Set Your Style

Bryan Derballa is a young, Brooklyn-based photographer. A few years
back, he started Lovebryan.com with community of friends to share
their photos and their lives. He’s interested in merging artful
compositions with significant content. Moreover, he’s interested in
adventure. Whether zipping through domestic cities or foreign
villages, he always has a camera on his shoulder and the need for
excitement. Look at the pictures of his recent trip to Israel. He says there’s a lot to see in Israel as he shows through his beautiful pictures. He has a very romantic and deep soul and he’d like to fall in love (he said this twice in the interview) :–) I hope it will happen soon so that he will take a lot of “falling in love” pictures.

Bryan Derballa
Photographer
www.bryanderballa.com
www.lovebryan.com

HOW OLD ARE YOU?
I’m 25 and I’m currently negotiating adulthood.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
I live in Brooklyn, NY but I’ve been in the Middle East for the last two months.

YOUR WORST VICE?
I’m a good. No drugs or drinking. But like a kid with matches, I shouldn’t be left alone with pretty girls. I only end up hurting myself.

YOUR FAVOURITE SONG?
Depends on the mood. “Lost in the Flood” by Bruce Springsteen always works.

YOUR FAVORITE FASHION BRANDS?
I feel myself falling out of fashion lately. I usually go to the thrift store and get what fits whether the tag is faded off or says YSL. I’ll stand by Levis for jeans though.

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FIVE THINGS THAT YOU CURRENTLY LOVE MOST ?
1. Documentary photography. It’s all I think about these days. Nothing is more powerful to me than images of raw human emotion.
2. This American Life. NPR Radio Program about folks’ lives. I listen to at least one episode a day. Best thing in contemporary media in my opinion.
3. Streetwise. It’s a documentary film about Seattle street kids in the 80s by Mark Bell, Mary Ellen Mark’s husband. Find a copy.
4. Jumping off cliffs into water. It’s finally warm and this is probably my favorite thing to do of all time.
5. Bike rides. I just recovered from knee surgery and love getting out on the bike. It feels so free.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?
I try not to think about it. Black jeans, button-ups, Vans Authentics. Slim fits. I’m done with T-shirts and ball caps for the time being.

WHO’S YOUR BEST FRIEND?
I’ve got best friends from every era in my life. Lately, Hallie Chen has been the best. She takes good care of me, calls my bullshit and keeps me on my toes.

YOUR LAST TRIP?
I was in Egypt visiting my father and documenting his life in a suburban city outside of Cairo.

AND THE NEXT ONE?
I never know where I”m going next. Maybe to the Mexican border in Arizona to photograph illegal immigrants. We’ll see.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN TEL AVIV?
I am working on my friend Alex Klein’s documentary film God Went Surfing With The Devil (www.godwentsurfing.com). It’s about the lives of surfers in Israel and Gaza. Meeting our subjects and learning about the conflict out here has been an incredible experience.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE THERE?
Tel Aviv is a good city. There’s plenty to do and eat. The amount of beautiful women is unbelievable. But going to the sea by myself at night is my favorite.

DO YOU MISS BROOKLYIN?
I miss the people in Brooklyn and the comfort of my neighborhood. But I feel like I’m in the right place right now. Travelling and taking photos is where I need to be. Brooklyn is just headquarters.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO MAKE PHOTOS?
Wherever there is struggle. It’s obviously easier in foreign lands because everything is so visually different. But if I can’t make a good photo in my backyard what use am I.

WHEN AND HOW DID YOU START MAKING PHOTO?
I’ve had a point-and-shoot in my back pocket for the last eight years, trying to keep a record of my adventures. Then Lovebryan started two-and-a-half years ago, which got me shooting everyone and everything obsessively. It’s only been the last year that I started to get over myself and focus on documenting the lives and struggles of others.

WHAT’S YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
I’ll probably spend the summer in New York editing portfolios, showing work and shooting the occasional assignment. I’d like to save some money before gearing up for the next trip, wherever that may be. Shoot. Travel. Shoot. Travel. Maybe fall in love. Shoot more.

HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN TO ITALY
In the summer of 2004, I spent a beautiful week in Rome. We did the mandatory tourist routine and skateboarded as much as we could considering the cobblestones.

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO COME TO ITALY AGAIN?
I’d love to spend some time in Tuscany. Maybe when I fall in love. A lot of my favorite photographers are Italian (Paolo Pellegrin, Alex Majoli), which has left me with a fondness for the country and its aesthetics.

TELL US SOMETHING YOU’VE NEVER SAID.
This is pretty difficult because I have a huge mouth. Okay here it is, I always get teary-eyed during movies on the airplane. No matter how bad or cheesy the movie is I completely fall into the emotion of it. I think it has something to do with being by myself watching a little screen with no distraction and the inordinate amount of pure oxygen being pumped through the air-conditioners.