Zooming in sustainability

Canon on Thursday officially launched its ‘Moments That Matter’ photography competition. Held in collaboration with the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Awards (HIPA), the competition aims to provide a platform for people to harness the power of visual storytelling to spark positive change.

Focused on sustainability — one of Canon’s key corporate pillars and a theme of Expo 2020 Dubai - the competition will allow entrants to showcase what the future of the planet means to them.

With prizes including $8,000 in cash, gold coins and Canon equipment up for grabs, the ‘Moments That Matter’ competition is open to photography enthusiasts from around the world aged 18 and over.

Participants are being challenged to capture and submit five images that best reflect the ideals of sustainability across any of four categories critical to global sustainability issues: Economic, Human, Environmental and Social.

Offering a wide spectrum for creativity, the entry categories are sub-divided into ‘Moments that make us’ (Environment), ‘Moments that heal us’ (Human), ‘Moments that save us’ (Social) and ‘Moments that develop us’ (Economic). Submissions can be entered via Canon’s website.

The submissions will be judged by an international panel of experts, including Fiona Shields, head of photography at Guardian News and Media Group; Kathy Moran, the deputy director of photography for National Geographic magazine; Aïda Muluneh, Canon ambassador and founder and director of Addis Foto Fest; Brent Stirton, Canon ambassador and senior photographer at Getty Images, and Muhammed Muheisen, Canon ambassador, National Geographic photographer and founder of Everyday Refugees.

Images from the shortlisted winners will be available to view in a virtual gallery hosted on Canon’s website, plus at a physical gallery located in Expo 2020 Dubai’s Sustainability Pavilion.

Venkatasubramanian Hariharan, Managing Director, Canon Middle East and Turkey, said: “At Canon, we are exploring what ‘The Future of the Planet’ may look like, while picturing a sustainable future for all. As part of our efforts to bring this important topic into the light, we have launched the ‘Moments that Matter’ photography worldwide competition at Expo 2020 Dubai.

“This is an issue that will impact all our futures, which is why we want to engage the world and see through the eyes of as many people as possible, sharing in their vision of what the future of the planet means to them.

“This initiative will help people to see the bigger picture and how sustainability can frame every aspect of our lives.” Throughout October to January, Canon will host a series of webinars that will feature tips and tricks from Canon ambassadors that will help audiences to enhance their story-telling skills. These webinars are open to the public and are accessible through Canon’s website.

Ali Khalifa Bin Thalith Al Hamairi, Secretary General, HIPA, said, “The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Awards are pleased to collaborate with Canon, one of the global imaging partners, and Expo 2020 Dubai, in supporting visual art and innovation, steering the way towards a brighter future, with renewed creativity and a vision for the future of humanity. Photography is a powerful tool, and participants will need to creatively capture “Moments That Matter” through inspiring and powerful visual imagery.

“In line with the vision of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council and Patron of HIPA, we have completed a decade of spreading the culture of photography and empowering communities to sustainably bridge the gap and nurture humanity and our planet through sustainability. We invite all professional and amateur photographers to participate in this competition that challenges your limits and gets you out of your comfort zone.”

Marjan Faraidooni, Chief Experience Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “One of our driving objectives at Expo 2020 Dubai is to bring nations together to discuss and find solutions for global challenges. Humanity’s success in addressing the challenge of sustainability is, by definition, critical to its ongoing viability and through Expo 2020 we hope to help lay positive foundations for future generations. Joining forces with HIPA and Canon for ‘Moments

That Matter is a positive step towards creating a movement that will help communities recognize the importance of protecting and preserving the world around us.

We believe in the power of art and creativity in helping us drive powerful messages and therefore are really excited about launching this initiative with our partners.”

For more information on entry submission and terms and conditions, please click here.

The ‘Moments That Matter’ competition is part of a series of interactive events and programs to promote using the power of imagery to capture, preserve and share with the world the most inspiring transformative ideas showcased at the exhibition. Canon’s interactive events and programs aligns with Expo 2020 Dubai’s pillars of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability with corporate priority platforms of the ‘Future of the Planet’, the ‘Future of People in it’ and the ‘Future of what is Possible’.

Canon Middle East, a subsidiary of Canon Europe, is the operational headquarters for Canon in the Middle East is based in Dubai, UAE.

Founded in 1937, the desire to continuously innovate has kept Canon at the forefront of imaging excellence throughout its 80-year history and has commitments to invest in the right areas and capture growth opportunities.

From cameras to commercial printers, and business consultancy to healthcare technologies, Canon enriches lives and businesses through imaging innovation.

Canon’s corporate philosophy is Kyosei - ‘living and working together for the common good’. In EMEA, Canon Europe pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its own environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon’s products, solutions and services.

Canon invests heavily in R&D to deliver the richest and most innovative products and services to satisfy customers’ creative needs. From amateur photographers to professional print companies, Canon enables each customer to realise their own passion for image. Canon is Expo 2020 Dubai’s Official printing and imaging provider and is the first company ever to be the single provider of imaging and printing solutions for a World Expo.

Canon brings next-generation technology and innovative solutions to Expo 2020 Dubai and will provide opportunities to embrace themes on social evolution such as women empowerment, sustainability, technological innovation and youth participation.