One of the photographers I interviewed was Ben Stansall, a photographer at AFP, one of the initial international agencies to issue a “kill notice” regarding the royal portrait.
By the way, Ben has covered various significant events including Prince William and Kate’s 2010 engagement photoshoot, the births of Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and most recently, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
“There are a few different areas of the image which look like they’ve been doctored,” Ben told me. “The zip on Kate’s top, Charlotte’s sleeve, Charlotte’s hair. Things have clearly been added or removed from the image.
“So, the Princess’ photo goes beyond what we call ‘dark room’ techniques, which are brightening up or dulling down the image a little, if needed. But really, that is all that would happen.
“Adding or removing something to or from an image is a real no-go area, because that essentially is deceiving the client. We have a fact-checking service at AFP, which verifies all the content we provide to verify its authenticity.
“If the Princess was using this photo for her social media or personal use, then that’s fine. But if you’re giving it to the global media who have ethical responsibilities to their clients, then really, you should respect those.”
What course of action should the Princess have taken? Ben offered his recommendation on how Kate could have circumvented this photo-editing controversy.
“I guess the purpose of this image was to quell any rumours about the Princess’s health, but in doctoring an image and giving it to the world’s media, I think all they’ve done is increase the uncertainty and added to the rumour mill. They’ve certainly not helped their situation,” Ben said.
“I suppose you either do it authentically or you just don’t do it at all. If they felt the need to put out a picture, then they should have released one that was authentic, whether that included the Princess in the image or not.
“Just as easily, she could have taken a picture of the children and said, ‘Hi everyone, I’m feeling better. I’m up and about playing with my camera. Here’s a picture of the kids.’ That perhaps, would have been a better idea. But again, we don’t know whether this was her decision entirely or whether it was suggested. So, it’s really impossible to say, isn’t it?”
