Victor Paul Skrebneski was born in Chicago on Dec. 17, 1929 to Anna and Joseph Skrebneski. His mother owned a restaurant and his father worked in the steel industry.

During the 1940s, Skrebneski studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and Moholy Nagy’s Institute of Design. He spent the early 1950s taking pictures in New York and Europe. He opened his Chicago studio in 1952.

Skrebneski’s advertising, portrait, art photography, books, and gallery shows made him one of the most significant photographers of the 20th century. He died in Chicago at the age of 90 on April 4, 2020.