Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and Prince William.Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty
Over nearly two decades, there are few places in the world that the royals have been where photographer Chris Jackson hasn’t trailed closely behind, capturing their every public move.
Whether touring Australia withPrince HarryandMeghan Markle, taking an official portrait ofQueen Elizabethor joiningPrince Williamas he tookPrince Georgeto his first day of school, Jackson’s job for Getty Images has given him a privileged, close-up view of history.
“The thing I love about royal photography is the depth with which you get to know your subjects,” Jackson tells PEOPLE. “Celebrity photography is one thing — you are photographing a much bigger roster. With royals you have the opportunity to build up an in-depth knowledge of their personalities.”
Courtesy Getty Images
As he has traveled the world, Jackson has come to appreciate the different approaches that the members of the royal family use in their day-to-day duties and has learned how to get the best out of them for his pictures. Here, he shared some of those insights exclusively with PEOPLE.
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PRINCE HARRY
Jackson adds that Harry brings “an element of unpredictability which has always been special. One example of that was when he joined in a charity run in Rio de Janeiro and he ended up finishing the race with a face mask on. You literally couldn’t have predicted that.”
QUEEN ELIZABETH&PRINCE CHARLES
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
“The Prince of Wales is very interactive with people and expressive,” Jackson tells PEOPLE. “The Queen moves about engagements in a different way to the Prince of Wales.”
From his perspective, “It is about anticipating about what is going to happen — that’s a really key part of the job. Looking at where the light is going to fall, and looking at where they are going to be and who they are going to meet.”
ROYAL KIDS
Prince George.Chris Jackson/Getty
Jackson — who has a 2-year-old son, Theo, with wife Natasha Archer (Kate Middleton’s assistant and stylist) — says photographing the royal children “always makes you smile behind the camera, and I love that.”
Assignments involving the youngest royals “is a different, exciting kettle of fish,” he shares, because “there is a real energy to the engagement, which is great fun.”
What’s more, “It is a less regular event, but equally that’s what makes it so special.”
CAMILLA, DUCHESS OF CORNWALL
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty
For someone who has borne the brunt of some harsh headlines over the years, especially in the wake of the 1997 death ofPrincess Diana,Camilla, Duchess of Cornwallshould have reason to be very wary of photographers. But Jackson, like others, finds her “absolutely awesome to photograph.”
He adds, “You can find yourself in some far-flung corner of the world and something amusing happens and you in the room with them and you get a smile. Taking a picture is the most honest thing you can do — it is a record of exactly what happened at that second. She understands that, and understands that you are doing a job.”
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Rizzoli International Publications
Jackson, 41, talks about his typical Day in the Life of working around the famous faces in the Fall issue ofPEOPLERoyals, out September 10. His second book,Elizabeth II, A Queen for Our Time, is out this month ahead of the monarchy’sPlatinum Jubileenext June.
source: people.com
