James Karales was born in Canton, Ohio in 1930. In 1955, after earning his degree in Fine Arts from Ohio University, he came to New York and worked as an assistant to the renowned W. Eugene Smith. As a photojournalist, Karales won numerous awards, among them the Picture of the Year and the Overseas Press Club Award. His photographs are in numerous collections including the High Museum in Atlanta, the International Center of Photography, and the Museum of Modern Art, both in New York.