Former Precision Camera employee and local photographer, Frank Anzalone has been interested in photography and cameras from a young age. His photography knows no bounds as Anzalone is always experimenting with different kinds of photography and new gear. I chatted with Anzalone via email to learn more about his photography as follows below. 

How did you get started in photography?

Frank Anzalone: As a kid, I used to play around with film cameras, and later on, my mom’s Sony Cyber-shot point-and-shoot. I’d use them to take better pictures of things I was selling on online forums- be it a bicycle, a computer, or even car parts. At some point I realized that people valued the photos more than the items, so I bought a Canon Rebel T6 as my first DSLR and started sharing photos from that. Since then, I’ve owned dozens of bodies and have shot a little bit of everything under the sun.

How has life been since working at Precision Camera?

FA: I started at Precision as a rental and repair tech in 2019, quickly moved to sales, and then went full time with my own photography in early 2021. I learned so much working at a camera store—not only gear-wise but also people-wise! The number of connections I gained at a creative hub like Precision helped get me into the position I have now, working with one of the largest content creators in the world. I can’t exactly share who (yet), but I can confidently say it’s because of the knowledge and connections I gained at Precision that I’m here!

What goals do you hope to achieve in your photographic journey in the next year? In the next five years?

FA: Generally, I'm not a huge “future goals” kind of guy, but there are a few things I’d love to see myself accomplish. In the next year, I really want my photography career to take me out of the USA. I’ve been flown out to the other side of the country for shoots, but never out of it. Five years from now, I hope I can transition from only shooting to also teaching others what I’ve learned. Photography is a dying artform with everyone thinking portrait mode on their iPhone is as good as a 50/1.8. Hopefully I can do my part to help people get and stay excited to make quality, unique content. Whether that’s a YouTube channel or a whole company remains to be seen!

I understand you’re heavily involved in your church. Tell me more about how you have used photography to serve your church?

FA: Yes! Back when I started photography, I realized how much it really changed peoples lives- it took them back into the moment when the photo was taken. When I wanted to serve at my church, it hit me that I could help make that connection for others. I started shooting for my church in 2017, and since then I’ve worked with dozens of churches and taken over 100,000 photos at my home church. Being able to use my skill to help others is something I’m always happy to do, and I learn lots about the technical side of things every time I get behind that lens.

What about automotive photography makes it your favorite?

FA: First of all, the passion behind it. I grew up a motorhead, tearing out articles from magazines and squeezing them in my school binders. Naturally, when I had the opportunity to collide that passion with my passion for photography, I took it. Now I’m published in those same magazines that I used to tear articles from. Secondly, the irreplaceability of it. Nobody (at least for now) can take an 800mm panning photo of a car going 200mph with their phone, much less a nice photo. That makes my work in the automotive space inherently valuable and unique, which is becoming harder and harder to achieve in the world of photography.

It seems like you like to dip your toes in several different types of photography from portraits, food photography and automotive photos. Do you think capturing such a wide range of things has made you a better photographer?

FA: One hundred percent, totally. Different kinds of photography teach you different ways to use your camera. Portraits teach you how to handle people from behind a lens, food teaches you plating, positioning of props, and studio lights, and automotive teaches you how to capture movement in a way that makes a photo look dynamic. Each of those skills crosses over to all the other facets of photography, and having a diverse portfolio helped me develop my own unique style for each of those things.

Is there a certain kind of photography that you’d like to explore further?

FA: Recently I’ve started down the path of creative clothing photography, be it studio flat lays or environmental shoots. It’s very interesting and fun (sometimes)—you have to take something that’s meant to look good when it’s on a person, but make it look good all by itself. The thing I like the most about it is how much control I have over the environment, be it the lights, backdrop, props, or even the stuffing in the clothes. Everything is set by me, and it really allows me to get creative with my ideas.

I take it you’re a bit of a gear head. What’s your favorite camera or lens brand and why? Is there a brand you tend to stay away from?

FA: What gave it away? I’ve danced with a bunch of different camera systems over the years, personally owning 1DXs from Canon, X-T4s from Fuji, S1Rs from Panasonic, and too many Sonys to count. Even though I started on Canon and it will always have a special place in my heart, almost nothing (almost… maybe a Canon R3) could separate me from my current Sony setup. I currently have an A9 and A7RIII, both of which make a seamless combo of resolution and low light performance.

The one brand you’ll never see me shoot is Nikon. I’ve tried them once, and for me, once was enough. There are plenty of Nikon shooters I look up to, but the color science is just not my kind of party.

What are your go-to pieces of equipment?

FA: Anytime I leave the house with a camera, I always have a 24-70mm f/2.8 on it. Stereotypical and boring? Yes. But man, it’s a sharp lens. Rarely do the results from it “wow” me, but it always delivers. Other lenses that I love are the 70-200mm f/2.8 G-Master from Sony, along with their 400mm f/2.8 G-Master super telephoto. The 70-200 is a killer lens for anything sports or concert related, and it’s always glued to my A9 during events. The 400, while super expensive, has never let me down when it comes to that “wow” factor. It almost feels like cheating when I use it out on track with race photography.

Then I have to mention my current favorite strobes to work with: the Westcott FJ400s. I have a two-light kit from them, and to me they made the perfect bridge between Profoto simplicity and Godox practicality. And their batteries consistently double the life of my Profoto B10Xs.

Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to share?

FA: In some ways I wish I did, while in other ways I’m happy to say I don’t! I’m going into 2022 with a clean slate personally, and staying very busy with the content creator I’m working with. There’s plenty of exciting content around the corner with them, but nothing I can let out quite yet. All I can say is I’m super excited for the future, not only for my own projects but also for the industry as a whole. We’re finally seeing some competition between Canon and Sony in the mirrorless space, and competition breeds innovation. Hopefully come 2023 there will be some insane cameras out there on the market!

You can find more of Frank's work on Instagram and his website.