From over 100 meters below surface, under the sea ice, at the surface where the waves break, or up to 6’000 meters altitude, he finds fulfilment in shooting in tricky conditions to bring back images from the roads less travelled or angles less often seen.
Self-taught, he discovered the Art of Photography in his teenage years in the dark room. Only years later, after travelling the world during a successful Corporate career, he picked up a camera again. Quickly, his passion became his full-time career, but more importantly he found a great sense of purpose in documenting stories.
Franck Gazzola started his photographic career in 2015 by joining Under The Pole expeditions – pioneers in polar diving – during their 2nd expedition in Winter in Greenland, trying to discover the hidden side of the sea ice by -35ºC. Since then, he has been in charge imagery & the documentary/editorial photography for them, currently 3 years into their ”Under The Pole IV-DeepLife” expedition, an innovative deep underwater expedition going around the globe until 2030. Although the initial expeditions were focused on the Arctic and brought the Under The Pole team international recognition for their expertise in polar diving, the current expedition is worldwide.
Living underwater is the dream of every aquanaut to better understand our oceans. The Capsule made it a reality.
Franck is a ”Swiss-army knife” when it comes to his photography skills, allowing him to build 360º stories on his own and in challenging environments. He grew the ability to work with any available light and has the agility to juggle within a few minutes between shooting the darkness of the twilight zone deep underwater, to capturing wildlife, environmental portraiture, close in-action shots of his subject or bringing poetry though landscapes.
Franck shoots projects where things happen quick and just once, and where staging is rarely an option. Yet, he manages to bring an acute sense of aesthetics into his reportages.
Franck is also a Public Speaker who shares his experience, passion and on-field stories not only about his Photography but also about the radical changes he went through swapping his suit & tie for a camera backpack, hiking shoes and diving tanks.
Franck Gazzola is also the Director of Creative Frame of Mind Pty Ltd, a creative & story-telling agency (stills & motion) competent in underwater, topside and aerial, as well as a Fixer Agency, helping international filmmakers, production houses, TV productions and journalists prepare, organise and shoot in Australia.
Under The Pole are crossing the infamous Northwest Passage onboard their exploration 60ft schooner to perform their scientific dives.
When Franck is not onboard an expedition ship, shooting a conservation story, or filming for documentaries, he spends most of his time in Byron Bay (Australia) shooting international Advertising/Commercial/Documentary assignments, as well as managing the Frothers Gallery, specialised in Ocean imagery from around the world (founded in Bondi Beach, Australia).
BOOK
2021 – ”Between Two Worlds” / Ulmer
EXHIBITIONS
2024 – ”Oceans, beyond the poles” – Futuroscope, France
2023 – ”Photography for sustainable oceans” – United Nations Headquarters, New-York, USA
2019 – Aquarium de Paris – Paris, France
2019 – Ocean Lovers Festival – Sydney, Australia
FILMS
Various roles: DoP/Underwater DoP/Drone/Sound/Additional footage/Underwater additional footage/Photography
>UNDER THE POLEARTEFRANCE TELEVISIONS< ''EMMA CAMP: FINDING THE RESILIENT CORALS TO SAVE THE REEFS''|2023 ''THE GIANT OCEANIC MANTA RAYS OF ECUADOR''|2023 ''DIVING INTO THE ABYSS''|2023