How Not To Become A Canon Camera Ambassador

I was the face of a TV show for 5 years sponsored by camera behemoth Canon. I hosted events, appeared on billboards, you name it, but I was never a Canon Ambassador, find out why.
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[@vanvietannguyen105]

I was one of the contestants on that tv show. You have inspired me and others by your photography, charismatic, not because of the relationship with canon. Be yourself and inspire many more , my friend.

[@AskMOTT]

I appreciate that old friend , how are you ?

[@lindakuo88]

Didn’t need to share this story but you did because it’s helpful to your community. Eye opening, and sadly not surprised to hear about your experience. Transparency, generous, humility and gracious. “Bank on yourself. Be your own ambassador”

[@gregspov]

Thanks for sharing this Justin. I suspect many artists will relate to your situation. I recall having similar feelings about a professional relationship when I was an active photojournalist and it’s a feeling that still stays with me today. “Be your own ambassador” is great advice!

[@AskMOTT]

Thank you for watching Greg :)

[@tcphoto]

Credit to you for committing so much time and effort despite the lack of reciprocal effort from Canon. People fail to recognize that it's a two way street in a business relationship and they seemed to have overvalued their part.

[@markturner7910]

A very interesting, candid video , thank you for sharing , it would be interesting to see more videos like this, about you experience working with the New York times etc

[@AskMOTT]

Thanks Mark, coming soon :).

[@EisaALSHAMSI]

You made the right decision. If Canon respected you and had shown you the slightest recognition, they would've granted you what you deserve. It is their loss.

[@AskMOTT]

Thanks Eisa.

[@lunatalino1502]

Very interesting story, thanks for sharing. It's pretty crazy to see that situations like this can happen at all stages of ones career from the armature all the way to the working fulltime professional. Good on you to recognize the relationship wasn't going in the desired direction and to move on. This advice will help many people.

[@AskMOTT]

Thank you Lu, I’m happy I shared this.

[@joelmorsch4790]

This was a wonderful demythologizing of what constitutes success generally but more importantly for you in particular. It is more important to do what you love rather then what others may perceive as being successful.

[@AskMOTT]

Thanks for watching Joel, totally agree.

[@jayse1195]

Another fantastic and eye opening video. Really truthful and still very pleasant and impartial. Superb.

[@AskMOTT]

I appreciate that Jay, thank you.

[@Van-Life-The-Great-Outdoors]

Hi Justin, Long comment. been a documentary photographer since a child, some 47 years, turned pro 11 years ago, on and off like a yoyo. I come from a poor background, a self taught artist and photographer and being dyslexic makes me an unusual photographer. I simply shoot what suits my mood. I applied to canon UK, I explained my life, how i do photography so on, as my life story must be very rare in the UK. no schooling, working as a child and brought up tough. My website is me in digital form. photography and hiking as one, i live in a van, not a house. I'm not sure if i was too honest with canon. A real person shooting the real world! My passion is shooting what you see and how people can photograph without the need for software and get super fine results.
The problem with Canon i guess, they want people to suck up to them. My R6 is hopeless in poor weather, it's been back to canon where they told me it had no weather sealing on the top area! The camera didn't focus right until they fixed it. they replaced half of the electronics inside and would not tell me why they replaced those. What is the point in working for them if you state, hey the camera has faults but they tell you to say it's ok? Take the overheating lies when it the R5 came out.
I'm don't wish to be world class but instead a real world, real person photographer doing real world what people relate too and were people from lesser backgrounds can do something other than drink and drugs. The UK is very 3 class social divide where the poor are not seen as photographers. A lot of people don't relate to you guys because of money issues. Affording a camera in the UK often costs more than peoples cars!

[@abrooklyngirllinda]

I appreciate your honesty so much. Wow, an amazing opportunity nevertheless. But your evolution as a photographer + human is so awesome. I love the work you are focused on now and I always appreciate hearing everything you have to say.

[@MegaSoundscapes]

Wow, what an Interesting story, thankx for sharing Justin !

