Programme Director, Neil Drabble, launches ‘Book of Roy’

Neil Drabble, Programme Director at Ravensbourne who oversees the Media Lab (which includes BA (Hons) Digital Photography, BA (Hons) Editing and Post Production, BA (Hons) Animation and BA (Hons) Games Design) launched his new photography book with a signing at Soho’s esteemed exhibition space, The Photographer's Gallery.

The long-form photography book, ‘Book of Roy’, was shot over the course of eight years from 1998 to 2005, documenting the everyday life of an American teenager named Roy. The book faithfully depicts his journey from boyhood to adolescence, authentically capturing the marginal moments that encompass coming of age. By photographing the same person repeatedly and intimately over their formative years, Neil successfully captured the essence of growing up. ‘Book of Roy’ was partly informed by Neil’s childhood in Manchester, where he was influenced by the imagery of the adolescent American dream.

Neil Drabble is an internationally renowned photographer who specialises in editorial and portrait photography. He has worked for a number of major publications including American Vogue, Tatler and GQ. His work is part of numerous major museum and private collections around the world. Neil joined Ravensbourne from London College of Fashion, where he led their BA (Hons) Fashion Photography course.

On Thursday 10 October, Neil hosted a book launch at The Photographers’ Gallery in Soho, launching and signing copies of his latest book. The Photographers' Gallery was founded in Covent Garden in the 70’s and was the first public gallery in the UK dedicated to photography; it is still a leader in the celebration of all types of photography.

During the course of the project, despite long periods of time apart, Neil and Roy would quickly re-establish their friendship and working process. “Over time, you do develop a sort of symbiotic relationship, and there were some instances where Roy’s body language or actions reminded me of myself – I think [adolescence] is a time when you are very receptive to all manner of influence and stimulus as you develop to work out your own psyche and self-image,” Neil continues. “For me, Roy became like a younger brother – and we remain close to this day.”

To find out more or to purchase a copy of ‘Book of Roy’, visit MACK Books.