Alex Webb was born in San Francisco, California, in 1952. He became interested in photography during his high school years and attended the Apeiron Workshops in Millerton, New York, in 1972. He majored in history and literature at Harvard University, simultaneously studying photography at the Carpenter Center for the Arts. In 1974, he began working as a professional photojournalist. His photographs began to appear in such publications as the New York Times Magazine, Life, Geo, and eventually in Stern and National Geographic. Webb joined Magnum Photos as an associate member in 1976, becoming a full member in 1979.