Visa pour l’image 2021: Canon to celebrate excellence in photojournalism

For the 32nd consecutive year, Canon Europe is proud to announce its participation in one of the largest photojournalism festivals, Visa pour l’image. As part of the event, Canon will hold a professional week from Aug. 30 to Sept. 4, 2021. A long-term partnership with the festival affirms Canon’s commitment to photojournalism, and its dedication to supporting photographers who capture major moments in history. Canon and Visa pour l’image’s collaborative initiatives – from grants for video journalists and women photojournalists to a student program – are designed to encourage both aspiring masters and storytelling professionals who explore our world.

Best photojournalists

Canon and Visa pour l’image will award a grant to an outstanding woman photographer for the 21st time to celebrate her contribution to photojournalism. This year, it’s Acacia Johnson. It will receive €8,000 for a project focusing on small plane pilots who help rural Alaska To Know The Earth from Above: The Bush Pilots Connecting Rural Alaska . Currently, only 20 percent of Alaska has roads.

Dozens of remote, mostly indigenous communities use small planes to deliver food, medicine and emergency transportation. Acacia will kick off the project in her hometown of Anchorage. The grant will enable her to tell more about the pilots through their portraits of themselves and their in-flight photos. Johnson, as will photographer Sabiha Jimen of Turkey Sabiha &Ccedil imen , who received a grant last year for her project about Hafiz Hafiz: Guardians of the Qur’an , will present her work at Visa pour l’image in 2022.

Canon grant for video journalists

In recognition of the art of documentary filmmaking, Canon and Visa pour l’image will award a grant to an up-and-coming video journalist for the second time. This is Camille Millerand, who wants to make a short documentary. Millerand will receive 8,000 euros for a project called The Invisibles, dedicated to illegal workers in France, who constitute an important part of the country’s economy. In addition, he will be loaned professional Canon video equipment to work on the project.

The documentary will be screened at the festival in 2022 – as will the work of the winner of the first last year’s Canon Video Journalism Grant. A short documentary by French-Swiss photographer and cinematographer Michaël Zumstein&euml l Zumstein talks about the organization of the Miss Central African Republic pageant in war conditions.

Supporting future photojournalists

For the fifth time in 2021, Canon will offer a student program to train those who want to build a career as photographers. It will be held online for the second time during Professional Week, September 1-4, and will be attended by more than 200 aspiring photographers from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The intensive training program will help them refine their skills and determine their future development with the support of top industry professionals who will lecture and evaluate participants’ portfolios. 21 photographers, including Canon ambassadors Jerome Sessini J&eacute r&ocirc The project will be given €8,000 by Me Sessini, Marco Longari, Muhammed Muheisen, Aida Muluneh and Magnouneh&iuml da Muluneh and Magnus Wennman, along with other recognized industry professionals, will mentor and evaluate student portfolios. Photo editors and curators Fiona Shields from The Guardian, Chiara Bardelli Nonino from Vogue Italia, Whitney Richardson from The New York Times, Jay Davis from Getty, Mohamed Somji from Gulf Photo Plus and Lars Lindemann from GEO.

A series of informative and inspiring lectures by world-renowned professionals will be delivered online from September 1, and will be available to anyone who registers on Canon’s website. This year, guests from Magnum, Politiken and Reuters will share their thoughts on the ethics and moral responsibility of photographers, what agencies and photo editors look for in a photographer, and the power of multimedia and a socially conscious approach.

Canon Ambassador Exhibitions

Exhibitions in Perpignan. Pierre and Alexandra Boulat Award 2020 winner and Canon Ambassador Jérôme Jans J&eacute r&ocirc Me Gence will present its Telework exhibition on the theme of remote work. His 2019 photos feature “digital nomads” who have moved to Bali. These young people escape the hustle and bustle of the city and work remotely, enjoying sunshine, palm trees and low prices. Gabriele Galimberti, a Canon ambassador, will present photos from The Ameriguns project, which he worked on in the USA. These are home portraits of Americans with their guns in their hands.