Memory and Emotion
A Comfy Tail
Photographer Denis Bresolin Shares His Love of TBay Landscapes
Story by Bonnie Schiedel, Photos by Denis Bresolin
When Denis Bresolin was a kid growing up in Longlac, he used to borrow his dad’s camera to take pictures, then send the roll of film off in the mail to be developed in Thunder Bay at Film Factory. Two whole weeks later, he’d eagerly check the mailbox, open the envelope to examine his work, and match up his handwritten notes about images one through 12 to see how his use of various camera settings and types of film played out. “When you learn the hard way, you learn the fundamentals of your camera and you get better as time goes on,” says Bresolin. “It’s like a bottle of wine: the more time you have for it, the better it gets.”
Photographer Denis Bresolin
Bresolin was living and working in Thunder Bay when digital cameras first hit the market and he bought his first gear, watching YouTube videos and talking with Gregg Johns at Imagetech to learn some of the ins and outs. He also started posting his images on Facebook early on, and launched his own website. Some of his photographs are now in the collections of Carter Hutton, Darryl Sittler, the Staal brothers, Johnny Reid, and Darrell Fox (brother of Terry), while one of his grain elevator photos won an international competition in 2025.
The Kaministiqua Anchored
While Bresolin appreciates the accolades, he also treasures the tranquility and inspiration that photography provides. “Taking pictures is peaceful for me. I love the nature of our area, and for me, it’s more than imagery—it’s memory, it’s emotion,” he says. “It reminds people of the raw beauty that surrounds us.”
Newly retired from the plumbing industry, Bresolin can’t wait to continue to explore Northwestern Ontario (as well as the rest of Canada plus Patagonia) and put more hours into photography. “My love for photography is like a good drug to me,” he says, laughing. “I love trying to outdo myself.”
To see more of Denis Bresolin’s work, visit denisbresolinphotography.pictorem.com or search Denis Bresolin (Nature Photography) on Facebook.
