How Photographer Ian Vogler Took an Iconic Photo of Prince William and Kate Middleton's Wedding
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Photographs of royal weddings are some of the most reproduced, talked about, and iconic images around. But, while we can all now snap away on our camera phones, capturing a picture worthy of a place in the history books is a far more demanding task. Even for the professionals, with years of experience and the best equipment, it can be a tense situation with an element of uncertainty as to whether the stars will align to deliver the best shot.
When Prince William and Kate Middleton were married almost exactly 10 years ago in the most prominent royal wedding in decades, intense planning and preparation went into organizing the positions for photographers and television crews. “Getting to the day was a milestone in itself,” Daily Mirror photographer Ian Vogler tells T&C. Ian was among the media who secured a coveted spot at the foot of the Queen Victoria memorial opposite Buckingham Palace on April 29, with the task of capturing that all-important balcony appearance. “It was nerve-wracking because it was a very important position to be on in order to get the classic, iconic picture of the couple, the royal family, and of course the all-important kiss,” he recalls.
Another key spot for reporters and photographers was outside Westminster Abbey to document the bride arriving with her father as well as the couple and their guests departing in carriages. However, even the best-laid plans don’t always go entirely smoothly, a truth that is reflected in some of the footage of the day taken from this position by the Associated Press. As Kate and her father get out of the car on the opposite side of the vehicle to the media position, emphatic shouts of “the car!” and “move the car!” can be heard until the vehicle eventually pulls away.
By then, those positioned at the Queen Victoria memorial had already been waiting for some time. “We had to be there early in order to get into that position because the public were going to be allowed to stand around,” Ian says. “Loads of roads were closed so I remember buying a trolley and wheeling my trolley across there having stayed the night before in a hotel.” [ed note: For our American readers, a trolley is a moving dolly.]
He added: “It was just intense…you could just feel the day building up, because of the crowds, listening on the radio, watching the television coverage on our phones and laptops, and so on. So you knew that it was going to be a key moment in British history.”
The wedding was the first marriage of an heir to the throne since Prince Charles married Diana in 1981. But the crucial difference was that this was taking place in the digital age, meaning that footage was was instantly beamed around the world on laptops and smartphones. While the quality of the images remained crucial, speed in sending them out also mattered. And with hundreds of mobile phones all being used at the same time squeezing the signal, Ian remembers “we actually hired a satellite phone and used satellite technology to send the pictures.”
Another challenge was the distance from the media position to the balcony—which is about 400 metres and required the use of a special long lens. As people crowded into the Mall behind them, the photographers were poised at the foot of the memorial waiting. “The first sign you get that they’re going to come on the balcony is a member of staff opens the door,” Ian says. “And from the moment that’s open, it’s game on. It’s all about to happen in front of you, and you can’t afford to miss anything. You have got a couple of minutes. You’re just going hell for leather to try and get the best picture.”
William and Kate shared not just one, but two kisses that day, giving everyone a second shot at the perfect balcony picture. Lip readers captured some of the words shared by the couple in those moments. "OK? Look at me. Let's kiss, OK?" William said to his bride.
The kiss had been much-anticipated, but it was also a more unexpected moment that ended up contributing to the perfect front page picture. Three-year-old bridesmaid Grace Van Cutsem came out onto the balcony to watch the spectacular flyover by RAF aircraft— but did not like the noise at all. Standing right next to the newlyweds, she scowled and covered her ears. “These noisy airplanes flying overhead, it would be enough to shock anyone,” Ian says. “Then she reacted, but I think that made a great picture.” Indeed, it was this photograph that ended up on the historic front page of the Daily Mirror the next day, alongside the text, “The whole world rejoices…Well mostly!”
Every national newspaper on April 30, 2011, was packed with royal wedding images, and these photographs continue to be reproduced today. But there was only one photograph that could make the front page at the time, and for Ian, it remains one of the most memorable images he has taken. “It could have been the picture that my colleague took when they came out of Westminster Abbey," he says. “Or it could have been something else. You just don’t know which will be the picture that newspapers and the magazines will like, so I think the balcony picture worked out really well for me on that day. Maybe that little girl, I owe it to her and her reaction and the noisy airplanes that just made it work.”
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