What life is really like as the world's first full-time 'Instagrammer-at-sea'

Neither iPhones or Instagram existed when Russ Francis discovered his knack for a good shot. Instead, he relied on his mother’s camera to get started. Little did he know that one day this hobby would lead to him sailing the globe.

Now 35, Russ applied for an internship at sea with Royal Caribbean cruise line two years ago - a role that didn't involve tea-making or photocopying. Instead he would be travelling for three weeks on three different cruise ships, snapping Instagram shots of everything he saw. “I couldn’t resist putting myself forward,” he says.

Russ applied with a shot of the O2 Arena at sunrise. “The feedback from the judging panel was that they were blown away by the way I'd managed to take a shot of an everyday tourist location, and make it ethereal and extraordinary,” he says. “I'd waited until the perfect moment, when all of the colours in the sky were interspersed with the sunlight breaking through.”

Aside from taking photos at a couple of weddings, this was Russ’s first extended taste of professional photography. For the previous six years he’d been putting in nights as a project manager.

But for the next three weeks he’d be tasked with capturing “the unique experiences, moments and stories of a Royal Caribbean holiday”.

Armed with his obligatory swimsuit and flip flops, as well as a smartphone, he went to work. Royal Caribbean must have been pleased with the results as those three weeks turned into a paid, full-time ‘Instagrammer-in-chief' role.

The position was a first for Royal Caribbean (or any cruise line, for that matter). So what does an average week on the job look like? “No two weeks or days are the same. I could be flying off to an amazing destination and tasked with shooting something like an inaugural sailing one week, then capturing meteor showers in Alaska the next. Every week is an adventure.”

Having never taken a cruise before his internship, Russ is now a convert. “The draw of being able to wake up in a new destination every day and visit so many incredible places in such a small space of time was such a huge draw for me,” he says.

He’s now travelled to the Caribbean, the US, Canada and the Mediterranean. One major assignment saw Russ becoming one of the first people to set foot on the world’s biggest cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas. With room for more than 5,500 passengers, Russ needed to capture its standout features, such as the bungee trampoline, SkyPad (on which you wear a virtual reality headset), Ultimate Abyss (the tallest waterslide at sea) and the Paradox Void art installation made from 1,200 steel triangles. He enjoyed being part of the journey: “I was also in the shipyard and went through the experience of seeing that built. And then experienced the emotion of her sailing out for the first time.”

One of his most memorable moments was taking pictures of FlowRider, a 40ft-long surf simulator, with the help of the ship’s sports team. “We ended up having a sunset surf session where they put all their skills to the test so I could capture what I needed,” he says. His job makes Russ a transitory fixture on each ship, but he has still been able to experience the on board camaraderie of the crew, working with room attendants, kitchen staff, bridge officers and captains.

Of course, sometime Russ is on show to passengers, too. With the rise of Instagram, many travellers fancy themselves as budding photographers. And when guests find out what he does, they seek his advice on the perfect shot. For Instagram, his tips include taking photos in a square frame (the default Instagram display) and, more generally, looking out for strong colours, shapes, lines and good lighting. The tropical sun you’ll find on many of Royal Caribbean's cruises, and the bright colour scheme on its vessels, should make these guidelines easy to follow.

Russ’s favourite cruise so far was to Alaska on board Explorer of the Seas - “as a photographer, that destination is an absolute dream.” While on board he had to shoot the annual celestial Perseid meteor shower, one of the brightest showers of the year. It occurs every August when the earth passes through the dust left around the orbit of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Out in the sea, where artificial light is at a minimum, is the perfect spot for witnessing the event.

He had around two nights to get the best photos possible, with factors such as the weather to take into account. “It was a crazy shoot, the pressure was obviously looming over me to deliver the shot, but that’s truly something that gives me a buzz about photography."

The wildlife and landscape of Alaska already had Russ hooked. “It’s not every day that you can get off at a destination and experience walking on a glacier. It’s pretty special.”

Alaska is certainly an adventurous destination and Russ believes more people are becoming attuned to this aspect of cruising. “I don’t think it’s a huge surprise that it is becoming increasingly popular with millennials,” he adds.

Now Royal Caribbean is offering another keen photographer a enviable opportunity with its 'shore explorer' apprenticeship. Anyone can apply for the role, although applications – a travel story, image or video – should be made through Instagram, Instagram Stories or IGTV (Instagram TV). It has already attracted over 35,000 applicants. They'll need to be quick, applications close at 23:59 on March 1.

Those interested shouldn’t be put off by the quality of Russ’s photos as, surprisingly, he hasn’t had any formal training. While he takes content on his phone, when tasked with a serious job he’ll also use a higher quality camera and is moving into video, too.

His advice for the successful applicant? “Get ready to have the time of your life.”

The finer details are still being worked out, but it’s likely that the winner will be working with Russ at some point. He’s looking forward to Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day cruise in the Bahamas, and is keen to try one of the line’s Asia sailings.

For anyone interested in applying for this new position, Russ is the perfect advocate: “It has completely turned my life around. To have it as a full time occupation is a dream come true.”