Come November, it’s an anticipated ritual for photo and video enthusiasts to gather at ProFusion. The annual trade show invites professional photographers and videographers, aspiring content creators, vloggers and anyone with an interest in the imaging industry to see the latest and greatest technology. The event includes product launches, demonstrations and guest speakers in an intimate and interactive environment. Canon Canada was proud to once again be a gold sponsor of ProFusion. The two-day event took place on Nov. 6-7 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Canon Canada’s booth featured two collaborative studios where attendees could experiment with different gear, including the EOS R5 Mark II – a professional full-frame mirrorless camera with 45MP stacked and back-illuminated sensor for fast read-out speeds and 30 fps electronic shutter – the EOS R50 (designed for entry-level users looking to lean into interchangeable lenses) and the EOS C80, which features a 6K full-frame, back-illuminated CMOS sensor, triple-base ISO and 12G-SDI output.

Canon Canada displayed an impressive collection of its latest cameras, lenses and Cinema EOS products. Attendees could try gear before buying it, and product experts were on hand to answer questions. A print gallery showcased not only the work of Canon Ambassadors Simon d’Entremont, Kishan Mistry and Kate Whyte, but also the ability of the imagePROGRAF PRO-6100s to reproduce true-to-life prints. Another corner of the booth housed the imagePROGRAF PRO-2600, which demonstrated its ability to output a fine-art-quality print in less than 10 minutes. Visitors could also experience the CR-N500, a 4K UHD PTZ camera suited for both indoor and outdoor remote broadcasts, paired with the RC-IP100, a remote camera controller.

Canon also welcomed three presenters. Kate Whyte, a fashion, beauty and portrait photographer based in Vancouver, recounted her creative journey, starting from her days as a self-described “art nerd” in high school through her decision to follow her passion and pursue photography full time. She shared her strategies for elevating her work. One of those is critiquing and comparing your own images. “It’s important to celebrate the things you’ve done well along with [recognize] the things that could use improvement,” she said. Whyte displayed her re-creations of images that inspired her. Creating a checklist of things to analyze and compare – lighting, lens choice, makeup, styling, etc. – helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and learn from your past mistakes. “It builds confidence in your future work,” she said.

To highlight another strategy – reverse engineering images – Whyte shared a series of self-portrait re-creations. The project, a challenge to experiment with new lighting and setups, built her creative versatility and empowered her to take on projects that may have intimated her in the past. “Inspiration is all around us,” she said, “but true creativity lies in how we blend our influences and all of our personal experiences into our own unique expression.”

Kishan Mistry, a sports and concert photographer based in the Greater Toronto Area, spoke about the art of storytelling in sports. It’s having the right mindset, in particular, having a willingness to practice, being persistent and consistent, and understanding that nothing is perfect. Art is subjective, he said. “One of my favourite sayings is a picture is worth a thousand words. Everyone will have a different interpretation of the same picture. Everyone will draw a different feeling from it. That’s why photography is so great.”

He emphasized the power of storytelling, the ability to take a snapshot of a moment and give purpose to a photo. Photography draws emotional connections, invokes memorable moments and impacts an audience, and allows you to share your voice and provide a new perspective.

One big way he tells stories is through technique. “One of my favourite parts about sports is taking in-game portraits of players,” he said. “Depth of field is a cool way to isolate the player and home in on their different characteristics. It really shows off their personality and shows off who they are off the court as well.”

Rupert Walker, a Victoria-based filmmaker and friend of Canon, shared how his love of mountain biking as a child became the foundation of his filmmaking career. Creating short-form videos of action sports early on helped him build not only an audience but also a production company.

Walker shared behind-the-scenes stories and exclusive footage of his new film, Land of Plenty, a seven-minute documentary about his friend Ryan Cameron. Ryan grew up on a 32-foot fishing boat with his parents and four siblings, and didn’t learn to read or write until he was 13 years old. The film tells that story and the story of where Ryan is now. Walker shot the film using the Canon EOS C80 and EOS R5 Mark II, his first time using the gear. “Having access to such high resolution and high dynamic range images in cameras that are so small and compact made our shoot possible,” he said. He spoke of the logistical challenges – filming on boats, transiting between islands on dinghies, having sand from the beach constantly blowing – and how the size of the cameras helped him overcome those obstacles.

He showed side-by-side footage from the cameras and highlighted the features that worked best for him. “We utilized auto focus for nearly every shot of the shoot,” he said. “The EOS R5 Mark II is a hybrid system, having a mixture of a video and photography system, and it’s very accurate and snappy. Being able to rely on auto focus allowed me to keep my hands on the camera and manage exposure, and focus more on the dynamic handheld shots.”