Arnaud Taquet: Behind The Lens
BEHIND THE LENS OF ARNAUD TAQUET
Edited by Alessandro Marrone
Photography: Arnaud Taquet
If your personal computer doesn’t have the random Windows’ desktop, you’ve probably ended putting one of Mr. Taquet’s works – most likely if you have a soft spot for cars and photography, just like us. Well, in a period in which it seems you’d only need a good camera and mid-level editing skills for believing to be a professional photographer, reality is deeply different. First of all, passion is not enough, just like a good musician or a painter, a proper photographer is an artist which also has to master different kinds of techniques and various customers’ requests. Then, for making things clear, just take a look at some of his shots and you’ll probably understand why he is climbing the highest peaks of the automotive industry and why you’re not! So I’ve met with Arnaud and between a word and another, we talked about his path to these days, about what he drives and the reasons why he drives 2 English sports cars out of 2. But first a quick overview from the beginning up to his trademark style, that we can safely define as “Car-pornographic movement”. Yep, it doesn’t matter what he shoots, a McLaren or a cheap city car, it will look sexy – end of the story. The word goes to today’s Renoir of cars photography.
Who is Arnaud Taquet and where your love for cars and photography met each other?
I’m a French commercial automotive photographer (working for car makers, advertising, marketing etc.), but also a true petrolhead either driving or shooting when I’m not daydreaming. Based in south of France but travelling across Europe and the world for my clients as well as for my passion for travelling in discovering deserts and wild areas.
I’ve always loved sports cars, speed, performance and when I was younger – I mean, even younger (I’m 23! and have launched my business at 17) I developed another passion blending everything that’s beautiful to me. From design to art, from photography to fashion.
I got offered my first small camera when I was 14 and started “shooting” sports cars while walking down the street before one supercars owners asked me to send him some of the pictures I just took of his car. He liked my pictures a lot and “hired” me for some photoshoots of each of his cars (Mercedes McLaren SLR, RR Phantom, Porsche Carrera GT etc.) and paid me buying me camera gears. While studying I started contacting French car magazines and selling them some contents (pictures and stories). After a few months selling them what I already had, two magazines decided to fly me to press launches to test (on track since I had no driver’s license) and shoot cars. After then I decided to create my own magazine (CRUSH Magazine, three issues, 12.000ex, National) and got to travel a lot to make some exclusive content. One day, I just got back from a road trip and after sending the brand the whole set of images ahead of the publishing, they asked me not to publish anything since they’d like to buy and use the images for their own marketing. This is how I decided to work for car makers press/marketing/commercial departments and since I had no time left for keeping an eye on the magazine’s content, I just left it. From that moment I got to work with Pagani, Audi, Lexus, McLaren, Hyundai, Seat, Mercedes-Benz, Honda etc. and have never been so amazed to get up and work without feeling like I’m working one single day.
What do you drive?
I actually got three cars. I’ve been in a partnership with Seat for almost 2 years now and because I’m in charge of a part of their social media contents, I can enjoy driving a Seat Ateca (last year it was a Leon X-Perience) as a daily driver. My first proper sports car was and still is a manual 2008 Aston-Martin V8 Vantage 4.3. I recently bought a Lotus Exige 240 Cup as well.
Have you made particular modifications?
When I bought the Aston, it was 100% stock but to be honest, during my first road trip with it from north to south of France (through the Alps), I thought it could be a great car but it was a little too smooth and not sporty enough in spite of a cool engine and homogenous chassis. I still decided to keep its original look but decided to go for shorter suspensions springs for the car to improve stability. Also, since I had to replace brake discs (for new but original ones) I also changed and upgraded the brake pads. At last, no upgrade involved but I had to replace the clutch kit a few weeks ago.
About the Lotus, the car has been upgraded up to 270hp before I bought it so I just went for a new global set up (geometry) that is more track-focused as well as a special “development vehicle” total covering.
Here are the main reasons:
– the car was badly repainted and I didn’t like its original color (kind of a mellow mustard yellow)
– it does protect the paintjob + body
– I’ve always wanted to do that and a Lotus is the perfect car for it
– I’m kind of a fussy person and getting such a contrasted wrap makes the gravel/tyre marks less obvious on the body and makes the car look less dirty when it actually is
– I’ve been working for McLaren Special Operations for 3 years and the P1 is still one of my favorite cars ever. The patterns used are directly inspired by the P1 prototype and pre-production models.
