If a picture is worth a thousand words, there truly is no wordsmith as skilled as a photographer, and Julien Hubert is one of them. The prominent yacht photographer who started as a yacht spotter created not only a keen eye for yacht photography but gave the world a plethora of wondrousness to witness. Through his work (nearly 1200 photos on Instagram), fans get a dekko at the magnificence of multi-decker superyachts, explore the fantastic features of a luxury vessel and understand the beauty of the boat better, thanks to a new perspective and detail of every shot. Hubert’s lens is at the ready on the French Riviera and the Mediterranean, where the best of the yachting world sails or anchors. The photographer has captured the essence of some of the most glorious superyachts in the world, from Ahpo to Axioma, Savannah to Solaris. Luxurylaunches gets talking to the man with a drone controller in his hand and grandeur as his view:
You’ve photographed the largest yachts in the world, Eclipse, Ahpo, Al Lusail, Solaris, Amadea, and many more. What makes them unique and sets them apart when all are magnificent, packed with features and a visual delight?
Every yacht is different and unique. It is not always a matter of size, more a matter of design. They all have their own design that set them apart from each other.
Could you tell us more about the process of yacht photography? Since nearly all of your 1000+ posts are aerial shots. It looks like quite a task.
Before going to a place to take yacht photography, I always look on MarineTraffic for the position of the yachts. On my account, I can select some of my “favorite” yachts to follow so I know where they are. Some yachts don’t show on MarineTraffic, so sometimes I am lucky and surprised to see yachts I do not expect.
Once I am close to the yachts, I fly my drone and catch the best angles. Most of the time, I check if there is no guest onboard, I do not want to bother them while flying the drone around. Back at home, I edit my aerial shots with Lightroom and then post the photos on my Instagram account.
Do you have a favorite yacht? Are there any sailing beauties that are overrated?
One of my favorite yachts is motor yacht A (119m) built in 2008 by Blohm & Voss. I am a big fan of the design of this yacht (Philippe Starck design).
How much of a role does location play in photographing a yacht?
The role of the location is the most important with the sunlight. The best and most famous places to photograph yachts are usually busy in summertime (South of France, Sardinia), this makes the job more difficult to catch a good angle without yachts around. My favorite places to shoot yachts are the South of France, Sardinia and Turkey. The South of France and Sardinia are usually busy in summer but offer great landscapes and bigger yachts are going while Turkey is wilder.
What’s the most exciting aspect of snapping a yacht? Do they have good and bad angles?
The most exciting aspect of snapping a yacht is to get a good shot and a good angle. Thanks to the drone, it is now easier to fly around yachts and find a good angle and avoid backlight. My favorite angles with the drone are from the top, to catch yachts cruising, or in front of the bow.
Is there any megayacht on your wish list that you’re waiting to capture on camera?
One day, I’d love to capture Azzam, the world’s biggest superyacht. She never came to the French Riviera since her launch. Hopefully, I will be able to capture her sooner or later!
Why don’t you go inside some of these exquisite luxury vessels and unveil the spectacle?
In addition to being a “yacht spotter,” I am a professional yacht photographer, so I am used to going inside these exquisite luxury yachts for my clients, but some I simply can’t publish anything about.
Be sure to check out Julien’s Instagram page.
(All images provided by Julien Hubert)
