Growing up in the small southern fishing village of Galliano, Louisiana a Bayou Lafourche community near the Gulf of Mexico, Rod passed countless quiet moments in the natural solitude of the swamps and bayous, and his experiences in that environment spawned a nurtured and keen sensitivity and visual awareness that serve him well today as he strives to share something of himself in the photographic images he creates.
Rod's work has been exhibited at the Contemporary Art Center, The Academy Gallery, the Downtown Gallery and other New Orleans locations. He has won both state and national awards, the most recent being the New Orleans Press Club Award and the Presidents Award for a portfolio of photographs published in Louisiana Life Magazine.
Rod's work focuses on Louisiana landscapes which become dreamy and surrealistic when captured by his sensitive eye and camera. His photographs challenge the viewer to look beyond the basic image and discover - and - contemplate - an unseen beauty. To coax forth that beauty Rod uses and array of "alternative" cameras and Black and White Infrared film. The exposures can last from several seconds to several minutes. He turned to these alternative means when conventional cameras and films failed to satisfy his creative goals. "I found that sharpness captured by conventional cameras distracted too much attention from the images themselves and the feelings I was trying to convey. It wasn't until I begin experimenting with these old cameras and films that I was really letting my unspoken feelings come through in my photographs".