[@AskMOTT]

Thank you Herbert.

[@AndiIstiabudi]

I'm the one who meet you during the PFO show events in Indonesia. I even give you stock of Indonesian coffee on your last visit to Jakarta if you still remember hahaha.. I know that day you're very tired because you only few hours in Jakarta and at night you have to fly again but you're very kind to us that day. Anyway all the best for your future. Hope you will be more success and visit my country again :)

[@AskMOTT]

Good to hear from you Andi, it was such a pleasure meeting you and l loved your passion.

[@AndiIstiabudi]

@@AskMOTT Hope someday you visit Jakarta again. The city is growing very fast in the recent years and now look more modern. Anyway I love your rhinos project :)

[@willbaren]

This is valuable experience thanks for sharing.

[@AskMOTT]

Thanks for watching Will.

[@jannismattar]

Great insights! Thank you, Justin!

[@AskMOTT]

Thanks Jannis, it was a long one but happy I told this story.

[@petersmitham8273]

Big companies suck….I imagine Robin Wong has the same feelings about ‘Olympus’ right now……we appreciate you even if Canon don’t..📸😎🌈

[@AskMOTT]

Thank you Peter :)

[@exposuresop]

Thank you very much for sharing...

[@AskMOTT]

My absolute pleasure , thanks for watching.

[@MrJosshead]

Really interesting piece, mate.

[@AskMOTT]

Thanks Joss :)

[@hathanhan4595]

Thanks for share from you!

[@AskMOTT]

My pleasure thank for watching:)

[@WilsonWongWilzWorkz]

I know that Justin during the Canon days

[@AskMOTT]

Yes indeed Wilson :)

[@parasinthephilippines]

Interesting story.

[@AskMOTT]

Thanks for watching.

[@AskMOTT]

If you could be an ambassador for one camera company, which one would you choose?

[@patrickjclarke]

Holga!! 👻. But in digital, I’d love to be a Sigma Foveon top secret user. Not even ambassador, I would want to influence the direction of Foveon and any new cameras.
I’ve thought about buying a Pixii for the same reason. I guess it’s because my profession is as a UX designer I just want to make things work better.

[@lunatalino1502]

Leica for sure!

[@MitchellMillennial]

Did you forget to do the log to rec 709 conversion?

[@mike_lambert]

Sounds like a real blunder/missed opportunity by Canon.

[@AskMOTT]

Thanks Mike, I do feel like we could’ve collaborated on some meaningful educational and impactful documentaries together but oh well :(.

[@Darkcrownprince]

Great video! we have a Good memories is japan hehe 😜 🤣

[@AskMOTT]

I do too :)

[@tadeusz11000]

How far do you want to go with this, ‘rent a monk,’ stuff Justin? How about Robert Capa’s, Falling Soldier photo, or Don McCullin’s , rearranged Vietnamese dead soldier’s wallet? Even the greatest photographers should be given some slack, and Steve McCurry is, without doubt, one of the greatest of photographers, and his work should not be criticised for one or two debatable transgressions. See Steve McCurry’s work in Afghanistan and India on Kodachrome 64, and tell me that this is not great documentary work. I reckon you have been eating too much red meat recently, Justin, hence the rant.

[@AskMOTT]

I don’t eat meat and it wasn’t one or two debacles it’s a career of setting up shots like a commercial shoot but portrayed as documentary and worse off a long history of cloning out elements of an images which is pretty much the first thing any journalism ethics class will teach you. He’s a talented commercial photographer and more successful than me, but he’s not a photojournalist and himself and his body do work should never be classified that way, period.

[@tadeusz11000]

@@AskMOTT I do agree, Justin, Steve McCurry, is not a photojournalist in the classic sense, and perhaps the key debate here is the labels we give to different types
of photographers. Robert Capa and Don McCullin, however, would be classified as photojournalists and even they,
as some of the greatest photographers of all time, should be cut some slack. Like your shows, Justin, as they are very watchable, and your honesty and openness is a refreshing change to most on this platform.