Scott Paine Knapp was born September 25, 1980, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His father, George Knapp, was a plumber and his mother, Virginia, worked as a legal secretary.

His winning personality made him popular with the other students, who consistently elected him president of his class despite his frequent trips to the principal's office for acting up in class. But Scott was a mystery to his parents who appreciated his winning ways but despaired of him ever making something of himself. He simply enjoyed himself too much.

Scott became fascinated by photography during a high school field trip for art class. He mowed lawns in the summer and shoveled snow in the winter to earn money to purchase his first camera during his sophomore year.

He joined the school yearbook staff and got the job of taking the informal and candid shots for the yearbook. After selling several photos at the county fair, he was able to set up a darkroom in the basement of his parents' home.

Following high school graduation, Scott moved to Chicago to find work in the photography field. George and Virginia hated to have their 18-year-old son leave home but vowed to assist him until he was self-sufficient.

Scott found several jobs as an assistant photographer. He did whatever was required of him, including carrying cases and equipment or setting up lights, so he could learn more about his chosen craft.

While working with a catering company as a waiter to earn extra cash, he met Cecelia Dunston, an interior design student at Harrington College of Design. They were married within a year.

Newlywed Scott found steady employment with a company that produced fashion catalogs. When Cecelia became pregnant a month after their wedding, the prospect of fatherhood motivated Scott to work even harder to support his family. In addition to his regular job, he took almost any freelance assignment offered to him.

Scott's constant work served the young couple well financially but put a strain on their marriage because Scott had to travel extensively. Cecelia felt stranded, lonely, and burdened by the care of their infant son, Casey.

After two years of struggling to make the marriage work, Cecelia took Casey, left Scott, and returned to her hometown of Oxford, Mississippi, to live with her parents. She filed for divorce soon after.

Scott was distraught that his son would be so far away, so he also moved to Oxford, opening his own photography business. He took pictures of weddings, proms, school children—anything that would keep him close to Casey while he was growing up.

In June of 2020, Casey will be graduating from Yoknapataphwa High School and is frequently busy with school, sports, and friends, allowing Scott to accept location photography assignments again.

Scott advertised for a "girl Friday" to work in Oxford while he was traveling, and Jasmine Ledbetter answered that ad.