Last week’s wedding of British Prince Harry to American actress Meghan Markle was one of the most viewed events on the planet. But for photographers, one important part of the wedding actually happened only after the actual ceremony. Photographer Yui Mok’s viral photo of the royal couple leaving Windsor Castle in an open carriage immediately blew up online, being retweeted and liked many thousands of times.
I don't know who took this picture, but it's exquisite 💖👑 #RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/yR60JWCdd1
— 🅓 🅡 🅔 (@LostNRealityTV) May 19, 2018
It’s really hard to predict what elements will make something go viral. What chord will resonate enough with people to have them click their like, share, and retweet buttons thousands of times over? What is the secret sauce for the recipe for 15 minutes of internet fame? We don’t yet know, though rest assured that there are many people studying this exact question.
But what is clear about any viral photo is that there are two ways to go about it: Either you can accidentally be in the right place at the right time, snap the camera at the right second, share it, and be lucky enough that others take it from there.
Alternatively, though, you rely on thought and preparation instead of just pure luck — though as any photographer knows, a little bit of luck always helps. But more than anything, it involves going out with the intent to take that perfect photo, planning to be in the right place at the right time, and identifying beforehand where that special place and perfect time will be.
And it’s clear that Yui Mok, a Press Association staff photographer, goes about it that second way.
“I was positioned on the roof of George IV Gateway of Windsor Castle, and they passed directly beneath me during their carriage procession,” Mok explained on Twitter. “I had less than a one-second window to take that particular shot – whilst having to focus through a metal grill I was standing over – so was happy to get anything really!”
As far as his gear, Mok notes, he used the Canon 1DX Mark II along with the Canon EF 70-200mm lens. He also had the Canon EF 600mm f/4L, but didn’t use it in this particular shot. And no, this was not an aerial drone shot. “Drones would never have been allowed anywhere near,” he clarifies.
Impressed yet? Us too. Let’s analyze what he did. He — among many other things — made sure he was positioned in the right way, with the space constraints he had, had the correct equipment with him, and perfectly timed the one-second window, and got the shot.
Many people have called it “Princess Diana’s view” of the wedding, starting the “#DianasView” hashtag that has brought even more attention to the photo.
So, is this a photo that “just happened to go viral”? Decidedly not. It’s a photo that was taken with forethought and design, by a craftsman who was skilled and prepared, not just lucky. Then it went viral. Something to think about.
