Kyle Topping is Blurring Boundaries and Embracing Limitless Creativity

What do you get if you mix “the blood of a musician and the soul of an old-school Cali punk?”

Answer: Kyle Topping – director, photographer and the latest addition to the roster at Toronto-based production company, Undivided. Deeply influenced by his lifelong love of heavy music, Kyle is a directorial dichotomy, as mild-mannered and personable as he is heavy metal minded.

It’s a personality paradox that Kyle is perfectly at home with. It’s shaped by his experiences and upbringing, where the first place he called ‘home’ was in the wide open prairies of Alberta, Canada. “I was an adventurous child growing up in a small town, open to going wherever the wind might take me – as long as I was home for lunch and dinner, and back before the street lamps turned on.”

Growing up with a taste for freedom, adventure and exploration, Kyle’s introduction to creativity came in his early teenage years through music and exploring being in bands playing guitar. “It’s funny because at the same time I definitely flunked grade 10 art class; my mind was just elsewhere” he chuckles.

Music has long been a driving force in Kyle’s creative pursuits, and even introduced him to the art of photography, which became the foundation of his career.

“Being in bands growing up I often found myself on film or photo sets in front of the camera. I was intrigued by the industry, but I didn’t really have any technical photography skill set. But I did have an excitable creative mind. At that point I didn’t really see a gateway into exploring the world of capturing images beyond purchasing a 35mm film camera and photographing day to day things. It was not on my radar that this could be a potential career path, just a creative outlet at this time.”

Kyle has called Toronto ‘home’ since 2008, moving to the city with “no full-time work and bills to pay.” He was part of a touring band, which made holding down a consistent job hard, but found his place as a production assistant, working alongside a photographer friend, “who asked if I would be willing to come out and lift some sandbags on one of his bigger jobs.”

Working hard Kyle made himself a valuable asset to the team. “I moved from being a PA occasionally on his sets to being his full time 1st assistant within a few years. I gained a wealth of knowledge of both the craft and the industry working under someone who was and still is one of my favourite photographers.”

“He showed me that the lines between work and play could have crossover, how work could feel fun and exciting, and hugely rewarding; but you could also make a living doing it. I loved that! My time with him was very impactful on me—I had found what I was meant to do.”

An “Aha!” moment for Kyle, however, came in the form of a two-week trip to LA at the beginning of his career, “I somehow already knew I was going to be inspired by the city before I had even arrived,” he says. “And that time ended up being totally foundational for me. I was shooting with and meeting rad people, really just owning my being a photographer for the first time.”

“Fully immersing myself in all of the things that I was interested in personally, like car culture, music, fashion, vintage clothes and skateboarding, (LA is a mecca for all of those things). It was a creative accelerator for me.” Kyle explains, “I was capturing what I loved in a way that was authentic to my artistic eye—some of those images are still in my portfolio to this day.” The trip was an immersive cultural kaleidoscope, leaving a lasting imprint that’s evident in so much of his work for the likes of Holt Renfrew, Toyota, Budweiser, Pfizer and many more.

Above, Elizabeth Banks for Pfizer

Kyle’s approach to creativity and collaboration has also been shaped by fatherhood. A dad to three boys, he credits them with reminding him of the power of a childlike imagination that’s untamed and unhindered. “There is no boundary to where creativity ends for a child, its limits are infinite.” He reflects, “I think applying that thinking to what I do and placing that thought over every project is something that I owe to my little ones for bringing up in me again.”

A pivotal moment in Kyle’s career came from his work with sporting retail giant, SportChek, timed around the 2018 Winter Olympics, where he travelled across the country to collaborate with athletes at the top of their game. He notes, “It was a real pinch-me moment on set to be executing on a rad idea with a great creative team that really just allowed me the space to collaborate with the athletes and find moments that were visually powerful.”

The resulting work packed a punch. Powerful in its imagery, which embraced the colour red for a patriotic, striking celebration of athletes, but also in how it was delivered. “Seeing the content take over every single screen in Yonge-Dundas Square (now Sankofa Square) for 90 seconds at a time was unreal”, says Kyle. “The content was really moody with dark backgrounds and bright neon reds. So it really cast a vibe over the entire square as splashes of red fell onto the busy streets.”

Now part of the roster at Undivided, Kyle’s newest home simultaneously marks a new chapter and a return to collaborate with some of the people that have already played a part in his career.

“Nikki [Ormerod] and Scott [Houghton], man there’s a ton of history there. They’ve always been supporters of me, but also I’ve always been a fan of them,” he says with a smile. “They were there to witness me find myself as a creative and see me grow and find confidence in what I do; so to be playing on the same team as them means the world to me. They know me just as well as I do. Also, you’ve got Barclay [J. Maude] who is new to me, but I already feel like we’ve hit off on a personal level. Talk about a serious cherry on top.”

Sharing the same sentiment, Nikki adds, “We’re so excited to welcome photographer and director Kyle Topping to the roster. Scott and I have watched him pour everything into his craft over the past 15 years, and it’s been incredible to witness. He’s not just wildly talented – he’s a genuinely solid human. Kyle’s honed a style and presence that feels way beyond his years, and he’s a dream to work with. We couldn’t be more proud, even more, we couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.

Reflecting on his place on Undivided’s roster, Kyle shares, “This all really feels like another one of those moments of going where the wind has taken me, and I couldn’t be anymore thrilled with where I’ve landed.”

He’ll strengthen the roster as both a photographer and director, a role which Kyle came into through the ‘backroad’. “I took a backroad approach to directing through being a DP, working with directors, and absorbing,” explains Kyle. “Over the last few years, I’ve really grown into the director’s role with confidence. Witnessing it all from different angles was a valuable experience.”

Kyle’s primed and ambitious to dive into his latest opportunity, “It’s an interesting time in the world, that’s for sure - but I think moments like these push us to be bolder and more creative,” he surmises. “Advertising is still and will always be a powerful medium for storytelling, whether in a photo or a 15-second clip.”

One thing, at least, is for sure - wherever the creative boundaries may be, Kyle is certain to continue pushing them.