Larry Fink was born in Brooklyn in 1941 and in the 1960s, studied with Lisette Model, who encouraged him to become a professional photographer. Fink is best known for his series Social Graces, which explored social class in America in the 1970s by comparing two different worlds: that of urban New Yorkers at places like Studio 54 and that of rural, working class Pennsylvanians at events like birthday parties. His photographs have been published in Vanity Fair, W, GQ, The New York Times Magazine, and The New Yorker and he has produced several books. Fink has taught for over 40 years, most recently as a tenured professor at Bard College. He has received two Guggeneheim (1976 and 1979) and two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships (1978 and 1976). Fink received the International Center of Photography's Infinity Award for Art in 2015. His works are held in collections including the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Museum of Modern Art; and the San Francisco Museum of Art.