Tony John

iN Conversation with Roger Neve

Within five minutes of our first-ever conversation, it felt like I'd known him all my life.
That's the magic of Roger Neve, a brilliant and successful photographer with an uncanny ability to make you feel appreciated and at the center of the universe - in five minutes with him!

I call that a superpower! And if I may theorize, I'd say this is the power behind the incredible images of human beings that Rodger captures through his lens. But even when you're not the subject of his camera, Roger feels like a forever friend from the first moment you meet him. At least he did to me, considering how we went on like two chatterboxes in a sowing circle the first time we spoke, flitting from one topic to another with no end in sight, a rhythm & pattern we've maintained every conversation since.

Professionally, Roger Neve embodies the textbook depiction of the glamorous globetrotting photographer with a camera always in hand as he jumps on a jet from his home base in New York to shoot a superstar athlete in Paris before breakfast, then a movie star on a Hollywood set at lunchtime, and rounding up the day with a fashion spread for Vogue in the exotic Moroccan desert. I speak hyperbolically, of course. And yet, I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few days in Roger's life did reflect this implausible 24-hour pattern. I know this much - if someone can pull this off, Roger Neve would be the name! Despite this mouthwatering life being his (almost)daily life, Roger gives as much sincere attention to anyone he meets, from the newspaper vendor to the Uber driver to a total stranger with whom he strikes up a conversation on a tram. I suspect this lies at the heart of Roger's immensely successful career. He is a genuinely curious human being regarding the lives of others, a trait I share and completely relate to.

One of the first professional 'creatives' I've spoken to in the series, my conversation helped me understand how and why this man whose life is packed to the brim manages to accommodate unscheduled conversations and friendships while crisscrossing the globe on photography assignments in the furthest reaches of the planet. I've always dreamt of speaking with exceptional yet low-key people making serious moves in the world. And I'm privileged to say that every guest on my podcast meets these criteria, including the delightful Roger Neve.

I hope you enjoy this episode of In Conversation as much as I did.

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