Kate Middleton Photographer Denied Editing Car Photo
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Royal conspiracy theorists can't catch a break. Just days after the Mother's Day photo scandal, another image of Kate Middleton is coming under scrutiny. Earlier this week, Middleton was photographed in the backseat of a car leaving Windsor Castle with her husband Prince William, who was headed to the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London. Almost immediately after the photo was released, fans began to speculate whether the image was also manipulated, citing differences in how the brick appeared through the window versus above the car.
However, Goff Photos, the agency that took the photos, denied editing them. The agency told E! News that the pics "have been cropped and lightened," but "nothing has been doctored."
"We don’t change our photos in Photoshop other than adjusting the light levels if necessary," Jim Bennett, the photographer who took the photos, told People, adding: "Car shots are unpredictable at the best of times and with some reflection on the glass it can be difficult."
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Bennett went on to explain that while he expected to see William, he was surprised to see Middleton with the Prince of Wales in the backseat. "It wasn't until I checked on the back of the camera to make sure I had a frame of Prince William that I realized there was someone sitting next to him. It turned out to be Catherine!"
The validity of the image became questioned after the Princess of Wales admitted to Photoshopping her Mother's Day portrait with her three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis. Hours after the image was released, multiple agencies made the decision to remove the photo from their libraries over concerns of manipulation.
The next morning, Kate issued a statement in an effort to clear up any skepticism. "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused," Middleton wrote. "I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day."