Inaugural ‘Your Canon Event’ Empowers Singapore’s Maker Communities and Spotlights Visual Talent –  Text by Melody Tan

31st July 2026, Singapore – Canon Singapore announced on 25th July 2026 on the successful conclusion of Your Canon Event, an experiential maker festival that brought together over 1,500 attendees to Urban Park @ Guoco Tower.

The weekend festival featured the landmark 20th Canon PhotoMarathon photography and inaugural video storytelling competition, paired with hands-on workshops, experiential play zone, and community-led activities spanning hobbies as varied as botany, tabletop gaming, and miniature model painting.

“With ‘Your Canon Event’, we set out to redefine what a modern maker festival could look like, and reflect how creators engage with imaging today,” said Too Kok Yong, Head of Singapore Operations Group, Canon Singapore.

He added: “We seek to create a collaborative space where Singapore’s vibrantcreator communities could celebrate their distinct passions and engage in visual storytelling, in the spirit of kyosei—living and working together for the common good. Seeing so many creators connect these diverse hobbies with our PowerShot V Series and EOS V Series, alongside the incredible milestones of our 20th Canon PhotoMarathon, underscores our commitment to empowering creators
at every stage of their journey.”

Nurturing the Next Generation: The 20th Canon PhotoMarathon

Returning with high stakes, the 20th Canon PhotoMarathon challenged visual storytellers across Singapore to capture compelling visual stories under themes and time constraints, culminating in an official judging process evaluated by a panel of six esteemed industry experts including three judges for the inaugural video category.

One of the judges of the video edition, Dylan Chia, The Sticker Guy from DCHTOONS, said,

“What struck me about the Open Category was how differently people interpreted Kyosei. I believe Kyosei is all about human connection, but the winning film took a different approach. It first started with nature, then connected it back to people. It’s nice to see that harmony didn’t begin with us, but rather beginning with nature that was here before us. The third place also deserves a shoutout. They broke the fourth wall by having people point and gesture to the camera, and that made their message about human connection stick with me.”

Themes included vibrant, value and voice, which saw participants travelling around Singapore to capture the shot that best represents the theme. Open Category Winner, Mohd Safuan bin Salahudin said,

“Winning Canon PhotoMarathon for the third time is something I didn’t expect, especially after spending the day shooting in the rain. For the ‘Voice’ theme, I wanted to try something different instead of going with the obvious human interpretation, and focused on capturing expression in a unique way. Competitions like this remind me that some of the best photographs come from slowing down, noticing the little details around you and not being afraid to see things differently.”

A standout highlight of this milestone edition was the amazing turnout in the Youth Category, specifically designated for creators aged 25 years and below. This category spotlighted a surging wave of Gen Z and younger talent who brought fresh perspectives to the competition’s themes— including the dedicated video category on Kyosei, which challenged participants to capture stories of community, sustainability, and social harmony. #iamkyosei is a celebration of self-expression, interactivity, and integrity that defines today’s youth. Rooted in Canon’s corporate philosophy of Kyosei, Canon Singapore celebrates the young generation’s fresh outlook and purpose-driven approach to life through this campaign.

APSN also returned to participate in Canon PhotoMarathon, continuing its long-standing partnership with Canon Singapore. The relationship between Canon Singapore and APSN, a social service agency that supports individuals with mild intellectual disability, dates back to 2006. The partnership includes specially designed workshops to sharpen the APSN students’ technical skills, loaning of imaging equipment and organisation of guided photo outings led by Canon Singapore staff volunteers. This continued participation reflects the shared commitment of Canon Singapore and APSN to making photography more accessible and creating opportunities for youths with mild intellectual disability to express their creativity.

Beyond the Competition: A Maker Festival Built Around the EOS/PowerShot V series

This year’s Canon PhotoMarathon was surrounded by a full festival programme of hands-on stations, from postcard making Play Lab to craft workshops, designed to show how imaging technology fits into everyday creative hobbies. Throughout the festival grounds, attendees experienced firsthand how Canon’s compact and agile EOS/PowerShot V series seamlessly integrates into specialised lifestyle workflows.

Alongside, local plant design studio Soilboy led community workshops focused on the dual art of plant styling and macro photography. Attendees utilised the nimble form factors of the EOS/PowerShot V series to capture the organic textures of curated greenery under varying settings. Meanwhile, a dedicated miniature painting zone allowed hobbyists to test the macro capabilities and crisp colour science of Canon’s cameras.

About Canon Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Canon is a global leader in photographic and digital imaging solutions. Canon Singapore Pte. Ltd. is the headquarters for South & Southeast Asia driving sales, marketing and service strategies. Besides handling the domestic market, the company covers 22 other countries and regions. The parent company Canon Inc. has a global network of more than 300 companies and employs about 165,000 people worldwide. Canon is guided by its kyosei philosophy that focuses on living and working together for the common good.

More information is available at https://sg.canon.

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Contributing Editor – Melody Tan

Loves quiet walks along beaches, has a mind of her own and decides everything in life in either black or white with nothing in between. Her priority these days revolves around her 2 lovely kids & teaching them music or photography. A lover of yoga and an avid traveler, Melody aims to visit at least 30 countries before she reach 40 years old – from what we know, she had completed 35 as of 2025.

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