Daniel Valledor Exposes The Lost Craft Behind Modern Street Photography

Written in partnership with DN News Desk

Photo Credit: Daniel ValledorIn the last two decades, photography has lost a lot of its essential craft – with digital editing skills such a Photoshopping shifting the creative process. The work of Spanish street photographer Daniel Valledor finds its inspiration in different eras.

In the crowd of monotonous imagery, there are a few photographers working day and night, restlessly, to bring you their visual documents. Spanish street photographer Daniel Valledor is one of them. But how does his work reach its unique arrangement? Well, if you take a closer look, then you’ll realize a touch of cinematography and classic brilliance.

Daniel Valledor is working against the grain of the majority of the current street photo scene’s development. Putting vision and skillset over technology and expensive production, the Leica-featured artist has a very pure understanding of documenting and art.

Looking at his pictures, each one speaks for itself with emotions. What’s astonishing is that all of these photographs are candid! That’s right – none of it is staged, no pose was given. Authentic results, that he shares exclusively on his Instagram as a sneak peek of an upcoming book this year on the subject.

Persistence on the Streets

The ever-curious and dedicated photographer has spent a lot of time on the streets of Madrid. For the past six years, he’s been aiming for these shots. Daniel is not only breaking the conventional trends in photography but also an era and social reform. He is also working on a project for the controversial bullfighting scene, still popular in Spain, to showcase the fighter’s side of the story.

Armed with a genuine curiosity, the creator aims for moments and subjects just as authentic. The talent first got in touch with photography when he approached cinematography after college. Hence the urge to tell a story never really left his creative process.

Whether he will keep his current traditional feel or evolve into a more mainstream will be very interesting to see. Sharing his work on digital platforms like Instagram proves that he isn’t one of those artists that are just too stubborn to adapt to progress. But Valledor also knows what he needs to create, and what he doesn’t. In a recent interview, he gave his opinion on street photography in the modern age, stating some solid reasons why the craft is more challenging today than ever:

“Think about a North Face neon-green-colored jacket for example. They’re pretty cool, aren’t they? Yes, but anyone wearing that in your photo will definitely ruin it. And that’s just the aesthetic part. Bruce Gilden said that as the years have passed, he could see how everyone was starting to look the same. I agree with this completely. A very eclectic society can be good in some aspects, but when people blend into a mixture of everything, what stands out is usually nothing.”