Kalvar was born in New York City in 1944. After his studies at Cornell University, he worked as the assistant of French fashion photographer, Jérôme Ducrot. In 1966 during a long trip to Europe with his camera in tow, he decided to take up photography as a full-time profession. In 1972, he co-founded Viva photo agency in Paris, and in 1977, he became a member of the elite club of Magnum photographers, where he would later become vice-president and president. Kalvar has gone on assignments in France, Italy, England, Japan and the United States as a photo researcher, journalist, and commercial photographer. He has also participated in numerous group exhibitions. In 2007, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie held a major exhibition in his honor, showcasing his photographic work and his published photo book, Earthlings.