He’s used to photographing Britain’s most famous family – but now he’s turned his lens on a community that couldn’t be further from the public eye.
Matt Porteous, the royal photographer behind it Prince William And Kate Middleton‘S official family photoshas captured images of the residents of Scotland’s remote Knoydart Peninsula for his latest project.
The extremely remote community of Knoydart lies on the country’s beautiful west coast and can only be reached by boat – there is a ferry service from the Highland village of Mallaig – or via a challenging two-day hike. With a population of just over 100, it’s home to what the Guinness Book of Records declares Britain’s most remote mainland pub – The Old Forge.
As part of the series, Matt sent a drone over the peninsula’s stunning scenery and photographed a local ranger, skipper and hotel owner.
Interestingly, all the pictures were taken with a camera phone OnePlus 11 5Gwhile the photo series celebrates the launch of the new mobile device.
Royal Photographer Matt Porteous has captured images of the residents of Scotland’s remote Knoydart Peninsula for his latest project
The extremely remote community of Knoydart can only be reached by boat or via a challenging two day hike
Matt is the royal photographer behind the official family photos of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Above is one of his royal family shots in 2021
One of Matt’s interlocutors was Jayne Eddie, a skipper for Western Isles Cruises who also carries local residents’ shopping, cargo, goods and mail.
She tells MailOnline Travel that one of the perks of her job is meeting dolphins, minke whales, porpoises, killer whales and seabirds as she sails to and from the peninsula.
Knoydart ranger Finlay Greig, another resident of the series, has similarly spotted some stunning wildlife in the area.
One of Matt’s subjects in the new series of photos was Jayne Eddie (above), a skipper for Western Isles Cruises
Jayne carries the residents’ groceries, cargo, goods and mail on her boat
All images in the series were captured with a camera phone, the OnePlus 11 5G, as the series of photos celebrating the launch of the new mobile device begins
Jayne says one of the perks of her job is meeting 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, something will be bestowed upon you by nature.
“Minke whales, otters, red deer, roe deer, pine martens [a type of weasel]Golden eagles and white-tailed eagles are all regularly sighted.’
Finlay says part of his job is running the “finest 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 to the east .
Knoydart Ranger Finlay Greig, pictured above, was another resident to appear on the series
Finlay has sighted minke whales, otters, red deer, roe deer and golden eagles during his time as a ranger on Knoydart
Finlay’s truck drives through the beautiful countryside of Knoydart
Finlay says part of his job is running “Scotland’s finest campsite” – Long Beach Campsite
Are there any downsides to living on Knoydart? Finlay admits the “lack of a hair salon plays a part,” adding, “Not being able to get a haircut before the photoshoot 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 to running a hotel on the peninsula, she reveals, is getting supplies. She says, “We don’t have a road to our property, so everything, including guests, supplies, fuel, furniture and materials, has to come 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 in running a hotel in such a remote location is getting supplies
Hotel owner Rebecca reveals, “We don’t have a road to our property so everything including guests, supplies, fuel, furniture and materials has to come on our own boat.”
Most of the company’s walk-in customers come from passing yachts — although a previous guest has reached the peninsula by sea kayak, she reveals.
According to a statement, Matt added another layer to the photo series by conducting the entire shoot from his London studio and directing the drone and camera remotely.
The statement reads: “With no network connectivity, OnePlus has connected Matt via satellite technology so he can expertly guide locals from his studio over 500 miles away while he snaps their portraits with his 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
Looking back on the shoot, Matt says, “This was the most challenging test because I’ve never directed a portrait session using a smartphone before, let alone one floating through the air while being 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: “By using the industry-leading color science of Natural Color Calibration developed with Hasselblad [a camera brand]Thanks to optical image stabilization, the smartphone was able to capture the natural beauty of the landscape in true-to-life colors and deliver DSLR-quality photos.’
Matt, who recently captured the Prince and Princess of Wales’ Christmas card images, comments on the shoot: “This was the most challenging test because I’ve never directed a portrait session with a smartphone before, let alone one that flies through the air while I’m hundreds of miles away.
“However, the OnePlus 11 has an excellent camera system that enabled me to capture DSLR quality images even in the most challenging of circumstances… the people of Knoydart have incredible stories to tell – from Jayne Eddie, skipper of Western Isle Cruises, to Finlay Greig , the local ranger – and I’m honored to have been able to use the OnePlus 11 to help share a visual snapshot of their way of life.”
