Renowned royal portrait photographer Hugo Burnand has revealed the technical secrets behind his striking official portrait of King Charles III, explaining why he relied exclusively on the Fujifilm GFX100 II for this historic commission. In a detailed interview on the Double Exposure Podcast, Burnand shared the challenges and creative decisions that went into capturing one of the most important royal portraits in recent memory.
The photographer drew inspiration from an unlikely source - a painting of Prince Philip by artist Ralph Heymans. The painting depicted the late Prince in the same corridor of the royal residence where Burnand would eventually photograph King Charles. However, this artistic vision came with significant technical challenges, as the corridor is notoriously dark and difficult to photograph in.
Facing these challenging lighting conditions, Burnand made a decisive equipment choice. "The camera was really important, the medium format Fujifilm GFX 100 II," he explained during the podcast. "It's the camera I always turn to when I need to capture a truly important image." The photographer shot the portrait at ISO 3200, a setting that would typically introduce significant noise and quality degradation in most cameras.
Burnand praised the camera's exceptional performance in low-light conditions, noting several key advantages that made it indispensable for this royal commission. He highlighted the camera's "fantastic dynamic range" and "great tonal gradation," explaining that these technical capabilities were crucial for achieving the portrait's distinctive painterly quality. The photographer noted that if he had used a phone camera, the result would have been "quite contrasty and harsher."
The medium format sensor's superior light-gathering capabilities allowed Burnand to capture extraordinary detail even in challenging conditions. "You can see the details of the king's eyelashes in the image, even at ISO 3200," he remarked, emphasizing how the camera maintained fine detail reproduction despite the high sensitivity setting. He contrasted this with conventional cameras, explaining that "in a regular Canon he might risk shooting at ISO 800, and then he starts losing comfort."
Burnand emphasized that the camera's advantages extend beyond just large print reproduction. "It's not about reproducing the image in big prints that he needs GFX, because even when reproduced small it has a greater quality intensity," he explained. This quality difference is immediately apparent regardless of the final output size, contributing to what he described as the image's superior "intensity."
The final portrait achieved what Burnand considered the ultimate compliment - it resembled the work of master painters. He noted that "the image looked like a painting by someone like Velázquez," referencing the legendary Spanish artist known for his royal portraits. When Burnand saw the completed portrait of King Charles, he admitted experiencing an unprecedented emotional response, stating that "for the first time, he felt intensely proud of his own work."
Addressing potential criticism about the composition, Burnand explained that certain elements were intentionally designed according to royal portraiture traditions. The apparent excess space above the king's head follows a specific rule in royal portraiture - "you must leave enough room above the head to fit a crown." This traditional compositional requirement demonstrates the careful balance between artistic vision and ceremonial protocol.
Regarding post-processing, Burnand maintained a purist approach that honored traditional photographic techniques. He explained that his adjustments were "no different than what could have been done in the darkroom on a wet print," emphasizing that no heavy digital manipulation or Photoshop work was employed in creating the final image.
The photographer credited his team's collaborative efforts for overcoming the technical challenges posed by the dark corridor location. "Full praise to my team because I think it looks like natural daylight throughout and it also has a painterly feel to the photography," Burnand stated. The team employed clever lighting techniques and setups to create the illusion of natural daylight in what was actually a challenging low-light environment.
For photography enthusiasts and royal portrait admirers interested in viewing the complete work, Burnand has established a dedicated website at crownportraits.co.uk, where visitors can see this historic portrait alongside other significant royal commissions. The project stands as a testament to the combination of traditional portraiture skills, modern camera technology, and collaborative teamwork in creating images of lasting historical significance.
