LONDON: Daniel Bruno Grandl, is the founder of the TheUrbanSpotter, a street style blogger and fashion photographer traveling around the world to document the style and fashion of the people of the fashion industry going from one show to the other.
With the idea of capturing peoples’ sense of fashion and how fashion is visible in our daily lives he made himself a name with more than 176 K Followers on Instagram. However, it is not all about the clothes as it is the people who wear them and their personality that make clothes stand out. Essentially, his website showcases styles from around the globe and should be seen as a platform for everyone that has an appreciation for fashion and beauty.
IRMA: How do you track people in the street?
DANIEL BRUNO GRANDL: I basically go to fashion weeks around the globe and take pictures of people entering and exiting the fashion shows. When I track people I always try to focus on documenting the fashion of our times and the way people express themselves through how and what they wear. I basically have certain criteria in my head that act as a guideline for shooting streetstyle. Ultimately these criteria determine if I can create an aesthetically pleasing picture or not.
IRMA: Why did you decide to take pictures of mainly fashion?
DANIEL BRUNO GRANDL : I always had a keen interest for fashion due to my influential mum who lives and breathes fashion as if she was 25. I would say I developed my sense of taste from her. She loves interior decoration, flowers, and of course fashion. So growing up in Germany, I was exposed to very pretty things in my surrounding. Without me deliberately noticing, over the years exactly that developed my sense of style. Now I am sure that I use this invisible filter to decide if I can create a good picture or not.
IRMA: How do you define beauty?
DANIEL BRUNO GRANDL : Defining beauty is of course something very subjective, lies in the eye of the beholder and is open for interpretation. Usually if someone is confident and happy in their lives, it translates into the picture. Charismatic people therefore, do very well in pictures and are quite easy to photograph.
IRMA: What makes you stop on a person and willing to photograph her/him?
DANIEL BRUNO GRANDL : There isn’t a specific recipe for this and it’s very subjective. Overall, there has to be something appealing and intriguing with the person or situation that captures my attention. I can normally tell straight away if it’s going to be an amazing picture that I want to take and share with my followers.
IRMA: Please give us s three tips to improve your Instagram account.
DANIEL BRUNO GRANDL:
- Be careful about what you post and especially what you do not post. For example, it’s often the case that you post images because you are overwhelmed by a certain situation or being somewhere, but in hindsight you might look at the post very differently.
- Have a consistent and uniform visual look to your account.
- At the moment the Iphone 6 camera is unbeatable among the mobile cameras
IRMA: How do you approach people in the street to take a picture of them?
DANIEL BRUNO GRANDL: Here you need to differentiate between taking pictures during fashion week and off-fashion week times. If I see someone on the street that I want to photograph I usually ask him or her for his or her permission. Usually they say yes. During fashion week times it is a completely different situation. You basically just snap away everything that moves.
IRMA: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
DANIEL BRUNO GRANDL: In 5 years I will have left London for Stockholm and will be working in my own studio. Most likely I will do less street style.
IRMA:During Fashion Week, how are you doing to get the best pictures with all the other photographers next to you?
DANIEL BRUNO GRANDL: As there are so many photographers nowadays, you have to be quick to get the best shot. You constantly need to scan the environment, and need to make sure that you fuel your body throughout the day. You could say that street style has become a sport where you need a certain level of fitness.
IRMA: What is your favourite filter on Instagram (if you use one).
DANIEL BRUNO GRANDL: I actually do not use Instagram filters, thus, I do not have a favourite one. If I post a mobile snap shot I tend to edit the image within the phone and usually add some contrast, brightness and warmth depending on the situation.
IRMA: How do you reset your eyes after 5 Fashion weeks ?
DANIEL BRUNO GRANDL: After the major fashion weeks I usually have a little break for a week or two where I just take it easy and have nice dinners, hang out with friends and go to the countryside. Usually this is enough to charge batteries and regain energy.