Craig McCormick was born in Bethesda, Maryland in 1970. He learned photography from his father, who was a photojournalist in the US Marine Corps. He received his bachelor of architecture degree from Ball State University in 1993 and Master of Architecture degree from Rice University in 1998. While at Rice, he studied photography under Geoff Winningham. He has lived and worked in Houston and New York City, and currently resides in Indianapolis.