Fashion designer Stella McCartney's older sister has herself had a long career in the fashion industry. She has been taking fashion photographs for 17 years and the exhibition is her first major retrospective, and includes portraits in the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Simon Lee, the manager at Nunnington Hall, says he is happy the exhibition is coming to the region, “I am really excited about this exhibition - the works in the show are stunning. I am really pleased that Mary’s photographs will be on show at Nunnington Hall and think people are really going to enjoy this rare opportunity to see some of her work."

Mary says the exhibition is a “key moment” in her career. “ It definitely shows me where I am with my photography and when I see it all together it helps me see where I want to go next. Also it's great because I meet people and get feedback,” she adds.

It is likely that Mary’s work on will attract comparisons to her mother Linda's work as they often show people in candid, unrehearsed moments.

It's the kind of photography that looks effortless but actually requires a discipline all of its own. For more information on shooting candids, try looking at DIgital Photography Exposed, a DVD that complements the series of training courses written by photographer Mike Browne and his partner Jayne Whitelock

The exhibition comes in advance of a book McCartney is publishing in September next year.