Claire Schneider was born and raised in San Francisco. She recognized an early ability to bring diverse groups together and gain the trust of people from backgrounds other than her own. In 1998, she began to parlay this ability into photojournalism. Her first long-term documentary project on the U.S.-Mexico border was awarded a National Press Photographer's Foundation scholarship in 1998. In 2001, Claire began a career as a freelance photojournalist, shooting for The Oakland Tribune and The Associated Press. Her first book, "American (Except)ionalism was published through Blurb in December 2010. In 2011, she was awarded a second NPPF scholarship for her work in Indian-administred Kashmir.