Miranda Roen, 27, of Grand Forks, owns and operates Roen Photography, which she established in June 2010. She started taking pictures as a young girl. Her interest in photography bloomed after she photographed a friend's wedding.
Identified as one of the Altru Health System Grand Cities Art Fest's emerging artists, Roen is looking forward to showing her best work Saturday and Sunday during the Art Fest. The emerging artist program has helped her with everything from taking photos, having them framed and preparing for the show.
"Picking a picture is one thing but getting it sold is a whole 'nother thing," she said.
After Roen began shooting portraits and weddings, she traveled to Rome and Jerusalem, Belize and Ireland, where she took many of her photographs. One of her favorites, which she calls "The Woman and the Cathedral," was taken at a old, tumbledown church in Ireland. An elderly woman with a cane had hiked a long way to see the church, and Roen captured her as she gazed around the ruins.
"I would say that I've always kind of been obsessed with the passing of time and a photograph is one way you can freeze it. I hate that things end or they stop," Roen said. "It's just really, really important and precious to me that I can get one moment in the life of a building or a place in the world that I'll probably never see again."
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Born and raised in Grand Forks, Roen graduated from Red River High School in 2002 and graduated from UND in 2010 with a degree in anthropology. She lives with her husband, Tyler, and son.
Roen had some of her work shown at the Urban Stampede World's Smallest Gallery and most of her images sold which was a big motivation, she said. The Art Fest will be her first really big art show.
Info: www.roenphotography.com/ .
Reach Tobin at (701) 780-1134; (800) 477-6572, ext. 134; or send e-mail to ptobin@gfherald.com .
