Tom Kiefer was ​born in Wichita and raised primarily in the Seattle area, Kiefer lived in Los Angeles for 20 years before moving to a small southern Arizona town near the border in 2001 to lessen overhead and further his development as an artist and photographer. His first series was shot on film in black and white, titled “Journey West Exhibit” chronicling the landscape and structures connecting the cities of Phoenix, Tucson and Ajo. Fine-art prints from this project were exhibited in all three cities between January 2007 and 2010. From July 2003 until August 2014, Kiefer was employed part-time as a janitor/landscaper at the U.S. Border Patrol facility in Why, Arizona and resigned last year to focus on producing the "El Sueno Americano" project.

Last year Kiefer was included in LensCulture's top 50 emerging photographers and PhotoLucida's top 50 Critical Mass.