No matter where he lives, Fred always considers Midland his home. Fred graduated from Midland High School in 1973 and Penn State University in 1977 with a degree in journalism. In 1983, Fred published his first photo, with the Associated Press, of Reggie Miller at the 1983 Dapper Dan Roundball Classic.

In 1983, at the U.S. Open in Oakmont, PA, Fred photographed his first golf major, for the Associated Press, during which he took an exclusive photo of a golfer playing in short pants that Fred sold to Golf Magazine. In 1984, Fred was hired as the Pittsburgh Penguins' team photographer, joining the team on the same day as future superstar Mario Lemieux. Fred earned his first contract with Golf Magazine in 1987 and became a staff photographer for the magazine in 1990. In 1998, Augusta National FedExed to Fred's home Arnold Palmer's green Masters jacket, which Fred took to Hawaii for a portrait used to illustrate a story for the 40th anniversary of Arnold's first Masters win. In 2000, Fred's photo of Payne Stewart winning the 1999 U.S. Open was named Gold Medal Golf Photo of the Year by the International Network of Golf.

In 2001, for his first assignment for Sports Illustrated, Fred captured a shot of Tiger Woods teeing off on the 18th hole at the Masters tournament in Augusta, GA, which graced the April 16, 2001 cover of Sports Illustrated, with the headline "Masterpiece". The photo was awarded the gold medal as Sports Photo of the Year worldwide from World Press Photo in Amsterdam and was named Gold Medal Golf Photo of the Year by the International Network of Golf.

Fred has photographed 28 Masters tournaments, 34 U.S. Opens, 24 British Opens, and 28 PGA Championships, and he has photographed Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NHL, the USGA, and the NCAA. Fred's photos have appeared in Golf Magazine, the New York Times, and Sports Illustrated, including 19 Sports Illustrated covers. Moreover, in 2004, Augusta National permitted Fred to mount a remote camera in Arnold Palmer's locker in the Champions Locker Room, to photograph Arnold after he missed the cut at his 50th and final competitive round at the Masters.

Fred's talent in photography has been recognized through numerous one-on-one photo sessions with notable persons such as George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Cheryl Ladd, Mickey Mantle, Bill Murray, Arnold Palmer, Luciano Pavarotti, Jerry Rice, Kenny Rogers, O.J. Simpson, Donald Trump, and Steve Young.

Since 2018, Fred has been running the photo operation for both the Men's and Women's U.S. Opens and for three other corporate clients. In 2018, Fred was named to the Midland Sports Hall of Fame. Fred and his wife Sheryl have two children: Megan and Sam.