Canon India marks World Photography Day by encouraging the passion for photography

• Launched #ShiftYourFocus 3.0, a campaign aimed at reminding people not to shift focus from all the good things in life, despite the ongoing pandemic
• Launched #MyBestShot, a week-long contest, inclusive of Canon Maestros, Ambassadors and Canon fans and the world at large, to encourage the community's passion towards photography

GURUGRAM, India, Aug. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On the occasion of World Photography Day 2020, Canon India further strengthened its commitment to encourage the community's passion for photography and celebrated the art by running a week-long contest. Titled #MyBestShot, the contest started from August 13 across Canon's social media platforms, and brought together Canon Maestros, Ambassadors, Canon fans and the world at large. The entries for the contest were accepted till 12 noon on August 19 and the winners for the same are to be announced within a month's time. The brand received more than 700 entries with a reach of 430K with an engagement rate of 36% through the digital campaign.

Further, the organization launched the third edition of its award-winning digital campaign, #ShiftYourFocus. Through this campaign, Canon India continues its endeavor to spread delight and happiness through photography, by attempting to remind everyone to not shift their focus from all the good things in life while embracing the new normal. While COVID-19 has changed the world drastically, there are smaller and different ways people have found to keep their spirits high, and this year's campaign aims to celebrate exactly that through the medium of photography.

Sharing his thoughts, Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi, President and CEO, Canon India Pvt. Ltd, said, "Photography is a beautiful form of art and has the power to be a strong medium of expression and discourse. At Canon India, it has always been our constant endeavor to celebrate this art and what it means to people by encouraging artistic expression and spreading the joy of photography across the country. This World Photography Day, we are delighted to have launched the third version of our much-acclaimed digital campaign #ShiftYourFocus. At a time when we are in the midst of some of the most difficult times, photography has become an even more prominent enabler of moments and memories. Through this extended campaign, we aim to continue in our endeavor to support the larger community by reminding everyone that although the pandemic has disrupted our lives like never before, we shouldn't lose sight of the things that have helped us add meaning to our lives."

The main aim of the #MyBestShot contest was to celebrate special memories captured by photographers using their Canon Cameras and Lenses, along with sharing a caption on what that picture means to them and the value it holds in their lives. Canon's social media handles were transformed into a beautiful canvas with entries shared from across the nation and represented a true celebration of the art, showcasing not only intricate technique, but also personal expression and appreciation of the countless beauties that the world has to offer.

Mr. C Sukumaran, Director, Consumer System Products & Imaging Communication Products, added, "We have witnessed the photography culture evolving in India over the years and remain committed to further nurturing the same. Taking this further, as a way to celebrate World Photography Day this year, we wanted to give all photography enthusiasts a platform to showcase their talent, and that's exactly what #MyBestShot aimed to do by fostering the passion for photography in our communities. It served as a great opportunity for everyone to fuel their creative aspirations and share their art with the world. We received beautiful entries from across the country and are confident that #MyBestShot helped give a greater impetus to the culture of photography in India."

To make this initiative even more memorable and enjoyable, Canon India roped in renowned photography maestros and ambassadors including Shivang Mehta, Ajay Ben, Ankit Singh, Anega Bawa and Nitin Arora.

In addition to the digital campaign and the social media contest, Canon India also organized three different kind of webinars on World Photography Day as a way to cultivate the passion and spread the knowledge of photography across the nation. They included - a webinar on the introduction of EOS R5 for the employees of Infosys, a webinar on the basics of photography for students of Zee School Hosur and a webinar for students belonging to the Visual Communications program at SRM College Ramapuram, Chennai. Through these webinars, Canon aimed to get closer to photography enthusiasts and help them hone their skills.

About Canon Group

Ever since its foundation in 1937, Canon is guided by the "Kyosei" philosophy of living and working together for the common good. Canon strives to create and deliver world-class products, becoming a top global corporation by diversifying into new business fields throughout the world. Focusing on optical technologies, Canon produces office equipment, consumer and professional imaging devices, network cameras, healthcare and industrial equipment. Through the close connection between its global head office in Tokyo and regional headquarters in America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and regional headquarters in Japan, Canon combines its global and local operations organically. In 1996, Canon launched its Excellent Global Corporation Plan with the goal of serving the society with advanced technologies and becoming a trustworthy and responsible corporate citizen. The year 2016 was the first year of Phase 5 of the Plan. Currently, Canon boasts a strong global presence of 376 subsidiaries all over the world, supported by 197776 employees. (Data as of December 31, 2017)

About Canon India

Canon India Pvt. Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of Canon Singapore Pvt. Ltd., is a world leader in imaging technologies. Set up in 1997, Canon markets over 200 comprehensive range of sophisticated contemporary digital imaging products and solutions in India. The company today has offices and warehouses in 14 cities across India and employs over 1000 people and over 850 channel partners. Canon India till date has opened over 250 retailer stores accredited as "Image Square" across 100+ cities in the country. Canon India's service reach extends to over 633 towns covering 18 230 PIN codes across India - which comprises of 270 Camera collection points, 16 Camera repair centers, 272 Printer repair centers, 191 Copier, Scanner and Large Format Printer Sales & Service dealers. (Data as of July 08, 2020).

In sync with its corporate tagline- 'Delighting You Always', reinforced by World class technology, Canon offers an extended product portfolio, including copier MFDs, Managed Document Services, Printers, Document and Cheque Scanners, Digital Cameras, DSLRs, Cinematic Imaging Products catering to the multiple market segments of consumer, SME, B2B, Commercial, Government & PSUs.