Canon a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced that several members of its exclusive Canon Legends program have partnered with Immutable Image to create NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) from a limited collection of their photographs and publish them as a collective. “The Legends Mint” will drop on June 30, 2022, using the Solana blockchain on OpenSea, one of the world’s largest peer-to-peer NFT marketplaces. Immutable Image and Canon are dedicated to bringing iconic photography direct from photographers to the NFT community in innovative and accessible ways.
Canon Legends is a program created by Canon to honor and preserve the legacy and leadership of some of the most accomplished photographers of our time and former members of its renowned Explorers of Light program. Legends participating in this first-of-its-kind Canon Legends NFT collection include Sam Abell, Barbara Bordnick, Gregory Heisler, Ryszard Horowitz, Walter Iooss, Jr., Melvin Sokolsky, and Joyce Tenneson.
About the Participating Canon Legends
Sam Abell – National Geographic magazine photographer
Barbara Bordnick – Internationally renowned portrait and fashion photographer
Gregory Heisler – “The eye of an artist, the mind of a scientist, and the heart of a journalist”
Ryszard Horowitz – Pioneer of special effects photography
Walter Iooss Jr – “The Rembrandt of sports photography”
Melvin Sokolsky – One of the great editorial fashion photographers of our time
Joyce Tenneson – A master of the haunting, ethereal, mystical photographic style
The Legends Mint
“Minting,” in the world of NFTs, is a term used for publishing tokens (in this case, photographs) on the blockchain to make them available for others to purchase. Immutable Image is curating “The Legends Mint” collection of seven legendary photographers whose works focus on sports, fashion, fine art, portraiture, travel, still life, and pre-digital special effects photography. Each photographer is offering exceptional photographs to “The Legends Mint,” with a total supply of editions to be announced. There will be exclusive 1/1 NFTs available from each participating photographer along with multiple edition NFTs.
All participating purchasers of this Mint will receive a randomly selected, unique NFT photograph from “The Legends Mint.” Purchases will not include copyright or commercial rights to the image itself. Instead, it will present a unique and limited edition NFT, much like the purchase of a traditional, limited-edition print from a gallery or directly from the artist. The rarity and variance of what purchasers receive will be in the edition size of the image, the artist, and the imagery itself.
“I have to admit that the notion of selling my work in limited editions or as one-of-a-kind art on a digital platform that offered no tangible hard-copy print was a bit foreign to me, but equally intriguing,” explained Canon Legend Ryszard Horowitz, who is widely recognized as a pioneer of special effects photography predating digital imaging. “I’ve always been attracted to new ways of creating and sharing my work, so I thought this was an interesting opportunity to explore. I’m also honored and thrilled to be collaborating with these other legendary photographers, most of whom I’ve known my entire career and I’m grateful to Canon for bringing us together.”
In addition to creating a truly fair and affordable way to collect iconic photography, NFTs are generating a completely new channel for photographers to generate revenue. “The sale of NFTs and traditional print sales are parallel offerings that can co-exist together,” explains Bjorn Iooss. “In fact, NFTs can provide revenue in perpetuity,” he said, explaining that photographers will continue to receive commissions on the resale of photographs already on the Blockchain, something they do not receive in the traditional open market. “Photographers traditionally received payment from the initial sale of a print, but nothing from the resale of that same print. This changes everything.”
The Legends Mint Drops June 30th 2022
©2022 Canon, Immutable Image
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