Canon adds support for Canon Legends, adds NFTs

Canon U.S.A., Inc. is launching a new website to support Canon Legends, a program first announced in 2020 to honor and preserve the legacy and leadership of some of the most accomplished photographers and former members of Canon’s renowned Explorers of Light program. Canon also has announced it has increased the number of Canon Legends to 18.

The inaugural class of Canon Legends include:

To honor their legacy, Canon developed the Canon Legends website, featuring iconic images created by these renowned photographers over their long and illustrious careers.

“Through its Explorers of Light program, Canon has worked with some of the most successful and iconic names in the history of photography and creating the Canon Legends program is one way we can honor and preserve their legacy,” said Tatsuro “Tony” Kano, executive vice president and general manager of Canon U.S.A.’s Imaging Technologies & Communications Group. “They continue to be relevant members of our industry as mentors, teachers, and as active photographers. They offer a wealth of experience and are excited to share that knowledge with the next generation of creatives. Our hope is that the Canon Legends will provide education and support to the photographic industry, and beyond, for years to come.”

All members of the Canon Legends program are former Canon Explorers of Light and were invited to join the program through a nomination committee comprised of Canon management and other photo industry experts. Each year, the committee will review the list of former Explorers of Light and nominate new members at its discretion.

Canon Legends Participate in NFT Collection

Canon also announced several members of its Canon Legends program have partnered with Immutable Image to create NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) from a limited collection of their photographs and publish them as a collective. “The Legends Mint” dropped on OpenSea, one of the largest peer-to-peer NFT marketplaces. The photographers are partnering with Immutable Image, which is dedicated to introducing iconic photographs – past, present, and future – to a new generation of art lovers and collectors.

Legends participating in this first-of-its-kind Canon Legends NFT collection include Sam Abell, Barbara Bordnick, Gregory Heisler, Ryszard Horowitz, Walter Iooss, Jr., Melvin Sokolsky, and Joyce Tenneson.