What began with an old iPhone X and an interest in cars has taken Daniel Lee Rohan from experimenting with photos and videos to standing on stage alongside international artists and building his own business.
Rohan, a third-year IIE Bachelor of Experience Design student at The Vega School at Emeris uMhlanga, is the young creative behind Soft, a business born from his passion for photography and videography.
His journey began without elaborate equipment or a carefully mapped-out career. Instead, Rohan used what he had – his phone – to explore photography, videography and his fascination with cars. When he began studying, purchasing his first camera as a course requirement opened another door.
Small photoshoots gradually became professional opportunities, while joining a friend’s company gave him room to sharpen his craft through podcast editing and promotional video work.
“My friend approached me to be part of his company, where I further developed my craft by editing podcasts, creating personal promotional videos and learning how everything works while still studying at The Vega School. This gave me a very big boost,” Rohan said.
But one of the most significant moments in his burgeoning career arrived when American rapper Swae Lee and R&B singer-songwriter Bryson Tiller performed in South Africa.
Rohan was initially approached by Empire Security, the VIP security company looking after the artists, to photograph the occasion for its portfolio. What could have remained a single assignment quickly evolved into something much bigger.
“Swae Lee, his team and his family took a liking to me and took me under their wing for the weekend,” Rohan recalled.
He received a production pass and became one of only two people permitted on stage at The Ascot while the artists performed. Then came another unexpected invitation.
“Swae Lee’s team introduced me to their videographer, who asked me to come through on the Sunday when they were going to shoot a music video. They asked for my insight and for good music video locations,” he said.
Rohan took the team to Max’s Lifestyle Village in uMlazi for part of the shoot before filming continued at a private location.
For the young creative, however, technical ability has proved to be only one part of building a career. He learnt early that talent must be accompanied by professionalism, presentation and the ability to cultivate relationships.
“People saw that it was not just about how good I was, but also about how I packaged and presented myself. This is very important and something that is emphasised at The Vega School,” he said.
Rohan has been running Soft since 2023 and is now developing the business into two branches. Soft Create focuses on web development, graphic design and animation, while Soft Shots specialises in photography and videography.
His camera has also taken him beyond Durban. A recent assignment saw him travel to Cape Town to produce content for the Cobra Experience, where he also had the chance to drive AC Cobras along scenic routes – an experience he described simply as “absolutely amazing”.
Behind that growing portfolio is someone Rohan credits with recognising his creative instincts before his career had fully taken shape: his mother, Bianca Rohan Anthon.
“She understood that I have a creative brain. Everything was a push in the right direction,” he said, explaining that his mother helped him find The Vega School and encouraged his potential.
As his business has grown, Rohan has had to navigate the less glamorous challenge of balancing professional work with university life. He said support from his lecturers has allowed him to catch up when work commitments collide with his studies.
For other youth waiting for the perfect equipment, opportunity or moment before pursuing an idea, his message is rooted in his own experience: begin with what you have and build from there.
“Keep pushing and don’t ever lose momentum. Being humble is also important because success can easily be taken away,” Rohan said.
And despite already finding himself in spaces that once might have seemed far removed from taking photographs on an old iPhone, Rohan’s ambition extends beyond his own success. His long-term vision is to grow Soft into a business capable of employing others and passing on the skills and knowledge he has accumulated along the way.
For Rohan, the journey from a phone camera to international music sets is still only the beginning.
