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Who is Misan Harriman? Meet Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's photographer pal who took their pregnancy pic on iPad

Misan Harriman is the first Black person to shoot for the cover of British Vogue in 104 years history of the magazine

On Valentine's Day 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they are expecting their second child, commemorating the 37th anniversary of Valentine's Day 1984, when Princess Diana announced her pregnancy with Prince Harry. 

Harry and Meghan's announcement was made via a beautiful black and white photograph of the happy couple at their Los Angeles home. The photograph was taken remotely by Misan Harriman, a longtime friend of the couple and a celebrated photographer. He also happens to be the first Black photographer to shoot for the cover of British Vogue in 104 years history of the magazine.

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Who is Misan Harriman?

Harriman is a British photographer, social activist, and entrepreneur, who gained a lot of prominence for his extensive coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement. He has been commissioned by the Royals and celebrities for exclusive portraiture, and his works have featured in leading magazines like Vogue UK, Harpers Bazaar, People, The Telegraph and Vanity Fair.

Harriman is known for capturing stunning photographs of A-lister celebrities like Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Giorgio Armani, Rihanna, Cate Blanchett, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Stormzy, and Olivia Colman, as per his website. Among the royals, he has notably photographed Meghan Markle and Princess Beatrice. The most astounding fact about the celebrity photographer is perhaps that he is completely self-taught.

Harriman was born in 1977 in Calabar, Nigeria, as the son of the Nigerian businessman and political leader Chief Hope Harriman. His schooling happened at Stubbington House School in Ascot, UK, after which he attended Bradfield College in Berkshire. Soon after graduation, he started working in recruitment for the City of London.

'Most talked about' photographer

His professional photographic career began only in 2017. However, his passion for photography was always there since childhood, especially after he gave a school presentation on Stanley Kubrick's use of light in 'Barry Lyndon', at the mere age of nine.

In August 2020, The Evening Standard described him as the 'most talked about photographer of our times'. This was primarily due to his activism and work on social issues. He founded the organization 'What We Seee' in 2016, with the objective of amplifying inspirational stories from diverse voices, artists, and archives, in order to sprout cultural conversation. 

The defining moment in his career came in 2020 after his photographic coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement was featured by BBC, Vogue UK, and The Guardian. His cover on the September 2020 issue of Vogue UK made him the first Black person to ever shoot a cover of the magazine. 

Friendship with Harry and Meghan

Harriman happens to be a longtime friend of Meghan Markle who, as a matter of fact, introduced her to a mutual friend, through whom she actually met her future husband Prince Harry. "Meg reminded me that had I not introduced her to a mutual friend then she wouldn't have met Harry. I'm grateful for whatever small part I played," Harriman said, as per the Daily Mail. 

"Meg, I was there at your wedding to witness this love story begin, and my friend, I am honoured to capture it grow. Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on this joyous news!" he wrote in his Twitter announcement with the photograph of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The photograph shows the parents of Archie Mountbatten-Windsor to be very much in love, as they can be seen on the grass with Meghan's head rested on Harry's lap. The emotional moment was captured remotely via an iPad by Harriman, who also explained the significance of the shot. 

"With the tree of life behind them and the garden representing fertility, life and moving forward, they didn't need any direction, because they are, and always have been, waltzing through life together as absolute soulmates," reported Daily Mail. 

The photographer also spoke about Meghan's unfortunate miscarriage last year and considered his opportunity to photograph their pregnancy this time as the 'marker of true friendship'. "To be asked to help share this absolute joy after such an unimaginable loss and heartache is a marker of true friendship," he reportedly told British Vogue.