The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have marked World Photography Day by sharing unseen snap of the Hold Still project.
Kate Middleton and Prince Willian, both 39, have taken to social media to highlight the pictures taken by Hold Still’s youngest finalists to mark today’s event.
The royal, who is a keen amateur photographer, launched the Hold Still initiative during lockdown and asked the public to submit their images which captured the period for a digital exhibition.
She was then joined by a panel of five judges to select the best photos from more than 31,000 submitted for the nation-wide contest and said she was ‘overwhelmed’ by the response and that it was ‘so hard’ to whittle the images down to a top 100.
Sharing a tweet on their official page today, the Duke and Duchess penned: ‘Photography has an amazing ability to create a lasting record of what we have all experienced and are experiencing.
‘That’s why this #WorldPhotographyDay we wanted to celebrate the youth of the #HoldStill2020 photography project and share images from the youngest finalists.’
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have celebrated World Photography Day by sharing snaps taken by the Hold Still Project’s youngest finalists. Pictured: a dance lesson at home during lockdown
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pictured hosting a drive-in cinema screening of Disney’s ‘Cruella’ for Scottish NHS workers at The Palace of Holyroodhouse in May
She continued: ‘There is so much talent, creativity and curiosity displayed in each and every one.’
The youngest Hold Still finalist was four-year-old Coni, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, who took a picture of their mother cutting her partner’s hair without them noticing.
Primrose, a 12-year-old from South Brent said photography club was one of her favourite parts of lockdown.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old Marcella took an intimate picture of her mother home-schooling her little brother when schools were closed.
Pictured: Kate Ainger and her partner as she gave him a haircut during lockdown in a portrait that was taken – and edited – by her four-year-old Coni in Cheltenham, Gloucetershire
Teen Primrose, aged 12, from South Brent, in Devon, pictured experimenting with shadows at home during lockdown for her photography club
The couple shared the pictures on both Instagram and Twitter, celebrating the ‘talent creativity and curiosity’ present in each picture, and the stories they told
Earlier this year, Kate released a new book, Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020, which features 100 final ‘poignant and personal’ portraits selected from 31,000 entrants. It topped the bestseller list on its first day of release.
The book includes an introduction from Kate, in which she explains why launching Hold Still was so important to her.
She writes: ‘When we look back at the COVID-19 pandemic in decades to come, we will think of the challenges we all faced – the loved ones we lost, the extended isolation from our families and friends and the strain placed on our key workers.
Marcela, a 17-year-old from Dagenham, took this heartwarming picture of her mother schooling her brother
‘But we will also remember the positives: the incredible acts of kindness, the helpers and heroes who emerged from all walks of life, and how together we adapted to a new normal.
‘Through Hold Still, I wanted to use the power of photography to create a lasting record of what we were all experiencing – to capture individuals’ stories and document significant moments for families and communities as we lived through the pandemic.’
She goes on: ‘For me, the power of the images is in the poignant and personal stories that sit behind them. I was delighted to have the opportunity to speak to some of the photographers and sitters, to hear their stories first-hand – from moments of joy, love and community spirit, to deep sadness, pain, isolation and loss.
‘A common theme of those conversations was how lockdown reminded us about the importance of human connection and the huge value we place on the relationships we have with the people around us.
‘Although we were physically apart, these images remind us that, as families, communities and as a nation, we need each other more than we had ever realised.’
Over the rainbow. A little girl was photographed with a rainbow – which was used to support the NHS during the pandemic and still resonates today – across her face, called Rainbow reflection, by H. De Klerk, 14, from Hertfordshire
A socially distanced family gathering taken by Roshni Haque in Stoke-on-Trent during Eid celebrations in 2020
She concludes by thanking everyone who took the time to submit an image, adding: ‘Your stories are the most crucial part of this project.
‘I hope that the final 100 photographs showcase the experiences and emotions borne during this time in history, pay tribute to the awe-inspiring efforts of all who have worked to protect those around them, and provide a space for us to pause and reflect upon this unparalleled period.’
Over the course of the project the Duchess shared a number of her favourite images on the Kensington Royal Instagram page, including a Black Lives Matter protester holding a sign reading: ‘Be on the right side of history.’
Another of the snaps was a black and white image showing a man embracing his daughter, while one shows a child kissing their godmother through a window.
Joy, a 15-year-old from Nottingham, took this portrait of her sister, saying she was inspired by the fact she became a opt-in student nurse during the pandemic
Budding photographers, pictured, from all over the country shared their incredibly personal pictures as part of the project