Thursday, March 11, 2010

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Those Mormons...

As I've started to prepare to leave Utah, I've also started to really think about the mormon culture and what I've learned about it. Coming here, I knew next to nothing about their religion and culture, aside from no booze, drugs, tea, etc. Long story short, I took it upon myself to learn as much as possible. From a historical standpoint, mormons made Utah what it is. They pioneered it, ran it, and practically still own the place. With Provo being over 90% mormon, it makes sense that a lot of the way the city is run is due to the religion. Aside from living with several different mormons, I also went to a mormon church service (different from going to temple because I'm not allowed in there), met with a bishop several times, met with missionaries a few times, and just read a lot about the religion. For those interested, I'll be more than happy to talk about my experiences and impressions in person. I will say that coming from a pretty secular person, I do have respect for a lot of the things they do.

Anyways, here's a portrait I did of the missionaries I met with. Everything was working out perfectly... the light was nice, the location overshadowed most of Utah County, and I was excited to shoot the frame. Unfortunately, as I was setting up, my strobe fell and broke. Oh well... at least I still got a souvenir Book of Mormon.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Lance Cpl. Carlos A. Aragon

This afternoon I was assigned to photograph a funeral for a local marine killed in Afghanistan. While these types of assignments are neither fun nor easy, I am appreciative of the opportunity to get to experience and document them. Taking photographs of people in such pain sometimes feels like one of the most inappropriate things you can do at a funeral. So, needless to say, I was very grateful when a marine turned to me and said, "Thanks for what you do."

About Me

My photo
James Roh is a photojournalist based out of Salt Lake City, Utah with a passion for story telling and outdoor photography. He is currently a staff photographer at the Daily Herald in Provo, Utah where he documents daily life in Utah County. When not on assignment, James can be found out wandering around in the mountains sniffing out the best powder stashes, single track, and hiking trails in Utah. With a Bachelor of Science in Photojournalism degree from Ohio University, James specializes in documentary photography but is capable of all photographic styles including weddings, portraiture, lifestyle, commercial, editorial, and event coverage. He is available for freelance work throughout the American west. For all inquiries please feel free to contact him at James @ JamesRoh.com or directly at +1.614.425.1240.