Canon

MELVILLE, N.Y., May 2, 2024 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced six filmmakers will join its celebrated Explorers of Light program, welcoming a new class of storytellers focused on the craft of cinematography.

For nearly three decades, the Explorers of Light program has brought together a roster of distinguished photographers to inspire, teach, and collaborate with visual artists and content creators of all skill levels. Explorers of Light past and present include multi-hyphenate creative professionals such as Academy Award®-winner Jimmy Chin (Free Solo, Meru) and Emmy® -winner Lauren Greenfield (Generation Wealth, The Queen of Versailles). With today’s addition of six new members dedicated to the art of motion, the program officially expands its scope beyond still photography to foster creativity among the global filmmaking community.

Canon’s newest Explorers of Light include cinematographers Christine Ng, Claudia Raschke, David Klein, ASC, and Shana Hagan, ASC, as well as directors Matthew Heineman and Rudy Valdez.

Brian Mahar, senior vice president and general manager, Canon U.S.A., Inc., said, “For 30 years, the Explorers of Light program has been a platform for education and inspiration. Today, we are proud to widen the aperture on the craft of visual storytelling by welcoming a group of filmmakers known for their boundary-breaking cinematography and commitment to mentorship. Each of our newest members will add incredible value to the program and to the filmmaking community at large.”

The new class of award-winning Explorers of Light will join the 35 current members of the program to share their unique perspectives and decades of industry experience with aspiring creatives.

Meet Canon’s Newest Explorers of Light (EOLs):

Christine Ng, Cinematographer (Poker Face, ZIWE, Between the World and Me)

About Christine: Christine Ng is a Hong Kong-born, New York-raised cinematographer and a graduate from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her cinematography work spans commercials, music videos, documentaries and narrative. The first commercial she shot was filmed on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon lenses and aired during Super Bowl XLVI. The first feature-length documentary Christine shot was the Emmy®-nominated and Critic’s Choice Award-winning Everything is Copy for HBO.

Named a Rising Star of Cinematography by American Cinematographer in 2022, Christine’s work has screened at festivals worldwide including SXSW®, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Outfest®, LA Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, New York Film Festival, IFFBoston and many more. In addition, she shot the film adaptation for Ta-Nehisi Coates’s critically acclaimed Between The World and Me. She shot three episodes of Issa Rae’s latest show, Rap Sh!t and two seasons of Ziwe, a variety show produced by A24 for Showtime. Most recently, she shot four episodes of Rian Johnson’s TV series, Poker Face starring Natasha Lyonne for Peacock.

• Top Gear Picks: RF50mm F1.2 L USM, RF100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM, RF28-70mm F2 L USM, RF70-200mm F2.8L IS USM, RF 24-105mm F2.8 L IS USM Z, vintage Canon K-35 Primes, the Canon 50mm f/0.95mm “Dream Lens,” and a 3D printed Totoro figurine.
• Advice for Filmmakers: “Stay humble and true to yourself, always say yes to every opportunity when you’re starting out. You never know who you will meet and how that initial meeting will influence your career later.”
• What it Means to be a Canon EOL: “It is such a prestigious honor to be included in the Explorers of Light program. I’ve always shot with Canon since I first discovered photography, so it is incredibly humbling to be recognized by the Canon team.”

Claudia Raschke, Cinematographer (Julia, My Name is Pauli Murray, RBG)

About Claudia: Claudia Raschke is a world-renowned cinematographer, best known for her ability to bring rich tones of the motion picture to a diverse spectrum in films, from purely commercial ventures, through feature-length documentaries, to lower budget works of art. Among her notable award-winning films are: Academy Award® -nominated and Emmy® -winning RBG, God is the Bigger Elvis; Academy Award® -short-listed Mad Hot Ballroom, Julia, Boys State; Peabody Award-winning Black Magic and My Name is Pauli Murray; Critics Choice Award-nominated Fauci and The House of Hammer, as well as documentary series’ for National Geographic®, Discovery, Showtime®, and CNN. Currently, Claudia is in production of an eight-part documentary series for the History Channel® to be released in 2025.

She is also a founding member of the NYC Kamera Kollektiv, a boutique agency for documentary and feature film cinematographers in New York City and a member of AMPAS.

• Top Gear Picks: Canon Cinema EOS C500 Mark II, Cinema EOS C300 Mark III, CN-E 35mm T1.5 L F, CN-E 50mm T1.3 L F, CN-E 135mm T2.2 LF, CINE-SERVO 17-120mm T2.95-3.9, COMPACT-SERVO 18-80mm T4.4 EF, a spot meter and a small sketchbook.
• Advice for Filmmakers: “Experiment as much as you can with the tech tools you have access to and create a playground to challenge yourself to think outside your limits. Be fierce and fearless.”
• What it Means to be a Canon EOL: “It is a distinct privilege and honor to join the ranks of the Explorers of Light program. Canon cameras and optics have been my top creative tools for documentary filmmaking for many years. I consider it a great opportunity to learn from other EOL artists and to share my process as a cinematographer with the Explorers of Light community.”

David Klein, ASC, Cinematographer (The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Homeland)

About David: Cinematographer David Klein, ASC has spent over three decades perfecting his craft and captivating audiences with his visual storytelling.

His remarkable career includes lensing iconic indie film classics such as Clerks, Clerks II, Mallrats, Cop Out, Red State and Chasing Amy, with director Kevin Smith. In 2014 and 2016, Klein received Emmy® nominations for Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series for his work as the Director of Photography on Showtime®'s Emmy® winning series Homeland. He also served as the Director of Photography for HBO dramas’ True Blood and Deadwood: The Movie where he earned a third Emmy® nomination in 2019.

Most recently, David has been on the forefront of virtual production shooting cutting-edge episodes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett for Disney+.

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