He graduated from the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts in 1970, and from Brooks Institute of Photography (Santa Barbara, California) in 1974.
[citation needed] During his studies at Brooks, Freytag became proficient with the 4”x5” view camera, a skill that served him well shooting the monthly multi-page (gatefold) Playboy centerfold.
Attempting to produce the very highest quality possible for the centerfold image, Playboy used the very large 8"x10” view camera.
[citation needed] Later, after Playboy abandoned film and moved to digital cameras, Freytag continued to create images using up to fifty flash heads, each light meticulously placed and targeted to illuminate a small area of the photo.
Freytag likens his technique to that of a painter, using each light as his brush strokes, selectively illuminating each area as he incrementally builds the final image.