Canon Honors Legacy Of Pioneering Photographers And Former “Explorers Of Light” With The Canon Legends Program
Number of Inductees Increases to 18 Since 2020 Program Launch
MELVILLE, NY, June 15, 2022 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced it is launching a new website to support Canon Legends, a program first announced in 2020 to honor and preserve the legacy and leadership of some of the most accomplished photographers of our time and former members of Canon’s renowned Explorers of Light program. In addition, Canon has announced it has increased the number of Canon Legends to 18. Through this program, these true industry legends will continue to share a lifetime of knowledge and experience through a variety of public and private events and activities including in-person presentations, workshops, editorial features, tips and techniques, and collaborations with educational venues.
The inaugural class of Canon Legends include:
Sam Abell
Harry Benson
Barbara Bordnick
Lauren Greenfield
Gregory Heisler
Ryszard Horowitz
Walter Iooss, Jr.
Douglas Kirkland
Parish Kohanim
David Kennerly
George Lepp
Duane Michals
Peter Read
Chris Rainier
Denis Reggie
Melvin Sokolsky
Joyce Tenneson
Art Wolfe
To honor their legacy, Canon developed the Canon Legends website, featuring iconic images created by these renowned photographers over their long and illustrious careers.
"Through its Explorers of Light program, Canon has worked with some of the most successful and iconic names in the history of photography and creating the Canon Legends program is one way we can honor and preserve their legacy," said Tatsuro "Tony" Kano, executive vice president and general manager of Canon U.S.A.’s Imaging Technologies & Communications Group. "They continue to be relevant members of our industry as mentors, teachers, and as active photographers. They offer a wealth of experience and are excited to share that knowledge with the next generation of creatives. Our hope is that the Canon Legends will provide education and support to the photographic industry, and beyond, for years to come."
All members of the Canon Legends program are former Canon Explorers of Light and were invited to join the program through a nomination committee comprised of Canon management and other photo industry experts. Each year, the committee will review the list of former Explorers of Light and nominate new members at its discretion.
Canon Legends Participate in NFT Collection
Canon announced that several members of its Canon Legends program have partnered with Immutable Image to create NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) from a limited collection of their photographs and publish them as a collective. "The Legends Mint" will drop on OpenSea, one of the largest peer-to-peer NFT marketplaces, on June 30, 2022. The photographers are partnering with Immutable Image, which is dedicated to introducing iconic photographs – past, present, and future – to a new generation of art lovers and collectors.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $30.6 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), as of 2021 has ranked in the top-five overall in U.S. patents granted for 36 consecutive years† and was one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2022. Canon U.S.A. was featured in Newsweek’s Most Loved Workplaces list for 2021, ranking among the top 100 companies for employee happiness and satisfaction at work. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA.
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† Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.