Post by City of Toronto

Hi, I'm Kris. I'm the one taking most of the FIFA World Cup™ 2026 photos you see on City of Toronto social media channels. This summer, I’ve walked a total 120,000 steps during my coverage. Enough to put holes in my skate shoes. I've always been a creative who leaned towards the arts. I started playing drums and guitar when I was about six years old. As a teenager, a friend down the street had a Canon Rebel camera and I was eager to get my hands on it as often as possible. During the pandemic, with much of the world shut down and music venues closed, I lost one of my creative outlets. Photography became a new way to express myself. I joined a film photography group, went on walks through Toronto neighbourhoods and attended print swap meetups with other photographers. That's really when my passion grew. Before joining the City's social media team last year, I used photography in my role as a Communications and Marketing Consultant with Parks and Recreation. I helped build a photography database of our services and facilities, creating images and videos that were shared across social media, digital screens and print materials. When I cover the FIFA World Cup, my routine starts with an iced coffee. I need it – I’m outside all the time and this summer has been really hot. I work with my colleague Michele to plan where we'll be covering events and what stories we want to tell. By the afternoon, I'm usually out and about capturing FIFA World Cup moments. The turnaround is fast. Often within 30 minutes of a march, fan event or watch party, I'm editing photos and videos on the go so my colleagues working on the channels can share them in real time. So far, my favourite moments have been the fan marches. They give me goosebumps every time. Seeing people come together from across Toronto, the GTA and around the world to support their national teams is incredible. We know Toronto is a big sports city, but these kinds of marches aren't something we see every day. One interaction that really stuck with me was meeting a Croatian supporter who told me it was his first trip back to Toronto in 35 years, since he was born here, just to watch the matches. Moments like that remind me how sport can connect people the same way music does. Chasing FIFA World Cup moments around the city has felt like a concert (Kiss, if we want to be specific) because it's pure, high energy. Everything is moving fast, the crowd is electric and you've only got one split second to capture that explosive moment before it's gone. Most of what I capture is unscripted and authentic. I'm not trying to manufacture a specific emotion because I want people to bring their own experiences and perspectives to the moments they're seeing through my lens. But I hope everyone is seeing the emotion and energy in the city. This summer is unforgettable, Toronto is electric and alive almost every day, and I like to think people are seeing that through my photos.