Milwaukee photographer Lois Bielefeld captures the hidden complexities of everyday life through the intimacy of a camera lens

Rochester, New York – Life rarely unfolds in sweeping cinematic gestures. More often, it is stitched together in small, fleeting details—steam curling above a plate of pasta, children giggling over a tea party, the quiet pause before a family portrait. For Milwaukee-based photographer Lois Bielefeld, these ordinary scenes are anything but simple. They form the essence of their artistic practice, a career that has navigated the balance between commercial assignments and deeply personal explorations of identity, family, and everyday ritual.

“I want to understand why we do what we do and what motivates us. Not just for big decisions or actions, but for the mundane and minutia of life,” said Bielefeld. “I think it’s those minuscule daily decisions that create a person and fleshes out who we are.”

Bielefeld, who earned their photographic illustration degree from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2002, has built a career on honoring these moments. After graduation, they began working in New York City, shooting for well-known clients such as Kohl’s, JCPenney, and Von Maur. That work helped secure their place in the commercial photography industry. But in 2010, after moving back to Milwaukee, Bielefeld started turning the lens inward, gravitating toward projects that reflected their curiosity about how identity is shaped.

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That shift is most clearly visible in “of what might yet (have) be(en),” an exhibition running through October 19 at RIT’s University Gallery. The show brings together three of Bielefeld’s interwoven bodies of work: of what might yet (have) be(en), Androgyny, and I bring you a piece of horizon. While the subjects and formats vary, the pieces share a connective thread—the search for understanding and expression within the context of gender identity.

“Over the past year, I have worked closely with my partners in government to evaluate and strengthen the trail system at Northampton Park,” said Monroe County Legislator Robert Colby. “I am grateful that we are now formally taking a fresh look at these trails, guided by the voices of park patrons, families, and community organizations. Together, we are building a safer, more welcoming space that reflects the priorities of Westside residents and ensures Northampton Park remains a place for everyone to enjoy. I encourage all who care about the trail system to share their input at the upcoming open house.”

The Androgyny series, photographed in 2013 and 2014, captured 57 individuals who navigated gender outside of binary categories. One of the people featured was Avery, a confident second grader who described himself as a tomboy. That meeting became pivotal. Inspired by Avery’s self-assurance, Bielefeld documented a classroom effort to build a gender inclusivity unit. The resulting short film, Girl, Boy, Both, eventually led to another long-term project.

In I bring you a piece of horizon, Bielefeld has photographed Avery every year on his birthday, capturing not only a physical transformation but the unfolding of a life. This year marked the twelfth entry in the series—Avery’s 19th birthday. The project continues to serve as a meditation on growth, memory, and self-identity.

When creating of what might yet (have) be(en), Bielefeld reached back out to many of the subjects from Androgyny, photographing them again years later. They also included portraits of five current RIT students. The result is a layered exhibition that spans still photography, short films, and immersive audio, bringing viewers closer to experiences they may never have encountered before. For Bielefeld, the goal is clear.

“I believe that differences should be celebrated and embraced, but they are often feared,” they said. “One of my goals is that the person looking at my work will start reflecting on their own lives, and that it helps them understand other people’s experiences a little bit more.”

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Exhibiting this work at RIT holds special meaning for Bielefeld. “My daughter was born in Rochester and when I became a mom, RIT supported me through that,” they said. “It felt right to bring this work to campus.” They credit the mentorship of faculty members like Denis Defibaugh and Allen Vogel, as well as the influence of RIT’s Photo House and its immersive culture, as pivotal in their development as both a student and an artist.

Bielefeld’s career has been defined by personal milestones as much as professional recognition. In 2015, they were awarded the first Artist-in-Residence Program at the Museum of Wisconsin Art, spending three months living and working in Luxembourg. More recently, in 2023, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art acquired 10 of their photographs and three of their video works for its permanent collection—an honor that reflects both the longevity and the contemporary relevance of their art.

Yet when Bielefeld talks about “mega-moments,” they often return to deeply personal projects, such as To commit to memory. The series explored their parents’ relationship to their home, touching on the ways religion shaped and sometimes divided the family dynamic. One video from the series, Thank you Jesus, for what you are going to do, was selected for the National Portrait Gallery’s prestigious Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition in 2022. For Bielefeld, the most profound moment wasn’t the recognition itself, but watching their mother and daughter experience the work together in the gallery.

Looking across their career, Bielefeld’s photographs insist on a closer reading of life itself. Whether it is a quiet dinner table, a candid portrait, or a long-running collaboration with a single subject, their images invite reflection on the small details that define human experience. They show that life’s complexity is not always loud or dramatic—it often resides in the gentle rituals of the everyday.

To see more of Lois Bielefeld’s work, visitors can explore their portfolio online. For those near Rochester, of what might yet (have) be(en) remains open at RIT’s University Gallery until October 19, offering an opportunity to witness firsthand how one photographer continues to trace the intricate intersections of identity, memory, and the ordinary.