Canon Australia Refreshes Light Awards for 2016

From Canon Australia:

With thousands of submissions in its pocket from 2015, the Canon Light Awards sees a facelift for the new year

Rejuvenating the vibrant photography competition for photographers, by photographers, Canon Australia is excited to reveal a refreshed format for its Canon Light Awards from March 2016 – kicking off with a brief on Stillness by Canon Ambassador and Australian sweetheart, Guy Sebastian.

From today, there will be a new brief set every two months, as opposed to a monthly brief, allowing participants to fully immerse themselves in the challenge. Three device-focused categories will also replace the previous Open and Student categories, to further encourage participation from everyone who has a love for photography – whether a hobbyist using a compact camera, or a professional who works with full frame DSLRs.

To nurture the winner in each category’s’ imaging skills and knowledge, they will also be awarded unique experiences with some of the best photographers in the country, on top of vouchers and product prizes.

“I love the buzz and excitement of world tours and being focused on performing my music live to my fans, but outside this, some of my most precious moments are spent behind the lens, observing and capturing the world around me. It is in these moments of stillness where I can really appreciate the little hidden surprises at every turn, the small details that often go unnoticed as we hurtle through our days,” shares passionate photographer and Canon ambassador, Guy Sebastian.

“For my Canon Light Awards brief, I’m encouraging people to use their creativity to focus on ‘stillness’. When you stop, take a deep breath, and find your sense of wonder, you surprise yourself with the beauty that lies in your frame.”

The Canon Light Awards was launched in 2015, as a series of monthly creative photography challenges aimed at nurturing Australians’ love for visual storytelling. With 14 judges and briefs set to date, thousands of memories captured in time, and two 2015 Grand Final winners just announced last week, the Canon Light Awards truly had a remarkable year. For 2016, the Canon Light Awards is set to continue as the ultimate program for inspiration, experimentation and growth.

“What sets the Canon Light Awards apart from other photography competitions is that we actively encourage everyone from people tinkering with a camera for the first time, to professionals who have made a career of capturing moments through the lens. With every new brief set by some of the best in the industry, we encourage creative shooters to push the boundaries of their imagination, craft and skill. Our focus on unique experiences for Canon users is further exemplified by other great initiatives such as the Canon Collective’s ‘Shoot the Brief’ photography meets that take place with every new Canon Light Awards brief announced.” said Jason McLean, Director – Consumer Imaging, Canon Australia.

For more information on the Canon Light Awards, and should you or your community want to get involved, do spread the word and check out http://lightawards.canon.com.au/

To see the outstanding submissions from the Canon Light Awards 2015’s 22 finalists and two Grand Final winners, please see the full gallery of high-res images available for download via http://bit.ly/1mVQ4qs

For more information on the Canon Collective, click here.

Overview of changes to the Canon Light Awards

To continue as the ultimate program for inspiration, experimentation and growth, these are the key changes made to the Canon Light Awards from March 2016:

Created by photographers, for photographers, the Canon Light Awards encourages all creative shooters to push the boundaries of their imagination, craft and skill by responding to a creative brief with powerful images that tell a story. With a new challenge set every second month by Canon’s master photographers, the Canon Light Awards is designed to help Canon camera users to achieve their photography creative potential.