Canon Canada’s 50th Anniversary
Photographer, Director, Producer, Mental Health Advocate, Canon Canada Ambassador: Ajani Charles, Location: Allan Gardens, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2022, Photographer: Felice Trinidad
This year is Canon Canada’s 50th anniversary, and I am thrilled to be a Canon Canada ambassador after renewing my contract for the second time this spring. I also look forward to mentoring the upcoming Canon FUTURES program creators, as I have done for the last few years.
Before becoming a Canon Canada ambassador, I believed in the technological prowess of Canon and the superior quality of its products and services.
I had a point-and-shoot Canon ELPH camera at the age of eleven, I began shooting with Canon EOS SLR cameras at twelve, and I have shot exclusively with Canon products since I was a kid. The Canon R system has recently helped me create and contribute to some of my career's most impactful and inspiring projects, specifically through the Canon EOS R3, R5, R6, and various R lenses. The R3, in particular, blew my mind last summer when I shot more images and videos than any other summer before.
I am unsurprised that Canon has the largest global camera equipment market share.
After becoming a Canon Canada ambassador, it was a pleasant surprise to discover that the people behind Canon Canada and its partners are fantastic to work with and committed to supporting and educating Canon Canada's customers, ambassadors, creators, and community in several innovative ways. And as I have mentioned many times, being a Canon FUTURES mentor has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my career.
I am grateful that Canon’s leadership in Japan and America decided to expand Canon to Canada in 1973, and working with Canon Canada has been a pleasure.
Photographer, Director, Producer, Mental Health Advocate, Canon Canada Ambassador: Ajani Charles, Location: Allan Gardens, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2022, Photographer: Felice Trinidad
Canon's core philosophy is kyosei, and it conveys Canon’s dedication to seeing all people, regardless of culture, customs, language or race, harmoniously living and working together in happiness.
Kyosei is a concept that stems from Shintoism and Buddhism and promotes a spirit of cooperation within oneself and in one’s dealings with other people, organizations, animals, and nature.
Canon Canada, like all other branches of Canon, is based on the principles of kyosei and aligns with most of my values.
Canon, and by extension, Canon Canada, like myself, also embodies kaizen. Kaizen is a Japanese term from Shintoism, Buddhism, and modern Japanese work culture, meaning "change for the better" or "continuous improvement."
Originally known as Precision Optical Company Limited, Canon has been a camera brand since its founding in Japan in 1937, and decades of continuous innovation have brought us to this celebratory moment.
After the Second World War, a new era of exciting cameras emerged that quickly became an extension of a photographer and creator’s vision.
Performing Artist: Sarah Clark, Location: The Distillery Historic District, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2012, Photographer: Ajani Charles
So join Canon Canada, me, the other Canon Canada ambassadors, and the Canon Canada community, and get back into the art of storytelling with purpose-built cameras, precision lenses, and specialized printers by accessing Canon Canada’s annual sales event here until Thursday, July 6, 2023.
And to support your continuous growth, sign-up for Canon Canada’s Creator Lab community, to join Canon Canada’s workshops and community events.
