Say Cheese!
Who will be chosen as the official Royal photographer for the wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton on the 29th April? This seems to be the subject of rampant speculation among Royal watchers and the London press.
The Lima born photographer Mario Testino who is better known for his photos of celebrities like Madonna and Kate Moss was chosen to immortalize the couple for their official engagement photo. But will he get the main job as wedding photographer?
Testino has worked with Burberry, Gucci, Versace, and Dolce & Gabbana. His work is credited for snapping some of the most enduring photographs of Diana, Princess of Wales. Testino’s cover and inside photos shot for Vanity Fair magazine are considered the most intimate and relaxed photos ever produced of the Princess.
Testino has also been comissioned for photo-shoots to mark important milestones in the lives of Prince William and Harry. including William’s 21st birthday in June 2003, and Prince Harry’s 20th birthday in 2004. This included the well received portrait of the brothers photographed rolling with laughter while sharing a private joke with the Prince of Wales at Highgrove.
A previously unseen photo by Testino of the couple will be used for the cover of the official souvenir program to celebrate the marriage. The contents will include the full running order of the marriage ceremony in Westminster Abbey. It will be fully illustrated incorporating a section dedicated to a message of thanks from the couple. The program will be sold in aid of charity to promote the welfare of veterans and their families and to help young people, support sustainable development in Britain and abroad.
Two portraits of the couple also taken by fashion photographer Testino will be printed on the set of commemorative stamps. The collectibles have been approved by William and Kate and will be released on Queen Elizabeth II’s 85th birthday.
Ian Jones is another possible contender. for the job He has been chosen to take up one of the prime positions outside Westminster Abbey to photograph the happy couple as they emerge. In 1998,Jones was named Royal Photographer of the Decade. He was one of the few allowed to photograph Prince William and Kate Middleton when they announced their engagement at Buckingham Palace.
Hugo Burnand is also rumoured to be in the running to document the big day. He was the official photographer at the wedding of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in 2005. His career has included portraits of Michael Jackson, Lucian Freud and Lady Thatcher.
Free Download Of Program
The program will also be available to download from the Official Royal Wedding website, www.officialroyalwedding2011.org from 24 hours before the wedding on 29 April
The tradition of official wedding programs date back to Prince Charles and Diana’s wedding in 1981, and continued for the Duke and Duchess of York’s nuptials in 1986. Previous photographers commissioned by the Royal family include Cecil Beaton, who photographed the Queen for her coronation in 1953, and the late Lord Lichfield, the Queen’s cousin who took the official photographs at the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981.
The short list is out but it is very likely that many photographers will be asked to document the couples big day.
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