Mario Testino / Reuters

Mario Testino, the photographer who snapped the now-iconic official engagment portraits of Prince William and Kate Middleton, has opened up to vogue.com about the session, and he has nothing but good things to say about the royal lovebirds.

Testino had photographed the prince several times before, and met Kate at a few social occasions, but this was his first session with the princess-to-be. Still, "I already felt confident that she would be an easy sitter," the lucky shutterbug confided.

"I  had noticed how beautiful she usually looks in the press and how stylish she is," Testino added. "It was a real treat to photograph her."

The photographer also explained why Kate's simple white dress was chosen for the formal portrait: "Two people in love have a glow," he said. "I wanted that to be the subject of the picture, not what they were wearing."

Testino also revealed that as the photos were being taken, he was playing the same music that played when he photographed Princess Di: French singer Dalida performing "contemporary informal music" to keep everyone relaxed. Looks he made the right choice!

Mario Testino / Reuters

The official engagement photos of Prince William and Kate Middleton were given "minimal" adjustments to light balance and contrast, the palace acknowledged Tuesday.

They may have been "in their prime and brimming with happiness," as photographer Mario Testino put in when he snapped their official engagement photos -- but that doesn't mean that Prince William and Kate Middleton didn't get a little digital help.

It was just a little, mind you -- "mininal" retouching, the palace said. Specifically, the contrast and light balance were tweaked.

"The final portraits are like works of art," the palace said Tuesday when it acknowledged the alterations, comparing the photos to painted portaits of previous generations of royals.

Kate, of course, doesn't need much help. But there must have been temptation to give Wills just a little more hair....

Reuters

Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton pose in one of two official engagement portraits, taken by photographer Mario Testino on Nov. 25.

The official engagement photos of Will and Kate have been released, and they provide a stark contrast to the images of a clearly shocked Prince Charles and Camilla caught in a student riot in London last week. Taken by the celebrated Mario Testino – the favorite photographer of Prince William’s mother, Princess Diana—the informal engagement shots were taken just after the announcement, and they reveal a couple “in their prime and brimming with love,” Testino said. There is speculation that their release was timed to divert attention from the unpleasantness surrounding Charles and Camilla—but with anarchist groups threatening to disrupt the royal nuptials, will security and cost issues darken Will and Kate’s big day? Watch the video: