Meghan Markle and Prince Harry took the non-traditional route for a Royal couple when they announced the Duchess was pregnant once again. They asked their friend, photographer Misan Harriman to post a picture online.
Harriman obliged his celebrity pals by creating and posting a stunning black and picture of the Sussexes on Valentine’s Day. The pic showed Harry and Meghan lying on some grass under a tree.
The Duchess has her head on the Prince’s lap, and the two are happily gazing at each other. It’s also instantly noticeable that Meghan has one hand resting on a baby bump.
The image (which you can see below) has since soared to stratospheric levels of fame, as has the photographer, Misan Harriman.
So, who is Misan Harriman?
Harriman is a London-based photographer who already achieved a level of fame last year when he became the first Black photographer to shoot the cover for British Vogue’s all-important September issue.
The cover portrayed various famous Black British celebs, including soccer player and political activist Marcus Rashford, model Adwoa Aboah, and several other prominent British activists. The cover was titled, “Activism Now: The Faces of Hope.”
It transpires that Harriman has only been in photography since 2016, having previously had a career in finance, he has since taken his new profession by storm. His photography star began rising last year as he documented the Black Lives Matter protests that swept through central London over the summer.
Judging by his social media accounts, Harriman, who calls his lens “the truth seeker,” mostly focuses on social issues, especially regarding race. He generally prefers his pics to be in black and white.
He has photographed royalty on at least one previous occasion. In 2019, he snapped Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi after they announced their engagement.
You can find Harriman and his outstanding work on Twitter at @misanharriman and on Instagram, also, at @misanharriman.
How did Misan Harriman photograph Meghan and Harry?
Speaking to Good Morning America, Harriman explained how he took the now-famous shot of Prince Harry and Meghan. The photographer said technology came to the rescue as he was able to snap the pic remotely from London.
Unfortunately, because Harriman was in London and the Sussex family is in southern California, they could not meet up for a regular shoot. But, he said, “I was able to remotely take over the iPad, and they could hear my voice, and it was conversational, and the rest really is history.”
Of the image itself, he said, “You don’t even see the image; you feel it. They are lost in each other. And the tree in the background and just life growing around them is incredibly powerful and symbolic.”
He also added that he hoped the image provided hope for people who are in a dark place, saying, “this should give them the strength to know there’s light in that dark place.”
And on his friends Meghan and Harry, Harriman said, “Honestly, I think the universe would have conspired for them to be together no matter what. It is the real deal. They are waltzing through life together, as it should be.”
He added, “To have a new arrival coming is a testament to the power of the relationship that they have.”
The Royal couple has not yet released a due date for the new arrival, but Monsters and Critics is predicting a June baby, with a chance that it’ll be either May or July as well.