Canon Middle East is launching ‘Stories of Arabia’, a unique photo challenge initiative that will bring the community together and inspire photographers to capture life under the ‘new normal’. Photo enthusiasts can express their views, on the Arab world through imagery covering people, cuisine, and other hidden charms.
Mastering new skills or picking up a long-lost hobby has kept people occupied and able to cope with the realities of the current pandemic. With many working remotely, staying at home the past period, Canon answered the needs of its customers by providing an array of online learning opportunities and challenges to support them during the lockdown and keep them actively engaged throughout their imaging journey.
Photography is an art where an amateur or even a seasoned photographer can continue to learn and grow; and to entice many to nurture their talent and eye for a good angle, Canon has been releasing a stream of tips and tricks to land that perfect shot.
These photography hacks will now be put to the test with the ‘Stories of Arabia’ competition where photographers will be challenged to capture what encapsulated life during ‘the new normal.’
Mai Youssef, Corporate Communications and Marketing Services Director, Canon Middle East and Central and North Africa, said: “During these unprecedented times we felt it was important to stay connected to our community and offer ways for people to make the most of their time at home, and embark on a journey of personal growth through photography. A single picture can unite us and a spirit that expresses our shared emotions and experiences often emerges.”
“The photography tips along with the ‘Stories of Arabia’ competition, is an ideal platform to support our customers to document this important period in their lives while keeping them engaged and inspired to nurture their talent”, added Youssef.
During the lockdown, Canon also launched a weekly photo competition where several winners won a Canon EOS M50 camera, to capture vibrant images and impactful 4K UHD videos for those interested in vlogging as well.
The competition saw entries posted under Food, Human Element, Mysterious Objects and Work from Home categories, which were designed to inspire people and keep them actively interested in using photography as a way to document their lives during these unprecedented times.
Four more themes that reflected the essence of the human spirit included Ramadan lights, slow-motion videos, Kitchen Action and Eid videos, all of which reflect Canon’s desire to unite families and friends during the Holy Month and Eid, despite the unusual circumstances.
Rim Bassil artistically captured a close-up photo of piano keys from the inside of the instrument in the category of ‘Mysterious Objects’ and made him a clear winner for the April theme; while Adithyan Ajil’s ‘Kitchen in action’ perfectly timed shot showing a single drop of water bouncing off in a full cup of water also won him the competition in May.
Other worthy entries include Nouran M. Fawzy’s collection of flowers picked up during a walk frozen together into a popsicle-like heart for the Kitchen in Action’ theme; Abdulrahim Harmoush’s timeless black and white image of their subject concealing their expression with a hat for the ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ theme; and Jishma Shahul’s light, reflections and shadows emitted from a lantern for the ‘Ramadan Lights’ theme.
Competition entrants uploaded their photos @canonme and tagged them #freeyourstory, and viewers were asked to select their favourites. Some of the most popular images attracted over 10K reach and engagement.
To continue supporting its customers throughout the past few months, Canon also offered imaging learning opportunities that could be acquired conveniently from home through Canon’s online platform.
In addition, Canon Academy, which offers workshops on a variety of imaging-related topics, moved all its workshops online by introducing the ‘Creative Home Photography.’ The series aimed to support customers with inspiring learning experiences at home and the opportunity to learn by engaging with expert instructors.
