Crosby Harbison was born in Santa Barbara, idyllically known as the American Riviera, as the youngest of three children. During family vacations to the great national parks, he became fascinated with exploring the natural world. His infatuation with photography began to emerge during excusions with the Boy Scouts.

In 2008, after pleading his way into a full section of yearbook, a real passion for photography, art and design manifested. Undisputedly a product of the digital age, it wasn't until relocating to New York City that he became familiar with film and traditional methods at Parsons The New School for Design.