William and Kate’s royal photographer takes pictures of a VERY remote British community in a new series
Accustomed to photographing Britain’s most famous family, he now focuses his lens on a community that couldn’t be further from the public eye.
Matt Porteous, the royal photographer behind the official family photos of Prince William and Kate Middleton, has captured images of the residents of Scotland’s remote Knoydart peninsula for his latest project.
Located along the country’s beautiful west coast, the extremely isolated community of Knoydart is only accessible by boat – there is a ferry service from the Highlands village of Mallaig – or via a challenging two-day hike. Populated by just over 100 residents, it is home to what the Guinness World Records says is the most remote pub in mainland Britain: The Old Forge.
As part of the series, Matt piloted a drone over the peninsula’s stunning scenery, photographing a local forest ranger, a boatman and a hotel owner.
Interestingly, all the photos were taken with a camera phone, the OnePlus 11 5G, as the series of photos aims to celebrate the launch of the new mobile device.
Royal photographer Matt Porteous has captured images of the inhabitants of Scotland’s remote Knoydart Peninsula for his latest project
The extremely isolated community of Knoydart can only be reached by boat or via a challenging two-day hike
Matt is the royal photographer behind Prince William and Kate Middleton’s official family photos. Above is one of his photos of the royal family in 2021
One of Matt’s subjects was Jayne Eddie, a skipper for Western Isles Cruises, who also carries residents’ stores, cargo, goods, and mail.
She tells MailOnline Travel that one of the perks of her job is having “close encounters” with dolphins, minke whales, porpoises, killer whales and seabirds as she sails to and from the peninsula.
Knoydart ranger Finlay Greig, another resident featured in the series, has also seen some wonderful wildlife in the area.
One of Matt’s subjects in the new photo series was Jayne Eddie (above), a skipper for Western Isles Cruises
Jayne carries residents’ groceries, cargo, goods, and mail on her boat
All photos in the series were taken with a camera phone, the OnePlus 11 5G, as the series of photos aims to celebrate the launch of the new mobile device
Jayne says one of the benefits of her job is having “close encounters” with dolphins, minke whales, porpoises, killer whales and seabirds as she sails to and from the peninsula
He says, “If you wait long enough in solitude, you will get something from nature as a gift.
Minke whales, otters, red deer, roe deer, pine martens [a type of weasel]golden eagles and white-tailed eagles are all regularly encountered.’
Finlay says part of his job is helping run the ‘most scenic campsite in Scotland’ – Long Beach campsite – which he says is ‘blessed’ with views of the Isle of Rum to the west and the peak of Meall Buidhe in the East .
Knoydart ranger Finlay Greig, pictured above, was another resident featured in the series
Finlay has seen minke whales, otters, red deer, roe deer and golden eagles in his time as a ranger on Knoydart
Finlay’s truck drives through the beautiful countryside of Knoydart
Finlay says part of his job is helping run the ‘most scenic campsite in Scotland’ – Long Beach campsite
Are there any downsides to living on Knoydart? Finlay admits that “not having a barbershop is one thing,” adding, “Not being able to get a haircut for the shoot was devastating.”
The third and final resident to appear in front of Matt’s lens was Rebecca Rutherford, who owns and runs the Doune Knoydart hotel and restaurant.
The biggest hurdle in running a hotel on the Peninsula, she reveals, is bringing in supplies. She says, “We have no road to our property, so everything, including guests, supplies, fuel, furniture, and materials, all have to get on our own boat.”
Rebecca Rutherford (above), who owns and runs the Doune Knoydart hotel and restaurant, also appeared in the series
Rebecca says the biggest hurdle of running a hotel in such a remote location is getting supplies in
Hotel owner Rebecca reveals: ‘We have no way to our property so everything, including guests, supplies, fuel, furniture and materials all have to get on our own boat’
Most of the company’s break-in habits come from passing yachts — though a previous guest made it to the peninsula via sea kayak, she reveals.
Adding another layer to the photo series, Matt conducted the entire shoot from his London studio, controlling the drone and camera remotely, according to a statement.
The statement read: “Because there was no network connection, OnePlus connected Matt via satellite technology to enable him to expertly guide the locals from his studio, more than 500 miles away, as they photographed their portraits with the smartphone.”
The camera phone was mounted on a drone and flown over Knoydart. Matt conducted the entire shoot from his London studio, controlling the drone and camera remotely
Reflecting on the shoot, Matt says: ‘This was the most challenging test because I’ve never conducted a portrait session with a smartphone before, let alone one that floats through the air while I’m hundreds of miles away’
Pictured on the left is the remote-controlled drone taking pictures of Rebecca. “The people of Knoydart have incredible stories to tell,” reveals Matt (pictured right).
It continues, “Using the leading color science of Natural Color Calibration, developed with Hasselblad [a camera brand]the smartphone was able to capture the natural beauty of the landscape in true-to-life colors and deliver DSLR-quality photography, thanks to its optical image stabilization capabilities.”
Commenting on the shoot, Matt – who recently shot the Prince and Princess of Wales’ Christmas card photos – says: “This was the most challenging test because I’ve never conducted a portrait session with a smartphone before, let alone one that the sky flies. the sky while I’m hundreds of miles away.
“However, the OnePlus 11 has an excellent camera system that allowed me to capture DSLR-quality images, even in difficult conditions… the people of Knoydart have incredible stories to tell – from Western Isle Cruises skipper Jayne Eddie to Finlay Greig, the local Ranger – and I’m honored to have been able to use the OnePlus 11 to share a visual snapshot of their way of life.”