DUBAI: Japanese corporation Canon has selected three photographers from the Middle East for its renowned Ambassador Program, an initiative that brings together some of the world’s best photographers and videographers from across Europe, the MENA region and Africa to collaborate with Canon.
The Canon Ambassador program was initially launched in 2008. Each year, a raft of new ambassadors join the ranks of carefully-picked image makers who spearhead change and share Canon’s passion for visual storytelling. This year, Canon expanded the program with 59 new professionals joining the ranks, including three creatives from the Middle East.
Portrait of Tasneem Al-Sultan. Supplied
Joining the program this year from the Arab world are Saudi-American investigative photographer and story teller Tasneem Al-Sultan, Jorge Ferrari, a UAE-based action and commercial photographer and Jordanian photographer Muhammed Muheisen, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner.
Al-Sultan became the first Arab woman photographer to be selected for Canon’s Ambassador program. The Saudi Arabia-based image-maker is known for documenting groundbreaking developments in the Kingdom.
For his part, Ferrari, who is based in Dubai, specializes in sports photography, event coverage and car photography and has worked with international and local companies such as Emaar, Ski Dubai and Polaris.
Portrait of Jorge Ferrari. Supplied
Meanwhile, Muheisen is a world-renowned photographer with a number of prestigious accolades under his belt, including Time Magazine’s Best Wire Photographer and UNICEF Picture of the Year to name a few.
The three photographers were selected by a panel of 13 judges who sifted through 0ver 20,000 images — covering news, documentary, wildlife, weddings and more — submitted by more than 450 photographers.
“The Middle East is home to a rich pool of talent and we are proud to offer a platform that showcases the creativity of the region,” said Binoj Nair, B2C Marketing Director at Canon Middle East, in a press statement.
“We are continually looking for talented photographers and videographers to cultivate their talent and help take the art of visual storytelling to new heights. With the addition of three new ambassadors within the 2020 program, we will be able to showcase the diversity, depth and richness of the Middle East, with even more fortitude and conviction,” he added.
