Chasing the thrill of adventure with Canon

In its recently launched coffee table book in collaboration with Nation Media Group, Canon (www.Canon-CNA.com) encapsulates the thrill of adventure by showcasing the action captured by prominent African sports photographers. The book pays homage to the art of sport photography and key sports photographers from Africa who have been monumental in promoting sports events across the continent by capturing the thrill of the games through their Canon cameras.

Sports and action photography has always been a challenging feat to accomplish for photographers are expected to yield the same kind of arresting experience as one would have watching the show or game on spot live. To distill the aesthetic experience of the show or the game into a single photograph requires a combination of a highly skilled photographer who knows precisely when to click and capture along with an extra-ordinary camera that is built for speed photography. One without the other is simply not enough to engage in the art of action photography where a millisecond could make a mammoth difference.

“For decades, Canon has supported the vision of sports photographers, in condensing the agile movements that happen on ground into a single image that can evoke the same joy, excitement and thrill. Canon’s newly launched coffee-table book is an endeavor to highlight this relentless spirit of Kenyan photographers who have brought to life much-popular sports events like the World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally whilst exploring the future of action photography through Canon’s revolutionary imaging technology,” remarked Amine Djouahra, Director of Sales and Marketing, Canon Central and North Africa on Canon’s vision behind launching the coffee table book.

Freeze-frame of iconic moments
“The world of sports photography is a freeze-frame of iconic moments that are captured in a split second of time. My love for action & sports photography was fortified when I started attending racing events in and around 2016 with my entry level Canon 1200D camera. I was totally enthralled by the world of WRC Safari rally and I wanted other people to experience that anxiety, thrill, adventure through my photographs.

“Canon’s superlative auto-focus technology really puts you ahead in the game, it is crucial to have the right gear with you when attempting to capture such fast-moving objects on the screen. Even my first DSLR, the Canon 1200D has brilliantly captured some shots of cars racing through with clouds of dust forming around to give the onlookers a sense of what really happens on the track,” says Alvin Kibet, a 26 year old action and sports photographer who is also an astral aerial drone pilot and GIS analyst.

The photographer has been an avid fan of capturing sports cars in racing competitions and rallies having used multiple Canon cameras from the famous EOS series to document his love and passion for adventure.

Personifying agility and speed through the lens
Kenyan photographer Anwar Sidi has spent more than two decades in the world of formal motorsports pro photography and shot to fame when his first photograph of the East African Safari Rally was published on the front pages of national newspapers twenty-nine years ago. Commenting on his love for action photography, he says, “Capturing the roaring power of race cars in all their glory and magnificence is in itself an exhilarating experience. And to do so, you must be accompanied with best in class technology that a camera can offer.

“Over the decades, Canon has epitomized the photographer’s vision of capturing that excitement, wonder and drama into one frame. In the years, Canon’s autofocus system enhanced with every new model in the early days of EOS, and it attracted more photographers to actually venture into the world of sports photography, simply because now they could do. In the early days, you could spot those distinctive white lenses from a distance and know that it was Canon. Today, the design has changed but the legacy continues of the phenomenal EOS range.” He added.

Anwar Sidi’s work has been published in leading magazines and websites such as Auto sport, Rally Sport, Motoring News, Rally Course, Bulletin, Reuters and AP amongst many others.

Celebrating Africa and its people through visual stories
For Mwangi Kirubi, storytelling through a visual medium remains an important part of communicating messages as well as driving awareness. A celebrated photographer who’s been lauded with awards in his journey of photography and film-making, Mwangi prefers to convey messages through the art of photography.

“There is so much to Africa that the world has not seen, apart from our beautiful landscapes and rich natural history, we also have some of the best racing events in the world that truly showcase the talent that thrives in the African continent. And as a photographer, the duty and responsibility of showcasing this incredible feat lands on my shoulder and I must absolutely have a trustworthy partner i.e. camera to do so.

“To capture a fleeting moment in a matter of microseconds can only be accomplished when you have cutting-edge features such as advanced intelligent autofocus, built-in image stabilization, motive recognition that can turn a good shot into a hair-raising one,” remarked Mwangi.

Canon’s newly introduced EOS R5 stands enables photographers to take stunning images at 45 megapixels and up to 20 frames/second and to capture cinema-like, 12-bit 8K RAW movie using the full width of the camera sensor.

Intuitive understanding plus revolutionary technology equals recipe for sports photography
Another award-winning photojournalist from Nairobi, Kenya with eight years of experience Sila Kiplagat has spent years covering prestigious sports events such as WRC. He adds, “Sports photography would not have been a thing if we didn’t have avant-garde technology that we have today from companies like Canon that enable us to truly do justice to words such as thrill and adventure. Evoking such strong emotion merely through a photograph actually requires a lot of work behind the scenes.

“I have extensively used Canon EOS-1D X Mark II that boasts a full-frame 20.2MP CMOS sensor and dual DIGIC 6+ image processors, which contribute to fast continuous shooting rates up to 16 fps in live view, 14 fps with full-time AF and AE, and an expanded sensitivity range from ISO 50-409600. I have been able to capture some timeless shots using this same camera, pictures that will give you goosebumps and transport you directly to the scene of action. Such is the power of sports photography, and it is remarkable that we have groundbreaking technology that allows us to bring this forward to people.”

In a bid to propel the art of sports photography and encourage budding photographers, Canon has also set up a dedicated service for professional and semi-professional photographers and videographers who use Canon products called Canon Professional Services (CPS). The CPS initiatives aim to enable and empower professional photographers to discover the next best in photography, to turn a good shot into a hair-raising one. Fast service and repairs for kit, inspirational events and experiences, and exclusive special offers are some of the many benefits offered to our CPS Members in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

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