Mario Testino and his use of colour

Last week I visited the National Portrait Gallery and stumbled upon Mario Testino's British Royal Portraits.

The display consists of photographs of the Royal Family taken between 2003 and 2010 and includes the engagement photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Although I am not a huge fan of the Royal family I quite enjoyed these images.  I particularly liked Testino's use of colour and black and white.

From my studies on this course I know what makes a for a good black and white composition but lines and texture, shape and form are not always as easy to see when shooting people.

The first images in the display was the engagement photograph of William and Kate.  I liked the soft focus and colours.  The image looked slightly grainy and with the weak colours the image had an air of freshness about it. The subjects looked relaxed and happy and the crop was close up and tight which gave an intimacy to the shot.

If we compare that to the more formal engagement shot that Testino took the colours are stronger and the pose less formal and relaxed.  The subjects look more mature and serious rather than the loved up couple of the first image.

Testino shot both William and Harry on their 21st birthdays.  William's portrait shows him in a tuxedo a young man coming of age.  Testino opted for black and white here which I feel adds to the tone and focuses the viewer on the prince and his expression.

In contrast, Harry is shown working on a motorbike on his 21st birthday.  We can easily see who is destined to be king and who has the freer life, less weight on his shoulders and the pressures of life as a leader ahead of him.  We are given an insight into the playful and daredevil nature of Harry but we are not allowed to see beyond the layer of sophistication for the future king.

Testino did not use black and white for all the formal portraits as can be seen in his shot of Prince Charles with his two sons.  The shot is pretty high key and light which gives a fresh feel to the image.  Their poses are relaxed and casual and they are letting us see the intimate side to their relationship.  Unlike many black and white images we see of people this image looks modern and not old fashioned or dated.

The more formal portraits of Prince Charles on his own and also with Camilla tend to have stronger colours and more regal backgrounds.

I think what I liked the most about this display was the fact that I didn't care too much for the Royal family before I viewed them but now I feel like I have been given an insight into their personal lives.