Aspiring young wildlife photographers get great shots with Canon
Canon South Africa, in its commitment to inspire a passion for photography amongst the youth and aspiring photographers, has sponsored four Canon EOS 1300D cameras to the Wild Shots Outreach Programme which teaches the art of wildlife photography to underprivileged children living on the edge of the Kruger National Park.
The cameras are already being put to excellent use, with the first youngsters to use them during a Wild Shots Outreach Course at Nhlengelo School in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga reveling at the opportunity to get to grips with the functionality. Canon South Africa also sponsored 100 goody bags which will be distributed amongst all the children attending the Wild Shots Outreach programme.
“Canon South Africa has long been committed to cultivating and nurturing the talents of emerging photographers in South Africa. We need to harness the interest and enthusiasm for photography amongst our youth if we are to ensure a succession of skilled and passionate photographers into the future. The Wild Shots Outreach Programme certainly aligns with our commitment to the development of aspiring photographers in South Africa; specifically in the field of wildlife photography,” says Michelle Janse van Vuuren, Marketing Manager of Canon SA.
The annual Wild Shots wildlife photography conference was founded in 2012 and is now Africa’s foremost gathering of top wildlife photographers, where the power of photography to educate, inspire and conserve is discussed.
As the first centralised and dedicated event of its kind, Wild Shots also invites amateurs to come and learn from, and be inspired by, the best in the business. Despite running the conference for six years, Wild Shots is still seeking a South African wildlife photographer of colour to join the speakers’ line-up.
For three years, Wild Shots has been running the Outreach Programme which educates under-privileged children in the art of wildlife photography and its impact on conservation. So far, the programe has reached 283 students through 31 courses. The students are taught photography in a series of practical workshops, before going on a game drive to put what they have learned into practice. This is the first time the students, despite living on the edge of Kruger National Park, have ever had the opportunity to see their wildlife heritage. Learners have also attended the Wild Shots Conference and an exhibition of their photographic work is created to showcase the best images and stories behind the images.
As a nonprofit organization, Wild Shots Outreach relies heavily on the sponsorship and support it receives from the public and likeminded companies in order to continue the Outreach Programme.
“We are thrilled with our new Canon cameras. The first learners to use them loved experimenting with the great functionality and the results were fantastic. It is certainly rewarding to be able to teach our young learners using updated camera technologies,” says Mike Kendrick who founded and manages the programme.
Intelligent (son of Tanda Tula lodge staff) and his first rhino.
Image Supplied by Canon
About Canon Europe
Canon Europe is the EMEA arm of Canon Inc., a global provider of imaging technologies and services, and one of the world’s most well-recognised and loved brands. Canon Europe has operations in around 120 countries, employs approximately 19,000 people across the region, and contributes about a third of Canon’s global revenues annually.
Founded in 1937, Canon has been a leading name in imagery for the past 80 years, and is dedicated to helping people constantly re-imagine what is possible through imaging. From cameras to commercial printers, business consultancy to healthcare technologies, Canon enriches lives and businesses through imaging innovation.
Canon is growing the positive power of imaging technology and services. By delivering social and environmental benefits through our people and products, we are powerfully demonstrating our commitment to our philosophy of Kyosei: living and working together for the common good.
Further information about Canon Europe is available at: www.canon-europe.com
About Canon South Africa
Canon South Africa (Pty) Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon Europe, came into being on January 4, 2000. Canon Europe is the regional sales and marketing operation for Canon Inc., represented in 120 countries and employing over 11,000 people across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Canon Europe invested in South Africa with a view to growing and expanding its market share in the country.
In South Africa, the Canon brand is today synonymous with consistency, driven by the company’s passion, imagination, knowledge and importantly, loyalty to its customers. Canon SA offers a wide range of consumer imaging products and business solutions as well as a variety of large format printers.
Canon technologies are durable, innovative, intuitive, and feature smart and environmentally sustainable designs. Canon invests heavily in R & D and will continue to deliver new and technologically advanced products that cater for a variety of requirements.
In South Africa Canon will continue to support environmental sustainability by operating responsibly, minimizing the impact of its business on the environment and also encouraging a culture of environmental awareness and accountability amongst their staff, business associates and partners. Canon has also maintained its ISO 14001 environmental accreditation since 2007.
