Photography enthusiasts from all over the country participated in the fifth edition of Canon’s Photomarathon held last weekend. The initiative first kicked off in India in 2009 and has since enjoyed significant appeal among a growing number of DSLR users in India who want to take their photography skills to a new level. Earlier editions of the event saw Mumbai and New Delhi as host cities.

The Japanese MNC first kicked off its Photomarathon in 2003 in Singapore. Since then, the event has been regularly doing the rounds in countries like Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. A daylong event, the Photomarathon is one of the company’s key global customer engagement platforms that aim to instil a deeper passion for photography among various user profiles.

Catch them young

“Over the years, younger users and families have begun to take an active interest in photography. This year, out of the 600 registered contestants, 10% are women. We’ve noticed that photography enthusiasts like being part of a community and tend to share their work on various networks. This is why the Photomarathon makes sense for the company. It taps into that desire to consistently get better at photography and be part of a large band,” shares Dr. Alok Bharadwaj, Executive Vice President of Canon India. Andrew Koh, Senior Director, Image Communication Products Group, Canon India added, “India is a huge market and we are witnessing the rapid evolution of photography here.”

Fun at learning

The company’s promise to contestants with every edition of the Photomarathon is an entire day of fun and learning. This year every contestant was required to shoot pictures on the themes, Tranquillity and Chaos, announced at the start of the event. The photographs were to be submitted within a given timeframe. Advertising and fashion photographer Waseem Khan, Macro Photographer and Director of National Institute of Creative Communication Akash Rose and Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer Neeta Shankar were the judges.

Cut-off criterion

The photographs were assessed for their creative, technical and narrative competence. Vivek Mathur won the Grand prize - the Photoclinic which includes entry into a photography tour led by experts to selected destinations around the world. Jackson Johnson and Jayaprathab Mathuraiveeran won the second and third prize respectively. They received Canon DSLR cameras and exclusive merchandize.

Competitive drive

“The event was inspiring and challenging. Considering the number of participants, being distinctly different in my approach was important. I’ve pursued photography as a hobby so far, but the win has motivated me to look at upgrading my skills to an expert-level with the help of experts. The tour in Japan organized by the company will help me with my goal,” says Mathur, a Hyderabad-based Business Analyst at ADP India.

In India, Canon’s aims are clear. After posting revenues of ₹1910 crore in 2013, it’s eyeing ₹2100 crore this year to record a 10% growth. 50% of its business in India reportedly comes from its camera segment with DSLRs comprising 80% of total camera sales. In revenue terms, the company has seen a 30% growth in sales of DSLRs this year.

“If the market size DSLRs is equivalent to anywhere between 300,000 - 320,000 units, the corporation is targeting 45% market share in India over the next few months,” sums up Bharadwaj.

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