A native Texan, Ernest received a B.A. in Radio, Television and Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and has completed additional studies in photography at LaGuardia Community College and the Pratt Institute. Ernest placed second in the First Annual NYC Photo Marathon ( www.nycphotomarathon.org ) and was a finalist in the pARTy competition at Posh Bar.

An active member of the Advertising Photographers of America's New York branch, Ernest sits on the events committee and is currently working on an educational outreach initiative to bridge the gap from student to working professional.