What made you choose these cars?
Aston
I actually had around €50k to invest in a sports car. I’ve always wanted an Aston-Martin. I still thought about some other options. Ferrari F355: great car I don’t like the brand’s image and philosophy. Porsche 997 Carrera S: too…common and not so much soul. Maserati GranTurismo S: that gearbox though…
The only one other car I almost bought was a 100% original Honda NSX with a pretty low mileage. It’s an amazing car to drive and was a pretty good investment but when I got asked what would make me happier having an Aston or a Honda in the garage…
Also, while scrolling through the V8 Vantage for sale, I ended up falling in love with the one that’s currently mine because of its low mileage (27.000kms) as well as its original specifications: manual, pentland green, dark grey rims, black interior with dark green contrasting stitching and updated sports seats.
Lotus
After moving from north to south of France and driving the Aston for a year already, I actually wanted to go for something…rougher that did not have to be as beautiful as an Aston-Martin, but I wanted it to be a proper sports car. After driving a press Renault Megane 275 Trophy-R I saw it as the best option before a friend of mine told me about a Lotus Exige 240Cup for sale. Again I chose it for its specifications: Race version (roll-cage, stage 3 exhaust system, alcantara interior, 270hp upgrade, carbon fiber everywhere, AIM dashboard etc.)
What do you love most about ‘em?
Aston
Because I’m young and because of jealous people everywhere, I wanted to avoid people to become haters and Aston-Martin’s are part of these cars people can ONLY like. It was one of the rare cars I didn’t fear being seen driving with, one car I could easily assume (not like a Porsche or a Ferrari for ex.). It’s classy, discrete, beautiful, makes a great noise and is polyvalent enough to do basically whatever you like from going shopping downtown to cruising at high speed through the mountains and countryside.
Lotus
The fact it’s still British but radically different than the Aston. It’s even “wilder” than the Megane 275 Trophy R. Noisy as hell. Unbelievably uncomfortable and unbearable in the normal traffic but definitely exotic and making you feel alive. I had a grow-up’s car already and felt like I need a proper stupid car that matches with my age (ahah).
Any interesting fact about your cars?
Aston
When I bought it, I took it directly to Aston-Martin Brussels (I used to live in Lille, north of France) for a global check up. Because I bought it for a pretty reasonable amount of money I asked the workshop’s boss to tell me why was my new car cheaper than the other ones that were for sale. His explanation:
1) the Pentland Green I bought it for is super rare because no one actually likes it (AM owners often go for black or silver cars)
2) same for the fact it’s not a SportShift version but a Manual. I found it cool that what makes people avoid that special car made me choose it.
Lotus
I got so excited when I flew from Nice to Toulouse to collect it that I basically forgot I’d have to drive all the way back (800kms). Even though I was happy for my new car, I simply wanted to burn it down when I got back home with a massive backache combined with the biggest headache ever.
Where would you love to drive it in the near future?
I’m not really looking forward to travel long distances with the Lotus and I’m quite happy with the windings and beautiful roads surrounding my area. But one cool thing would be to go either to the Isle of Man or to Scotland with the V8 Vantage.
But paradoxically, the one road trip that excites me the most will be done within the next few months with the Seat Ateca across Europe with my girlfriend. From Monaco and the Italian/Swiss lakes to Vienna, then from Budapest to the Transfagarasan (Romania), and from Istanbul to Slovenia along the Adriatic sea (Albania, Montenegro, Croatia). Stay tuned 🙂
What are your plans for the future?
You’ve got one of them! For the rest, I don’t really know so much ahead when and where I’m gonna travel since it’s either secret or depending on my clients’ schedule. I got some confidential ones which I can’t really talk about, but be sure I’ll keep everyone posted as soon as I’ll be able to do so.
Photography is to keep a moment, an emotion and only a few people are able to catch emotions like Arnaud does. We cannot imagine what he’s going to shoot in the future, but we’re happy we will all have the chance to behold such pieces of art, especially because cars and landscapes are the best love story ever written.