Misan Harriman has reacted to an article alleging that he utilized Photoshop to modify Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s pregnancy announcement from 2021.
On Wednesday, the 46-year-old photographer posted a video on his social media platform refuting the claims of image alteration. This development occurred shortly after reports emerged that Princess Kate had edited her Mother’s Day photo last Sunday.
Talking directly to the camera, Misan said: “Hey, I, I just got back to reality from the Oscars and unfortunately, there’s been an article on The Daily Mail saying that I have admitted to doctoring, the pregnancy announcement portrait I took of Harry and Meghan.
“Apparently I was switching out trees and meadows. And I admitted to this in an episode of a podcast called Private Passions. This is crazy. I was interviewed, I think in 2022, by Michael Berkeley.”
Misan proceeds to elucidate the technology he and Michael utilized during lockdown— a tool enabling photographers to remotely control someone’s iPad for capturing photos as if physically present and pressing the button themselves.
“Michael asked me a few leading questions in this interview. What I mean by leading questions, it’s what some journalists do where they make a statement as fact and they hope you respond or add something to it. I get that a lot in regards to Harry and Meghan[…] And that’s exactly what happened.”
In the clip, which he played for his followers, Michael asks Misan: “They weren’t actually under a willow tree, they were lying outside in a meadow, Harry and Meghan, when you took a photo of them?” To which he replied: “They were lost in, in their life at home, in their garden, comfortable celebrating new joy, new life, the fortitude of hoping for light in life after such a loss that they went through with a miscarriage. And so it really was a particularly joyous image to celebrate life itself.”
Misan then went on to clarify: “So, how that exchange could amount to me admitting to doctoring an image is insidious and really dangerous journalism. Any mention of meadows and willow trees came out of the person doing the interview, not my mouth. I did my best to ignore it and focus on what I wanted to talk about.”
He then disclosed that the sole adjustment he made to the image was converting the color scheme to black and white.
Misan has documented numerous significant occasions for the couple, such as Princess Lilibet’s first birthday in the gardens of Frogmore Cottage, along with remarkable behind-the-scenes moments from significant events like the Invictus Games.
