Artist Biography

Bret Culp Black and White Biography Photo

Photo by Julie McGregor

Bret Culp is a distinguished fine art photographer born in 1970 in Dunnville, Ontario, Canada, and currently based in Toronto and Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada. He is best known for his exquisitely crafted black and white photographs that evoke a profound sense of nostalgia, contemplation, and appreciation for the delicate and fleeting nature of existence. Additionally, Culp has gained recognition for his colourful solargraphs, a unique technique capturing the sun's dynamic movement across the sky over extended periods, transforming the passage of time into mesmerizing, abstract visual records.

Bret's haunting photographs convey the beauty of impermanence, the central theme of his work. Throughout his diverse travels, Bret seeks out scenes of a transitory nature. From castle ruins in Ireland to a 9000-year-old cave town in southern Italy and the mist-covered hills of Tuscany during the autumn harvest. His poetic vision evokes scenes from a film, so it should not be a surprise that Bret is also an award-winning Visual Effects Supervisor and Second Unit director with over three decades of experience in the film and television industry. This background enriches his creative approach, infusing his photographs with a unique sense of storytelling and depth.

Bret's vision has garnered recognition worldwide. His work has been exhibited at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery in Owen Sound, Canada; the Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, USA; as well as several top Toronto galleries. Moreover, Culp has participated in prestigious events such as RGM Exposed, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, Canada (Winner: Landscape/Nature Award); CONTACT Photography Festival, Toronto, Canada (the largest photography event in the world); Masters of Photography International Exhibition, Curitiba, Brazil (more than 60 major works by contemporary photography masters); Art of Nature Exhibition, Exhibition Place, Toronto, Canada (the finest collection of nature-inspired art ever assembled in Canada by some of Canada's most respected artists).