Mark Seliger was born in Amarillo, Texas. He attended Houston’s High School for Performing & Visual Arts and East Texas State University.

He was Rolling Stone's Chief Photographer for many years, where he shot over 150 covers and began a long-term collaborative relationship with Design Director, Fred Woodward, which continued into their work at Conde Nast. Seliger shoots frequently for Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Italian Vogue, L’Uomo Vogue, GQ and W, as well as advertising work for Adidas, Dom Perignon, Levi Strauss, Netflix, Ralph Lauren, Ray-Ban, Rolex and many more.

He has published numerous books, including: Mark Seliger Photographs (Abrams, 2018), Listen (Rizzoli, 2010), Mark Seliger: The Music Book (teNeues, 2008), In My Stairwell (Rizzoli, 2005), Lenny Kravitz/Mark Seliger (Arena, 2001), Physiognomy (Bullfinch, 1999) and When They Came to Take My Father – Voices from the Holocaust (Arcade, 1996).

Seliger is the recipient of such esteemed awards as the Alfred Eisenstaedt Award, Lucie Award, Clio Grand Prix, Cannes Lions Grand Prix, The One Show, ASME, SPG, and the Texas Medal of Arts Award.

Seliger's work has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. His photographs are part of the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and the National Portrait Gallery in London.