When My Photos Lit Up Yonge & Dundas Square in Toronto: A Billboard Story

In June 2022, I had the incredible opportunity to launch my own billboard campaign right in the heart of Toronto—at the iconic Yonge and Dundas Square. For an entire month, my work was featured across a four-panel rotating digital billboard, giving me the chance to share my photography with thousands of people each day in one of Canada’s busiest intersections.

As a freelance photographer in Toronto, this wasn’t my first time seeing my work on a billboard. Previously, I was part of a national advertising campaign with Paul Mason—better known as Fashion Santa—in collaboration with the charity organization Heroes In Black. I’ve also contributed to public campaigns like the City of Toronto’s Festival of Lights. But this time felt especially personal, because it was my project from start to finish.

Rather than sticking to a conventional ad format, I chose to do something different. One of the four rotating panels featured my logo and website URL, while the remaining three showcased some of my favorite Toronto cityscape photographs:

• The 504 Streetcar on a snowy night

• A behind-the-scenes photo of St. Patrick Station mid-renovation

• A rainy night streetcar reflection along King Street

These images hold a special place in my portfolio, and I wanted to use this public platform to share them in a way that would pause the viewer—even if only for a moment.

My decision to feature three artistic images instead of a full suite of promotional content came from a desire to break up the constant flow of advertising in our daily lives. I saw this campaign not just as a chance to promote myself as a Toronto photographer, but as a small way to bring more art into public spaces.

This billboard campaign wasn’t designed with lead generation in mind. It was more about artistic expression—and a personal milestone. Growing up in Toronto, I used to look up at those giant screens in Yonge and Dundas Square and dream. So to one day see my name and images glowing above the city was a full-circle moment. It felt like a sign that I’d truly made it as a creative in the city I call home.

To everyone who passed by, took a photo, or shared it online—thank you. This project was a celebration of art, of Toronto, and of the little wins that mean everything.