John Pinderhughes was born in Washington, DC in 1946, and raised in both Alabama and New Jersey. He studied at Howard University where he became interested in photography, and graduated from WNET Television Film Production School in 1972. The son of a medical doctor, his passion for photography was further sparked while working in Africa with Operation Crossroads Africa.

Pinderhughes has been widely exhibited and is represented in many collections, including The Museum of Modern Art, The Studio Museum in Harlem The Picker Art Gallery of Colgate University and The Burgess Fine Arts Collection. He has also authored several children's book and a cookbook entitled Family of the Spirit (Simon and Schuster, 1990).

Besides his fine art work, he is a commercial photographer, with clients including AT&T, McDonald's, Kodak, Sony, Pepsi Co, Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, Kraft foods, Pillsbury, chase Manhattan Bank, and many others. He has received including The Clio Awards, 1988; The CEBA Awards of Excellence, 1982-86, 1988-92; and The Art Directors Club, 1988-90.