Born in Staten Island, Francesco began to pursue his fascination with images of beauty by picking up his father's camera and taking snapshots, using his sisters as models. After graduating from high school in 1945, Francesco began working for a studio that produced fashion catalogs. He soon moved on to Vogue. Francesco spent three years as Horst P. Horst's assistant, studying Horst's techniques.

In 1948, he created a cover for Seventeen that won him a contract with the magazine. Francesco soon opened his own studio in Manhattan. He married model Carol McCallson in 1952, but they divorced a few years later.

Acknowledged to be the dominant photographic influence on American fashion and beauty, Francesco Scavullo has photographed almost every celebrated man, woman and child in the world today. His photographs have graced the covers of plenty of magazines.

Francesco photographed the covers of Cosmopolitan for 30 years. He has shot many movie posters, including A Star is Born with Barbra Streisand. Francesco has also done many album covers.

He has published six books - Scavullo On Beauty, Scavullo Men, Scavullo Women, Scavullo, Scavullo: Photographs, 50 Years, and his latest, Scavullo Nudes. In addition to his published work, Francesco's photographs are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

As a director, Francesco has created memorable spots for Shearson Lehman Brothers, Covermark, and Memorex with Ella Fitzgerald, as well as Crystal Gayle's one hour musical special for CBS.

Francesco died of heart failure at the age of 82, while on his way to a photo shoot with a then up-and-coming CNN news anchor, Anderson Cooper. He is survived by his partner in life and art, Sean Byrne. He is buried at the Sacred Hearts Cemetery - Southampton - Suffolk County - New York.