My Favorite Photos of 2015.

2015 was a great year for me. Yes, I complain a lot but, that's how i hide the fact I'm having so much fun. I feel like my photography took a turn for the better and got a little more consistent this year. 2016 will mean bigger things. In the 1st quarter, I plan to have a new website to display my work. As the year progresses I hope to build a brand around at least one aspect of my photography. Probably my surfing or travel imagery. And of course, I hope to expand my social media following. Look for Darbe Images to go next level in 2016. 

Here's a few of my favorite shots from the past year.  

A gentle fog rolls across lower Manhattan on an early February Evening.

A peaceful Williamsburg waterfront.

A look across the bay at San Diego's skyline in March.

My private Malibu.

Coming and going.

Portrait of a surfer. Ingmar's good side. 

Brigitte does her best cat walk at Vazquez Rocks in Southern California.

I'm certain a scientist somewhere will use Ashani's DNA to create perfect faces for AI robots in the future. 

A new favorite DJ of mine, Nora Enpure performs at the Elements Music Fest in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Nora.... feeling blue. 

Taylor Swift's Tour makes a U-turn in my hometown of Clyde, NY. Not something one sees every day in these parts. 

Hipster hangout at The Bushwick Collective's annual block party.

Jacky's silhouette in Altea, Spain on a beautiful September morning.

The sun rises in Altea, Spain.

Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències in Valencia, Spain.

The famed Tower Bridge in London, England.

The Empire State building wakes on a new work day in Manhattan.

German street artist, Case Maclaim prepares his pallet for a new project in Bushwick.

Eelco Van Den Berg, a street artist from the Netherlands, looks over his latest work, as the J train passes nearby.

My favorite band, The Drums perform at Baby's Allright, Brooklyn.

Portrait of Dr. Bennet Omalu. Actor Will Smith plays him in the controversial film, "Concussion". 

Friend and Photographer Darryl Nobles captured at an art exhibit during Miami's Art Basel.

Miami Beach. Good bye to a great 2015. 

Fort Lean Performs at Glasslands

Brooklyn indie rockers Fort Lean were the second act, opening for tour mates Surfer Blood on Saturday night at Glasslands in South Williamsburg. Though the night got off to a slow start, the place filled up quickly as soon as the local faves took the stage. It was an excellent show that lasted about 45 minutes and got the crowd amped for the Floridian headliners. Here's a few shots from their set and backstage. To get more info on Fort Lean, you can follow them on Twitter and via their Bandcamp page.

Real Estate Performs at Baby's All Right, Williamsburg

New Jersey's Real Estate, closed a sold out show at South Williamsburg's Baby's All Right Saturday night. A show that included Chicago's Bare Mutant, as well as Free Time and Turnip King. Alex Bleeker, the band's bassist, arrived about a 1/2 hour late and apologized about 5 times to the fans, some still in winter coats waiting patiently for the guys to take the stage. All was forgiven though, as the band, along with guitarist Matt Mondanile, played a long and excellent set. Mondanile, a seriously skilled guitarist, was the shining stand out of the evening. Look up Ducktails for more on his other band. Admittedly, this was my first time seeing Real Estate live but I'm stoked I scored a last minute ticket(thanks Deniss!) and was able to snap some shots. I'm a bigger fan now. For more on Real Estate, check out their most current album, "Days" and here's some pix from Saturday's show.

Radio Bushwick: Opening Night

For the very first time, Radio Bushwick opened it's doors last night. After almost 3 years of anticipation, we finally got a peek at owner Tari Sunkin's grand vision for the community's first large music and performance venue. After talking with many like minded attendees at the opening, the consensus was a resounding, "wow!"  Despite the L train not running, the place was jam-packed. Mike Ireland, A/D, Pass Kontrol, O Paradiso as well as DJ's Michelle Hernandez and Boogieman & Mix Greens all performed and kept the crowd's attention all night. Amazing sets and performances by each of them. North Brooklyn will never be the same again.

Here's a few photos from the evening's events.

New Talent: Samara Martins

Back in December I was introduced to a young model named Samara Martins. The lone standout in a fashion show/store opening I attended in Manhattan on a cold, rainy evening. My muse Marly, was hosting the event and made the introduction. As luck would have it, Samara needed new photos for her portfolio as part of a development deal with IMG Models. I got in touch with her manager Maurice of Media Monopoly Group. We compared schedules, found an available date and quickly got the test shoot set up for late January. For the styling, I enlisted the help of my friend and vintage clothing designer, Brittany Lefils of Copperivet. Brit called in a favor from her friend Sarah, to handle Samara's makeup and hair. Here are a few photos from our collaboration and below you'll find a quick Q&A with the gorgeous Ms. Martins.

Hi Samara. I hope you don't mind answering a few questions for my readers. I think your story is pretty amazing. You’re only 17 years old and you already have a firm idea of what you want to do, career-wise. What got you interested in modeling?

