Mesmerising cherry blossoms, a lonesome man, a tantalising Japanese bento, a busy train station at peak hours… These imageries were immortalised by the photographers who took part in the Canon Photo Clinic 2016, an all-expense-paid photography trip organised by Canon. Chosen out of thousands, the participants’ photography skills, reaction of changes, and eye for details were put to test.
Challenge 1, Phoenix Rising, challenged participants to capture the beauty of Kitakata, Fukushima. It was followed by Knocked Down but Not Out, Challenge 2, in which they had to show the world that Ishinomaki, a large port city east of Sendai, survived with strong resilience after getting hit by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
Image captured by Trinh Trung Dung in Challenge 1
20 photography enthusiasts, armed with their trusty cameras, set off to Japan for Canon’s annual Photo Clinic. Unaware of the themes and challenge locations, the participants kept their eyes peeled and their camera ready for anything that might be worth capturing.
Image captured by Shaun Tan Chun Weng in Challenge 2
The eight-day long journey saw a series of wonderful visual presentations created by these talented individuals. Capturing the essence of travel photography, from landscape to food to portraiture, the challenges gave the photographers an opportunity to showcase their works captured in the moment, reflecting their spontaneity and quick photography reflexes.
In Challenge 3, Great Green Goodness, the participants tried to photograph Ito En’s ‘O-I Ocha’ tea bottle in the most creative ways, showcasing the drink’s essentiality in every meal. Tokyo Station, the busiest station in Japan, served as the location for Photo Clinic’s Challenge 4, Peacefully Chaotic. Tasked to capture a moment of peace amongst the chaos, the participants pushed through wave after wave of commuters to find a subject that best represented the theme.
Image captured by Or Sereiromnir in Challenge 3 (3rd prize)
Image captured by Shaun Tan Chun Weng in Challenge 3 (2nd prize)
Image captured by Adhitiya Wibhawa in Challenge 3 (1st prize)
From the city to the countryside, the spirit of Japan was beautifully illustrated through these images. Judged by artist/photographer Goto Aki and celebrity photographer Justin Mott, the winners took home prizes including the Canon Selphy Printer CP1200, Active backpack, and Tokyo Station Building nano block.
Image captured by Ares Jonekson Saragi for in Challenge 4
The photography trip concluded with participant Shaun Tan Chun Weng (Singapore) scoring, on a scale of 100, an average of 59.375, while Adhitiya Wibhawa (Indonesia) came close second with 58.75, and second runner-up Lim Tung Sun (Singapore) an impressive 58.125, making them the grand winners of the Canon Photo Clinic 2016.
