Born in San Jose, California, Bill Owens made his name in 1973 with Suburbia and numerous other monographs on the customs of middle-class America. A collector of folk art and pop memorabilia, Owens has dealt with subjects such as food and vintage cars. In the early 1980s Owens became a beer producer and in 1983 opened 'Buffalo Bill's Brewery'.

Three years later, he founded the first American Brewer Magazine, a periodical dedicated to beer. His photographs have been exhibited internationally and are in many collections including the Museum of Modern Art, Berkeley Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, San Jose Museum of Art and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.