Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1912. After studying engineering at University of Michigan, he began to work at Chrysler. He studied photography independently. In 1941, he was inspired by the work of ANsel Adams and began to take photography seriously.  In 1946 he accepted a job at Chicago's Institute of Design, and was influenced by Moholy-Nagy.

Callahan is known for his cool but lyrical style, such as his monochramatic minimalist photos, his experimental multiple exposure and photomontage works with his wife, Eleanor, as the model, and his detailed portraits of Eleanor taken with a large camera. His works contain a mysterious element; Callahan is quoted, "If man wishes to express himself photographically, he must understand, surely to a certain extent, his relationship to life."
Passed away 1999.