As a child my mother put me into beauty pageants and I always loved to pose in front of the camera. I was always a ham from the beginning! Everybody, from my aunts to my cousins told me I should be a model, but I always felt awkward because I had these weird glasses, with chicken legs and a long frame, but every time I saw a camera I still wanted to jump in front of it. When I was 16 I met a kid named Matt Hunter on the train, and he told me he was shooting a music video, so I showed up and that's how I got discovered by my brand management company Media Monopoly Group. They put me into 7 months of development, then I was signed to IMG. 

How important is your family with regard to your modeling career and are they supportive?

They are a very important part of my life as a model. My mother is very supportive, but unfortunately my dad is not. Until I get my first big placement as a model... my dad will then finally see that I am serious about my modeling career. My dad would rather have me become a nurse, but my dad's doubt in my career, motivates me to work harder every day.

Word on the street is, you were made in Brazil and raised in New Jersey. Can you explain that a little more for my blog readership and for any of your fans that may not know your backstory? 

Yes I was! Haha... my parents "made" me in Brazil but around the time my mom was 3 months prego they made the choice that my life would be better in the US. (She now lives in Newark, N.J.) 

I thought you and I worked well together for our first collaboration. Even during the freeeezing roof shoot! I felt like we had some moments where my direction and your actions were in-sync and the flow of the shoot was seamless. This is what every fashion photographer hopes for in all his/her shoots, an unspoken connection. What do you look for or hope to get when working with photographers?

As a new model, I still get nervous on shoots, but I'm being coached to shake off my nerves. I once worked with a photographer that did not give me any direction and it was an awkward experience to work through, but the job must be done, so I adjusted. I was very happy to work with you. You made me feel comfortable and safe and you coached me, which I loved! It helps a lot.

I ask everyone this question so here goes…. what kind of music do you listen to but specifically, in the morning, afternoon and late at night?

In the AM I like to listen to artists like Maroon 5 and Gaby Borromeo. I love her music. She inspires me to be strong (she's also one of my good friends!). ASAP Rocky gets me into the gym, and the rest is on my Pandora and Spotify play list. In the afternoon I have no time and at night I play love songs. I'm a sap for those types of songs.

Lastly, what plans or projects do you have on your schedule in the near future? Where can we expect to see more of you?

I'm signed to IMG MODELS. They have about 60% of all the Victoria Secret girls and my dream as a kid was to be one of them. In the Brazilian culture to be a VS Girl is like being Michael Jordan. We love and embrace our Brazilian top models and it just happens to be that they are VS girls. If you go to my Facebook fan page you'll always see me in a Chicago Bulls cap or jacket.Thats how much I want to be a top model and to be a VS Girl. My projects are coming up. IMG is sending me out to castings and my branding company is in talks for me to have my own TV show with Redline Films. Cross your fingers! Right now I want to finish school, get my car, and try to work as much as I can as a model, for VS to take notice and let me be a part of their league.

Model Sighting: Samara Martins

I popped in to Manhattan last night to surprise a friend of mine who was hosting a new store opening and fashion show on Canal street, called Outerspace. It was a modest affair with an open bar and giveaways. My muse and Spicy Magazine cover model Marlene, was excited to see me. However, when the first model appeared for the start of the fashion show, I quickly realized I was not prepared, camera-wise.

That model on the makeshift runway, was 17 year old Samara Martins from Newark, NJ. I've seen her recently but had yet to see her in person. Now having seen her in the flesh, I'd be willing to bet Samara could reach stratospheric heights... with the right coaching and guidance. Her beauty is unquestionable. Not surprisingly, her manager told me she was recently signed to IMG Models here in New York and has aspirations of becoming a Victoria Secret model. Did I mention she's chock full of Brazilian heritage? Unfortunately, without the right gear, this is all I got, but here's a few photos I grabbed with my iphone from the event.

ARCHIVES: Chance Encounters

Here's two classic shots from my film archive. Both were taken in 1999, over a decade ago. 

The first one is of pre-megastar Jay-Z with Method Man and Redman on a Manhattan street. Meth was actually the bigger star at this time. They had just exited a smoke filled black SUV as I was passing by and they granted me this quick set up. I spent alot of time around Jay-Z in the years ahead. This was one of the few times he would ever let down his guard enough to pose for me - or many other photographers, for that matter. 

The second shot was a chance photo op of Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots fame, meeting neo-soul heartthrob Deangelo for the first time. It was at the entrance to a Honey magazine launch party at Canteen in SOHO. There were several photogs snapping pix until the weird looking white boy with cornrows showed up. He had been having alot of issues with cops & drugs and hadn't been making much music around this time. Most of the photogs were there primarily to capture the Hip Hop and R&B artists. Lucky for me, none of them recognized Weiland. I believe this photo ran in VIBE magazine that year. This is when celeb street photography(Paparazzi) garnered much larger cash sums than today's shooters get. It was also from a time when it took days to edit your film and rush it to the mags on foot. 

Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd, Performs at Terminal 5