From pre-med to passion: How his need to be creative drove his relationship with photography from minor to major.

By Curt Burgess

Brice Bischoff was in high school when he found his father’s Canon AE-1 in a closet and taught himself how to use it. Eventually, he became the go-to photographer for his family and social circle. His initial interest in college was pre-med with photography as a minor. He was motivated by a desire to serve others, and medicine would be a perfect goal.

The next three years proved to be transformative. His passion for photography grew, both as a craft and as a way to serve others through teaching. Bischoff was always interested in science and this was relevant to medicine, but also to photography. His background in chemistry, in empirically testing hypotheses, and in thinking theoretically informs his photography.

After three years, he switched his major to photography, but minored in biological sciences. His parents were not pleased with this change in direction; they had trouble understanding how one could major in something for three years and just switch. However, he found photography rewarding, with tremendous satisfaction in being creative.

Once he had earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Louisiana State University, he decided on the San Francisco Art Institute for graduate school. He began showing in various exhibitions and started his studio practice while he attained his Master of Fine Arts, which would enable him to teach at a collegiate level. As Bischoff's network grew, his work became increasingly recognized, resulting in offers to teach.

Creativity is important to facilitate problem-solving and viewing the world in new ways. Bischoff believes that creativity is especially important, as it is crucial to artistic expression. When it comes to the application of creativity, he has found that his students vary. Bischoff finds it exciting and satisfying when each student develops an expressive voice over time.

Bischoff's class is a combination of traditional lecture - learning the technical side of photography - and exposure to a diverse range of artists, so students can see the possibility of the medium. "As they acquire confidence behind the lens, they can allow themselves to feel in a certain way," said Bischoff. "The experience becomes a lightbulb in people," according to Bischoff. "Their cameras become tools of artistic expression."

For Bischoff, the pleasure of teaching is watching people discover their unique take on expression and produce interesting, meaningful artwork. Bischoff hopes this creativity continues over a lifetime because creative photography can be therapeutic as a way of speaking without speaking. Photography becomes an outlet to critically examine the world around them.

Photography as a medium is very democratic, according to Bischoff. But as students apply critical thought, their training should set them up for an advanced way of communicating through photography. Bischoff believes that images are increasingly relevant as technology advances.

A teaching highlight this semester for Bischoff and his students is the exhibition he is curating at Pomona's Sasse Museum of Art in December. The students in his Fine Art Photography course will be the source of the art for this show. The exhibition opens on Dec. 11, 2022 from 2 - 4 p.m. and closes on Dec. 28.

Bischoff has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions. In addition, he has published articles in newspapers and art publications. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Orange County Museum of Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Louisiana State University Art Museum.

His latest work is a book, “Bronson Caves: Stills & Sequences.” His book details the 100-year history of these caves in Griffith Park, spotlighting how these caves have been used in various genres of movies. His work can be seen at https://bricebischoff.com.

Humans of Chaffey: Brice Bischoff