Rod Arroyo
Background
Standing over a tray in a darkroom many years ago, I stood in amazement as I watched an image I captured with my camera slowly appear on photographic paper. I was hooked. It is still magical to download digital images and see them on my screen for the first time.
My name is Rod Arroyo, and I am the owner / principal photographer. I have a background in photography and city planning, so you can understand my interest in city photography.
I have a Master of City Planning degree from Georgia Tech and I have served as adjunct faculty for Wayne State University’s Graduate Urban Planning Program. I am a member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
As I photographer in Detroit, there is so much history that can be part of an image that is created fresh and new. That’s why I also want to share some of that history from the perspective of a city planner. I am looking to tell the story of when jazz and blues reigned supreme in Detroit, and how urban renewal and freeway construction upended dreams and changed Detroit forever.
I hope you enjoy the images and stories I share on this site.