https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion...ges-40th-birthday-portraits-combine-grandeur/ thought this was a good write up on the photos, unfortunately paywalled and I forget the trick to sharing a link that works 
- Status
New to Tattle Life? Click "Order Thread by Most Liked Posts" button below to get an idea of what the site is about:
What annoys me the more I think about it is this would have been the perfect opportunity to post a natural unfiltered photograph to be authentic (complete opposite or what comes from california). Also make a point about how fake so many things are. A lot can be done with lighting and angles anyway. So many of her candid photos have been stunning, more so than these. The wasted opportunity annoys me.
I thought exactly this. Interesting that this is how she wants to be cast.
Is it because her hair is usually forward over her shoulders but on all of these itâs blown right back?
The photos look like they are from a Vogue editorial. Is this the first time we've had a formal royal portrait with free-flowing locks? She looks happy, but I'm not sure I'm keen on the hair. Wish it had been a bit less unruly.
Yes I agree, the lightening feels off. Maybe a deeper or more pigmented lip colour would have been better for that type of shot?
The photos are by Paolo Roversi and the coloured image I would say isnât his usual style. The first one where sheâs looking to the left is, but the other two are a bit off.
I speak Italian and I donât see anything about her family choosing any of the photos in the article. Maybe the quote is somewhere else.
Thank you! I was hoping we had a tattler who read Italian. I wasnât 100% sure. It was in Bethan Holtâs IG stories.
The photographer is Paolo Roversi and usually I like his work. Itâs quite ethereal with a turn of the century vibe and sometimes haunting. Definitely get the Cottingley Fairies references. I just donât think his work has translated well in the red dress and the portrait photo, itâs almost like two different photographers worked on this shoot or they didnât want it to be too âfashionâ or âartâ (which is what he is known for) so they dialled it down which seems a silly choice to make.
Here is some of his other work:
Sorry am backtracking now as Iâve seen the bit where itâs mentioned now.
The interviewer mentions it and not the photographer. Itâs bizarre as the photographerâs quote mentions him and his team selected their favourites and Kate picked from those, he never mentions the family but the interviewer does on their own in the article.
He does say in the Italian interview that Kate provided paintings and images that she wanted reflected in the work and that there was a strong Pre-Raphaelite flavour to her request, and he was happy to comply as he enjoys the style himself.
Iâve translated it on my phone and this bit mentions William and the children - maybe a translation issue? What does the actual article say?
Yep sorry I corrected myself above, I had missed the piece about William and kids as I was focused on reading the photographerâs bits. The interviewer comes across as needlessly sycophantic to the RF, which is weird since heâs not even talking to them directly
plus Italy is a very anti-monarchy country due to its own history with royals, so the tone is a bit odd and I was skimming. Apologies!Happy to translate more if anybody is interested.
Here's an archived version of The Telegraph article:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion...ges-40th-birthday-portraits-combine-grandeur/ thought this was a good write up on the photos, unfortunately paywalled and I forget the trick to sharing a link that works
The Duchess of Cambridgeâs 40th birthday portraits combine grandeur wâŠ
archived 8 Jan 2022 22:47:22 UTC
I love the sound of that, just sad it wasnât translated well with the red dress and portrait one
In the Italian article it said it was shot at Kew Gardens (I think?). Would have been good to use some of the nature there as a backdrop.I agree, integrating the park would have also been a good callback to her outdoorsy nature.I love the sound of that, just sad it wasnât translated well with the red dress and portrait one
The photographer also claims they only shot in natural light. Iâm not a photographer but I donât buy it.
Apparently she only gave them 4 hours in total so that would explain the lack of hair changes.
The side profile is such a throw back to Victoria. I assume theyâre getting Kate Queenly.
Thatâs a good point. I read a profile the Times did on her this weekend and they specifically referenced âqueen motherâ behaviour and other regal oddities. âShe doesnât do drama, like a Queen mother wouldnâtâ, etc etc.
Reposting this here as well as on the Markle thread given similar conversations are happening on both.
Personally I love the photos, I stopped in my tracks when I saw the profile shot on IG, the delicate way the ribbon runs through her hand with the ring so bold against the white. Just beautifully done. However I do understand why some people are not into the style with most people in the general public favouring the current highly saturated and over sharpened trend in celebrity photography right now. This set will sit with and compliment the other Royal portraits back many generations and will need to remain timeless, so a different end goal called for a different style.
I think the thing most people are thrown by is how Catherine looks compared to how we usually see her. Itâs rare to get a front facing photo with her looking into the lens, even rarer a beaming front on smile close up. When you only ever see someone in profile suddenly been confronted with a different angle can be jarring. Weâve all seen a similar thing with influences who work their angles on Insta but suddenly look like different people in pictures taken by others at different angles.
Her hair is also set differently which can very much change the appearance of a persons face. In these her usual just off center parting is completely swept back with no part visible at all. This also removes the usual face framing hair making her face shape and forehead appear larger than usual. The use of her natural curls rather than heat set ones can feel a bit 80s like in her recent appearance in the green reworn gown. The 80s are seen as a very dated out of style period right now so I get why people donât like them but personally I would never shame a woman for wearing her natural curls. I think its great sheâs starting to embrace them more.
Again totally biased as I already love this type of style but just my take on elements that might be contributing to some peoples negative take. For me the only thing missing was a tiara shot given theyâre official portraits to go alongside all the other royals in their gowns and jewels, but Iâm hopeful with Williamâs 40th also this year that they did a couple shot at the same time in full bling to release at years end
Personally I love the photos, I stopped in my tracks when I saw the profile shot on IG, the delicate way the ribbon runs through her hand with the ring so bold against the white. Just beautifully done. However I do understand why some people are not into the style with most people in the general public favouring the current highly saturated and over sharpened trend in celebrity photography right now. This set will sit with and compliment the other Royal portraits back many generations and will need to remain timeless, so a different end goal called for a different style.
I think the thing most people are thrown by is how Catherine looks compared to how we usually see her. Itâs rare to get a front facing photo with her looking into the lens, even rarer a beaming front on smile close up. When you only ever see someone in profile suddenly been confronted with a different angle can be jarring. Weâve all seen a similar thing with influences who work their angles on Insta but suddenly look like different people in pictures taken by others at different angles.
Her hair is also set differently which can very much change the appearance of a persons face. In these her usual just off center parting is completely swept back with no part visible at all. This also removes the usual face framing hair making her face shape and forehead appear larger than usual. The use of her natural curls rather than heat set ones can feel a bit 80s like in her recent appearance in the green reworn gown. The 80s are seen as a very dated out of style period right now so I get why people donât like them but personally I would never shame a woman for wearing her natural curls. I think its great sheâs starting to embrace them more.
Again totally biased as I already love this type of style but just my take on elements that might be contributing to some peoples negative take. For me the only thing missing was a tiara shot given theyâre official portraits to go alongside all the other royals in their gowns and jewels, but Iâm hopeful with Williamâs 40th also this year that they did a couple shot at the same time in full bling to release at years end
- Status