Kate's decision to photograph her own children takes chance away from experts, says royal photographer
The Princess of Wales has been criticised by a royal photographer for taking her own pictures of her children rather than giving the chance to others who could benefit from the opportunity.
Kate, 40, is known for photographing and then releasing snaps of Prince George, nine, Charlotte, seven, and Louis, four, to the public on special milestones like birthdays.
"All the work I got with the royals really elevated my career; nowadays, someone like me just won't have the chance,' said royal photographer John Swannell, according to MailOnline.
"Those chances should be given to young English photographers."
In 1993, Swannell was awarded a Fellowship of The Royal Photographic Society, one of the youngest members to achieve this. In 1994, Diana, the then Princess of Wales, personally commissioned him to photograph her with her two sons, the new Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex.
However, despite his other comments, Swannell also acknowledged that there are some benefits to Kate taking her own pictures of her children.
"In some ways, though, Kate is probably right to do it herself. She's not a great photographer, but she just snaps away, and with kids it's easier if you know them," he said.
The mother-of-three and princesses passion for photography didn't start when she joined the Royal Family in 2011, as she had produced her undergraduate thesis on photographs of children while at St Andrews.
But she did become the first member to take the first official photographs of a royal baby in 2015, memorably the snap of newborn Charlotte being held by her big brother George.
In 2017, Kate accepted a lifetime honorary membership of the Royal Photographic Society, which recognised her "talent and enthusiasm".
Notable more recent images taken by Kate include George on his ninth birthday shared in July earlier this year, Charlotte on her seventh birthday shared in May, and Prince Louis on his fourth birthday shared in April.
And to mark her husband William's 38th birthday and Father's Day in 2020, a photo was also released featuring George, Charlotte and Louis all playing with him in the garden.
Meanwhile, royal expert Camilla Tominey said for The Telegraph last year, "The paparazzi - there's no market for them anymore because the Duchess comes out with her own family photos and they're far more valuable to the press than images taken at a great distance with a long lens."
She added, "That's how they're [Kate and William] going to strike the balance, they're going to give in order to receive a degree of privacy back."
Award-winning photographer Bronwen Sharp also previously told FEMAIL,"No other photographer would be able to capture the same connection she has with her children. There is a real warmth and love that is present in her work.
"She has a natural ability to capture humanity with a great eye for composition and colour."
But, likely relatable to other parents, Kate spoke last summer about how her children had asked her to "please stop taking photographs" during a conversation with a finalist of her Hold Still photography contest.
She was discussing a photo taken by Ceri Edwards, of her daughter Poppy hugging her father Mark before his shift as a paramedic in Newport, south Wales.
Kate praised the black-and-white image's "strength, courage and resilience".
But, also during the phone call, published on the Prince and Princess of Wales' YouTube, she asked if Ceri was a photographer, to which she replied, “No. Well, Mark would say otherwise just because I do take a lot of pictures of the family.”
Kate then laughed and responded, “It’s like me. Everyone’s like, ‘Mummy, please stop taking photographs’.”
Watch: Kate and William make surprise visit to thank Windsor staff for Queen's service
