Phogotraphy

First, let me invite you to look at Prince Harry’s Getty Images portfolio, freely available for anybody to peruse, however not linked in any one of the articles I will post below.

There are, in total, three images:

I’m glad the Prince of Wales had the artistic vision to turn these portraits monochrome. Why would one make use of the colour sensor in your digital camera when you can just flick a switch and avoid a distraction such as colour? – If Harry had used a film camera and a roll of HP5 then I may have been a little more forgiving.

Now let’s look at a few of the headlines:

The Daily Mail – Portrait of a Very Modern Prince

National Post – Prince Harry Shows off his Photography Skills

9News – Prince Harry Reveals Flair for Photography

IBT – Prince Harry Tries his Hand at Photography

AOL – Prince Charming Shares his Sweet Photo Diary

And the best one of all…

The Times – Prince Harry: Portrait Photography at its Finest.

Yes, you read that right. Photography masters, professionals, all of you who’ve spent many years perfecting your craft, step aside. Prince charming is here with three photos that are ‘Portrait Photography at its Finest.’

It’s unfair to judge so quickly, as one of the images isn’t actually all that bad. This striking portrait of an apparently young orphaned herder is well composed and he’s even managed to keep it in focus. After all, he’s shooting on a Fuji X100S in full auto, I should hope so.

That’s one third of his entire portfolio that can be considered excellent work.

Although, after seeing the gorgeous red walls in Chris Jackson‘s meta portrait, I’m once again saddened by the decision to flick the B&W switch on.

The other two images by Harry aren’t so good. They are, and a more seasoned photography critic will point this out in due course, tourist tat. If you wish to look at them in a larger size rather than the thumbnails above: Image 1, Image 2.

Even the Prince’s description of his images makes absolutely no sense at all:

‘I have always enjoyed photography and the challenges that come with trying to capture the perfect shot, although privately I don’t take many photos. The best photos I have are in my head’

It’s safe to assume Getty Images were ever so slightly starstruck after his visit to their Children of Lesotho exhibition last year. Perhaps that’s how his portfolio was approved so fast?

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This post is satire. If you’d like to donate to Prince Harry’s charity so he can buy another £800 point and shoot camera and a return flight to Lesotho, you can do so here.