Avenaim's Jewish parents left Egypt and went to Paris, France, during the Suez Canal crisis in the 1950s and later emigrated to the United States where he was born.

[6] Avenaim's celebrity portraits include Halle Berry, Helen Hunt, Jeff Bridges, Mel Gibson, Phil McGraw, Angela Bassett, Patricia Arquette, Brooke Shields, and Julia Roberts.

[7][8] Avenaim's photo of Halle Berry appeared on the cover of the People (magazine) Yearbook issue as Picture of the Year in January 2003 and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Photography.

[15] J. Walter Thompson agency chose Avenaim to photograph country music singer Toby Keith for their 2005 advertising campaign for Ford trucks and sport utility vehicles.

[18] Photographer Rolando Gomez cited a lighting technique he learned from Avenaim in his 2006 book Garage Glamour: Digital Nude and Beauty Photography Made Simple.