Gallery

Rodriguez was born in Cuba. His parents owned a business so the young Rodriguez was often left in the care of his grandfather who was an artist specializing in murals.  The Ernesto's fondest memories are of being an "artist" with his grandfather, making a mess of his paints, brushes, and home, but his grandfather never got upset.  At nine years old, his family left Cuba for the United States, and sadly, Rodriguez never had contact with his grandfather again.  While this was extremely difficult for the budding artist, he feels there will always be a strong spiritual connection.

Rodriguez earned a Masters degree in psychology from San Diego State University and then worked for the State Department as a school psychologist and teacher for the American School system in South America and the Middle East.  Rodriguez continually dabbled in photography and eventually apprenticed under a photographer from National Geographic. His years of  "photo apprenticeship"  rekindled his love of art and encouraged him to pursue photography full time.

Rodriguez has received many awards and comissions for everything from festival posters to merit awards to art competitions.  He is included in several corporate and public collections, including Atlantic Richfield, 3M, AT&T, Chevron USA, Port of Long Beach, and the Americal Embassy in Kuwait.

Part of the appeal of Rodriguez's work is his unique style and technique. He first shoots a color photo and then manipulates and enhances the photograph with special tools to give the image the right quality of atmosphere and intensity of feeling. This process heightens the mood and dreamlike quality of his images.