The son of a Swedish immigrant, William Albert Allard was born in 1937 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He studied at the Minneapolis School of Fine Arts and the University of Minnesota.

Allard is a photographer of people. From the beginning of his illustrious career in 1964 as a National Geographic photographic intern, Allard has contributed to 42 Geographic articles as a staff, freelance, and contract photographer and writer. His stories for the magazine have included “Rodeos: Behind the Chutes,” “India’s Untouchables,” Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “Hutterite Sojourn.” 

Allard has published five previous highly acclaimed books including his first, Vanishing Breed, of which the Associated Press said, “This is a classic.” Published in 1982,Vanishing Breed was nominated for The American Book Award for 1982, and was the winner of the Wrangler Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Western Art Book, 1983, and was awarded the Leica Medal of Excellence, 1983.