• Hear from top photography experts in a range of talks that form part of Canon’s 2021 Student Development Programme – sign up here
• Free and open to all, highlights include Canon’s Thinking Social-First panel discussion, focusing on the unique opportunities (and challenges) social platforms can bring photographers of all levels

Don’t make the mistake of ignoring social media in the early stages of your career - as many as 1,074 photos are uploaded to Instagram every second, and 68 per cent of users go to Instagram to interact with their favourite creators¹. The Thinking Social-First panel answers questions like: “How can I get the attention of potential employers using social media? What are the risks involved with uploading my images publicly? How can I use social media to build a community?” Whether you’re an industry trailblazer or a complete photography newbie, social media can expand your horizons and help your hard work reach entirely new audiences. Trust the word of Canon’s knowledgeable expert panellists, including:

• Documentary photographer and Canon Ambassador Gabriele Galimberti, who boasts over 278,000 followers on Instagram and frequently uses social media as a research tool to contact, discover, and produce stories. Documentary subjects who twenty years ago would have been unreachable, can now easily be traced and approached through the formidable power of the internet.
• Laura El-Tantawy , whose award-winning work examines the experience of living between East and West, will offer a unique perspective on subjects such as how to be mindful of the information you supply, adhering to local government regulations while travelling, and how you can protect your work from cyber-theft.
• Lars Lindemann , Director of Photography and Deputy Visual Director at GEO and PM, is a former freelance photo editor and photographer who has been on the judging panel for prestigious competitions such as the World Press Photo Contest. He will be discussing how social media can be used to source photographers and to network throughout your career.
• Anastasia Taylor-Lind is a TED fellow who works for magazines such as National Geographic covering trending issues relating to women and violence. If you’re a risk-taker who still wants to tread carefully with sensitive topics, Taylor-Lind is a great authority on how to approach your interview subjects with compassion and still create quality investigative content. She will be focusing on creating social-first content, and how to use social media to get commissions.

If breaking into the traditional media mainstream is your goal, you’ll want to hear from internationally renowned photography and media institutions such as Politiken, Reuters and The Guardian who will all be providing unrivalled insight in additional talks. Topics such as the power of multimedia, the role of grants in catapulting careers, insights on hiring photographers, and power dynamics in portraiture will challenge you to rethink everything you think you know about photography, as well as encourage you to look towards the future and consider what your individual style can bring to the industry.

Gabriele Galimberti, Documentary Photographer and Canon Ambassador said: "I’m delighted to have the opportunity to encourage aspiring photographers and share my experience on telling the stories of people through portraits and film. Social media is ever-changing and a vital part of my research process - I look forward to discussing my insights with Canon’s team of panellists, and hopefully helping the next generation of photography stars.”

Susie Donaldson, ITCG European Marketing Director for Canon EMEA said: “For the second year running, the Canon Student Development Programme is taking place entirely digitally, meaning that our incredible panel talks are easily accessible across the world and available to the widest pool of aspiring talent. Focusing on topics that we know are most relevant to those just starting out in their photography careers, we hope that these talks will be the stepping stone students need to make that leap into the industry as professionals.”

Since 2017, over 800 students have attended the Student Development Programme, and talents have gone on to launch incredible careers at titles such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

With exciting talks and Q&As taking place every day that you won’t want to miss, sign up to listen in and be a part of the 2021 Canon Student Development Programme via the following link: https://www.canon-europe.com/student-development-programme/

Daily highlights include:

• Wednesday 1^st September: Sign up for Meet the alumni - from student to pro with Ilvy Njiokiktjien, Ksenia Kuleshova and Michele Spatari, and From field to front page: the tools to build your story with Brent Stirton and Vincent Jolly, hosted by Laura El-Tantawy
• Thursday 2^nd September: Tune in to Moving to motion: the power of multimedia with Ilvy Njiokiktjien and Magnus Wennman, and How to get hired as a photographer: insights from the industry with Gulshan Khan, Thomas Borberg, Rickey Rogers and Fiona Shields
• Friday 3^rd September: Sign up for Getting ahead: how grants and awards catapult a career, hosted by Ilvy Njiokiktjien, with Catalina Martin-Chico, Monica Allende and Acacia Johnson, and Thinking social-first: the importance of Social Media in powering your photography with Ilvy Njiokiktjien, Gabriele Galimberti, Laura El-Tantawy, Anastasia Taylor-Lind and Lars Lindemann
• Saturday 4^th September: Tune in to The Portraiture Power Dynamic with Bieke Depoorter, Lindokuhle Sobekwa, Muhammad Salah and Rein Deslé.