dedicated his life to leadership, service, and the embodiment of the Army’s values. This portrait session stands as a testament to his extraordinary contributions and the pride he carries in representing one of Britain’s most historic regiments.

The 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, based in Tidworth, represents one of the most historically significant infantry lineages in the British Army. Their iconic ceremonial uniforms—rooted in traditions dating back to the Victorian era and the height of the British Empire—carry centuries of regimental identity, inherited from the Royal Welch Fusiliers and the Royal Regiment of Wales.

Lieutenant General Mark Poffley OBE graciously accepted my invitation to sit for a formal portrait at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Whitehall, London. Commissioned into the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in 1985, Lieutenant General Poffley dedicated more than three decades to the British Army, serving with distinction across every major conflict of the last thirty years—including the Gulf War, the Bosnian War, operations in the Republic of Macedonia, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

While revisiting my archive, I recently rediscovered a series of group portraits made in Rome in September 2018—photographs of the Reggimento Corazzieri, the elite cuirassiers of Italy and the ceremonial honour guard of the President of the Italian Republic.

Few military specialists operate with greater restraint—or greater consequence—than the sniper. Trained to observe without detection, to wait without movement, and to act with absolute precision, snipers exist on the margins of visibility. Their presence is rarely acknowledged, yet their influence is profound.

Il progetto Soldati della Repubblica, realizzato attraverso la Rory Lewis Non Profit, mi ha portato in viaggio attraverso l’Italia per ritrarre alcuni dei più storici e prestigiosi reggimenti di cavalleria: Nizza Cavalleria (1°), Lancieri di Novara (5°), Lancieri di Aosta (6°), Lancieri di Montebello (8°) e il Reggimento Corazzieri, guardia d’onore del Presidente della Repubblica.

The year 2025 marks a defining milestone in my career as a portraitist and in the mission of the Rory Lewis Non-Profit: the capture of four living British Field Marshals—an achievement unparalleled in contemporary photographic history. This body of work joins the organization’s latest acquisition, the Presentation Portrait of Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig(1928), symbolically uniting the early twentieth-century imagery of command with its living successors nearly a century later.

Rory Lewis Non-Profit presents a visual thesis uniting portraits of the last three Commanders of the Household Division — Lieutenant General Sir Ben Bathurst, Major General Sir Chris Ghika, and Major General James Bowder — each photographed at the historic Duke of Wellington’s desk inside Horse Guards, London.