For Sheen photographer Chris Jackson, work is a royal family affair. Sophie Farrah goes behind the lens...
International royal tours and fairytale weddings; state occasions and the arrival of royal babies: these are moments that will go down in history. And Chris Jackson is responsible for capturing them. No pressure there, then...
“I definitely get nervous; it’s easy for things not to go to plan! To get the exposure wrong, or something like that,” reflects the man who, after more than 15 years in the field, is now the official royal photographer for Getty Images. “But what I do is try to mitigate the risks by making sure that I’m always prepared.
“I’ll never forget the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding, as they stepped out of Westminster Abbey. Two billion people around the world were watching that moment and I was literally feet away. I took the picture of what was practically their first moment as a married couple. So when I looked and saw the image on the back of my camera, there was a massive sense of relief!
“But I’d been up at 2 am that day, making sure I had the right equipment and spares of absolutely everything. If your camera breaks, it’s your fault – and I am constantly breaking things!”
Chris, 39, who lives in East Sheen with wife Natasha and their six-month-old boy Theo, has won multiple awards for his work, his photographs regularly gracing the front pages of newspapers and magazines around the world. Originally from Wales, he initially took a physiology and psychology degree in pursuit of “a proper job”, but his first year at Cardiff University proved something of a turning point.
“I basically spent my student loan on a load of photography equipment, cleared out the cellar of my student house and created a dark room. I became obsessed with it. My flatmates thought I was very weird!” he recalls.
“Then I started working with the student newspaper and that’s what really ignited my passion – seeing my images in print around the campus every week was a real buzz. After that, I always had my camera on me.”
Chris moved to London 20 years ago and, after a lot of hard work and perseverance, managed to secure a staff position at Getty Images – one of the leading visual media companies in the world. Over time, he found himself being sent out on more and more royal assignments, which led to almost unrivalled specialist knowledge, relationships and contacts in that particular field. Before long, he had been crowned as Getty Images’ official royal photographer.
“Building trust and relationships is very important,” he explains. “You get to know people and you get to know the stories. Incredible photos often emerge from covering something in depth.
“In the early years, I spent a lot of time travelling the world with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, as I still do today. But after Princes William and Harry came back to royal duties, I found myself with so many more royals to cover and people interested around the world. And there’s no doubt about it, that huge interest is an exciting thing of which to be a part.
“It’s also thrilling to be around world leaders, and I’ve been to some incredible places too,” he enthuses. “I’ve been very lucky.
“Moreover, there’s such a range of photography styles involved. Sometimes people ask me: ‘Don’t you get bored of taking the same people?’ And I always say no, because the variety of characters makes it constantly interesting. They’re all doing different things and bringing different skills to the table, and now with the Duchess of Sussex arriving there’s an exciting new dynamic as well.”
So, never a dull moment. One day Chris might head off to cover Prince Harry’s international charity work or the Invictus Games, whilst the following week brings an official engagement with the Queen, a studio shoot with Prince George or a royal tour with the Prince of Wales.
“Last year, there was one occasion when I got back from New Zealand, had two hours at home and then went straight to Ghana. I love the challenge – my wife is not always happy with that!”
“Photographing the Prince of Wales is great – he has a great sense of humour and is very professional. With the Queen, it’s totally different but really exciting. When you’re working with celebrities you can ask them to do certain things, but the royals are unique in that they do what they want to do. I just have to be prepared."
“Often I will go to a royal engagement and think that it’s going to be a quiet day, but then something amazing happens and there’s some unexpected picture. At Princess Charlotte’s christening, for example, you’d expect the picture of the day to be of Charlotte in her gown, but for me, it was of Prince George peering into Charlotte’s pram!
“I love that I am there for those really special moments; the ones that people will look back on in hundreds of years’ time. I’m totally addicted to that element of the job.”
History, however, comes in many forms, and when I meet with Chris one Friday in June, he has spent the previous four days covering a controversial slice of it: the state visit of President Trump.
“When the US President visits, I love everything that comes with it. I am fascinated by Marine One [Presidential helicopter], the Ospreys that fly with it, the Beast [limo]! You feel like you’re at the forefront of this big security circus,” he smiles.
“Being in a room with the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and President Trump, leader of the free world, was quite surreal. Obviously, it’s my job and I am used to it all, but that was a new experience for me!”
Last year, Chris released his first book, Modern Monarchy: a beautiful coffee table collection of just some of the many shots he has taken over the years. Split into chapters such as ‘Dressing for Duty’, ‘For the Love of Horses’ and ‘The Art of Royal Travel’, it’s a vibrant celebration of the British royal family today. Selecting the images that eventually made the cut was enough to give Chris ‘a meltdown’, he says. Even so, I long to know whether or not he has a personal favourite.
“Working with Prince Harry and the charity Sentebale [for vulnerable children] in Lesotho has been wonderful. I’ve been there about 20 times and seen the same kids year after year; watched them grow up. So those pictures are very special to me.
“But from a professional point of view, I think my favourite is the family photo that I took last year for Prince Charles’s 70th birthday, where they’re all laughing. It involved everyone that I work with – all the members of the royal family together. And it was this lovely unexpected moment; a break from the formality.
“99% of the time, when I photograph them, they are on duty. I love capturing all the pomp and ceremony, but it’s great to combine that with these more candid and relaxed moments.
“That’s what people really connect with, I think. The big events are integral to what makes them the royal family, but these quieter family times and the relationships between people are just so lovely to capture too.”
Modern Monarchy: The British Royal Family Today (£35), published by Rizzoli. For more from Chris visit gettyimages.co.uk or chrisjacksonphotographer.com. Follow him on Instagram @chrisjacksongetty
