James Rodríguez (1972, US-Mexico) is a Guatemala-based documentary photographer, photojournalist, filmmaker and drone pilot.

Raised in Mexico City, James moved to the Los Angeles area as a teenager. He graduated from UCLA in 1996 with a B.A. degree in Cultural Geography.

From 1999 to 2002, James lived in Kagoshima-shi, Japan, working with the JET program. Afterwards, he was a staff member for Peace Boat, a Japan-based human rights NGO, sailing three full global voyages.

In 2004 James moved to Guatemala as a human rights observer with Peace Brigades International

In 2006 he developed MiMundo.org as a long-term online project focused on documenting post-war/transitional justice processes, human rights abuses, land tenure and social conflicts in Guatemala and the region. James also began freelancing for Media outlets and NGOs/NPOs.

James is currently on the final stages of his book "Land of Trees" that culminates an 18-year project on Land tenure conflicts in Guatemala due primarily to extractive industries operating during the context of the post-Genocide. The book, published by Raya Editorial, will be released in June 2024.

As a member of Mexico's Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte (SNCA), James is currently working on a three-year project in Campeche, Mexico, that runs from 2022 to 2024.

James is available for Photography and Video assignments in Guatemala, Mexico and the region.


Fluent in Spanish & English, proficient in Portuguese & Japanese, James has worked and traveled to over 60 countries in all continents and lived in Japan, Kenya, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico and the United States.

James is represented by Panos Pictures. He can be hired for an assignment via Panos or images can be licensed from their archive here.

Permanent member of @EverydayLatinAmerica.

Full member of Diversify Photo and Frontline Freelance Mexico.

Based in Guatemala, James is available for photo or video editorial assignments or NGO/NPO project documentation anywhere.


Highlights:

2024 Everyday Projects and World Press Photo exhibit at Oldenburg, Germany.

2021 Recipient of three-year grant from Mexico's Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte (SNCA)

2020 Recipient of COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Journalist from National Geographic Society

2018 "Los Derechos Humanos" photo contest by Cuartoscuro & State of Coahuila, Mexico: 2nd place

2018 Scholarship recipient for International Center of Photography (ICP) Bookmaking Masterclass: with Teun Van der Hejden

2018 Lucie Foundation Photo book Prize: Finalist for book prototype

2017 Attends New York Times Lens Portfolio Review (2nd time).

2016 Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar: 2nd place Feature Picture Story (view)

2016 Scholarship recipient for International Center of Photography (ICP) month-long Masterclass: "Visual Storytelling in the Digital Age" given at CAMERA, Torino, Italy.

2016 NPPA Best of Photojournalism: Honorable Mention in Contemporary Issues - singles.

2015 Projection of "Guatemala, Life after Genocide" at Visa Pour L'Image, Perpignan.

2015 1st Place in POY Latin America "Story with a phone camera" (view)

2015 Work Featured on New York Times Lens Blog (view)

2015 Latin American Fotografia 4: Selected for "Los Diez" Exhibit.

2015 Attends New York Times Lens Portfolio Review.

2015 Joint exhibit in Bilbao with Jean-Marie Simon: "Struggles and Vindications of the Mayan Guatemalan Woman".

2014 Attends Foundry Photojournalism Workshop: Masterclass with Ron Haviv.

2013 Solo Exhibit in Medellin: "Impacts of Mining in Latin America".

2012 Itinerant exhibit in Canada sponsored by Amnesty International: "Canadian Extractives As Development: Myth or Reality?"

2010 Itinerant joint exhibit worldwide: Water, Rivers and Peoples. 

2008 Solo Exhibit during the Americas Social Forum sponsored by Oxfam: "Metal Mining in Central America: Pain and Resistance".

2007 Solo Exhibit in Vancouver sponsored by Amnesty International: "The El Estor Evictions".

2007 Photo essay of the year, first prize, by the Independent Press Association of New York: Globalization at Gunpoint.


Clients

Photo/Video journalism commissions:

LA Times / Le Monde / NPR / National Geographic / Bloomberg Businessweek / Bloomberg News / Vogue / The Guardian / El País / Sierra Magazine / The Toronto Star / The New Humanitarian / Der Spiegel / Deutsche Welle / ABC Foreign Correspondent / Dazed Magazine / Positive News Magazine / BBC News / Vice / Stern Crime / TIME for Kids / Americas Quarterly / NACLA Report on the Americas / Plaza Pública

NGO/NPO/Commercial commissions:

UNESCO / UNDP / Amnesty International / Human Rights Watch / Oxfam / IDRC / CARE / Fair Trade International (FLO) / Fair Trade USA / Rotary International / Americares / Save the Children / United States Institute of Peace / Whole Foods Market

Published:

Time / International New York Times / New York Times Lens / National Geographic.com  / Mediapart / The Intercept / OmVärlden / Dagens ETC / Arbetet / New Internationalist / Amnesty Journal (Germany) / Vice.com / TeleSur English / Canadian Dimension / Hankyoreh (Korea) / Yes!

View tearsheets here.


LOCATION

Permanent: Guatemala

Current: Guatemala (March 2024)

Email: james@mimundo.org

Using Format