The Duchess of Sussex is putting her own stamp on royal photos by releasing them in black and white, an expert explained.
Meghan, 37, and Harry, 34, have plumped for black and white pictures on a number of important occasions, including their official engagement shoot and their first Christmas card.
Yesterday the new parents chose a black and white family photo to announce their son’s name on Instagram, and released a further two from the photocall at Windsor Castle earlier in the day.
Speaking to Femail, photographer Glenn Gratton said Meghan is ‘image conscious’ and would have carefully thought through which photos to release of her son to make the best impression.
He added black and white is ‘in vogue’ and is a way for the royal mother to distance her photos from the high contrast, filtered photos that flood social media feeds.
The Duchess of Sussex is putting her own stamp on royal photos by releasing them in black and white, an expert explained. Harry and Meghan released this beautiful black and white family photo to announce their son’s name on their official Instagram account yesterday
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released two more black and white photos taken at the photocall at Windsor Castle earlier in the day, including the one above
The proud parents have released black and white photos to mark a number of important occasions, including their son Archie’s first public appearance yesterday, pictured
He said: ‘Meghan’s very image conscious, she wants to make an impression. She would have put a lot of thought into the photos yesterday.
‘It’s the first the picture of the baby and that’s going to be Googled for years and she wants to make sure it’s right. She would have thought it all through, long and hard.’
Mr Gratton suggested the Duchess of Sussex is perhaps more image conscious than other royals because she draws more attention than other members of the family.
‘She’s very cautious about what she puts out there,’ he added. ‘And she has done well.’
Mr Gratton, who shoots black and white photos on a Leica Monochrom camera, explained that while black and white photos are far from new, they are ‘very much in vogue’ and are becoming increasingly popular.
Harry and Meghan also opted to have black and white photos on their wedding day, later choosing this one of them standing with their backs to the camera as their first Christmas card
The Duchess of Sussex showed she is personally a fan of black and white snaps when she shared a monochrome photo of husband Prince Harry rehearsing for an Invictus Games speech during the royal tour last autumn, pictured. It was later shared on Instagram
He continued: ‘It is very complimentary on skin tones – take someone who is red-headed, or pale skinned – it is flattering for them. It just looks beautiful. It’s very forgiving.’
The photographer added Meghan could also be wishing to distance herself from the ‘high contrast, Instagram filtered images’ that dominate social media.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a statement when they released two of the three official engagement photos in black and white.
The snaps, taken by Alexi Lubomirski, captured the couple looking loved-up in the grounds near their now-home Frogmore Cottage, in Windsor.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a statement when they released two of the three official engagement photos in black and white, including the one above
The snaps, taken by Alexi Lubomirski, captured the couple looking loved-up in the grounds near their now-home Frogmore Cottage, in Windsor. Pictured, one of the engagement photos
Harry and Meghan also opted to have some black and white photos on their wedding day, later choosing one of them standing with their backs to the camera as their first Christmas card.
Social media has proved an excellent platform for the couple to showcase their personal take on photography.
The first post on their Sussex Royal account was a gallery culminating in a previously unseen black and white snap on their royal tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji.
They have since shared monochrome snaps to highlight their work and charitable causes.
The Duchess of Sussex showed she is personally a fan of black and white snaps when she shared a monochrome photo of husband Prince Harry rehearsing for an Invictus Games speech during the royal tour last autumn.