HOT SHOTS What I like

HOT SHOTS What I like most about the Jaguar XF is its design. It’s honest. You see right away that it’s a Jaguar.” Gleb Otradnov knows what he is talking about. In fact, he may know better than most what makes the XF stand out from the crowds. Hailing from Kaluga near Moscow, 25-year-old Russian is part of a growing number of young photographers, who over the past couple of years, have fallen in love with car photography on Instagram, a social network and photo-sharing platform. Today, he has more than 30,000 followers, and the number keeps climbing for every new upload. It’s not unusual for him to get several thousand likes – per photo. Having started his career early, Otradnov’s work has seen him pen deals with major brands like adidas, Red Bull and G-SHOCK, who have all come to him for his dynamic style of photography. Photographing and experiencing the Jaguar XF up close, however, was an eye-opening experience for the young artist. “Driving the XF, you notice how attractive a vehicle it is,” he says. “Its design is almost provocatively beautiful; perfect lines, dazzling curves and details that make you look twice. You feel right at home in the cabin because it is at once comfortable and very luxurious. Everything just feels… special. And you get noticed when you drive it. It’s not unusual for people to stop and take photos of the car and ask questions. To me, this is what driving a Jaguar is all about. You stand out.” Otradnov’s photos stand out, too. Admitting that he is still young and still somewhat developing his personal style, his work with lighting, reflections and mirrors has a distinct urban feel. This is no coincidence, as his first car photography work came to life on the streets of Moscow. Since then, photographing cars in city nightscapes has become a favorite, he reveals. “I love playing around with cars and their form, how lights and reflections bounce off their surfaces so you see the elements that make them special. This way, you bring them to life. Most of all, I like to shoot at night in the city. I feel like I can then really bring my ideas across – especially when it’s a model with a lot of pure energy like the XF.” Anyone following the fast-moving and characteristically stylish world of Instagram car photography will know that this – a talented photographer unafraid to pursue a bold style and a good-looking car working as his canvas – is a winning recipe. These followers will also know the Jaguar XE has become an Instagrammer’s subject of choice, too. Like the XF, the XE offers the very best in design and performance in a modern sedan. Both are built on Jaguar’s aluminumintensive body structure, ensuring unrivaled agility and allowing for an assertiveness and instantly recognizable dynamism that is a natural hit with photographers. Each model can be configurated and delivered with enough power for even experienced thrill-seekers to lose their breath. The most powerful XE and XF models for example, come with the same 3.0 Liter V6 Supercharged engine also used in

@OTRADNV NAME: Gleb Otradnov AGE: 25 INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @otradnv FOLLOWERS: 35,000 EQUIPMENT: Sony Gleb Otradnov – or “GLEB” as he is known to his fans – represents the fast-growing scene of young Russian photographers who aren’t afraid to challenge traditional notions of photography. At 25, his career is only now taking off, but with a steadily growing follower count to his name, his Instagram account is one to keep an eye on in the future GLEB aka Gleb Otradnov’s style of photography plays heavily on the city’s patterns of reflections and different light sources, both manmade and natural. His work with the Jaguar XF is no exception, captured here (above and left) in the streets of his native Moscow “IT’S ALL ABOUT IGNORING THE RULES. DO THINGS YOUR WAY AND STICK TO IT” THE JAGUAR 59