Melville, NY—Canon added six visionary filmmakers to its Explorers of Light program. Thus, it welcomes a new class of storytellers focused on the craft of cinematography. Further, the program officially expanded its scope beyond still photography to foster creativity among the global filmmaking community.
For nearly three decades, the Explorers of Light program has brought together a roster of distinguished photographers to inspire, teach as well as collaborate with visual artists and content creators of all skill levels. Moreover, Explorers of Light 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).
“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,” commented Brian Mahar, senior vice president and general manager, Canon USA, Inc. “Each of our newest members will add incredible value to the program and to the filmmaking community at large.”
The new class of Explorers of Light joins the 35 current members of the program to share their unique perspectives as well as decades of experience with aspiring creatives. Canon’s newest Explorers of Light are cinematographers Christine Ng, Claudia Raschke, David Klein, ASC, Shana Hagan, ASC, as well as directors Matthew Heineman and Rudy Valdez.
Canon Adds Six Visionary Filmmakers 
Meet Canon’s Newest Explorers of Light (EOLs):
Christine Ng, Cinematographer (Poker Face, ZIWE, Between the World and Me)
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 as well as narratives. The first commercial she shot, filmed on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II with Canon lenses, aired during Super Bowl XLVI. What’s more, the first feature-length documentary she 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, Ng’s work has screened at festivals worldwide. They include SXSW, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Outfest, LA Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, New York Film Festival and IFFBoston. In addition, she shot the film adaptation for Ta-Nehisi Coates’s critically acclaimed Between the World and Me. Most recently, she shot four episodes of Rian Johnson’s TV series Poker Face for Peacock.
“It is such a prestigious honor to be included in the Explorers of Light program,” said Ng. “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)
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. Her work spans from purely commercial ventures and feature-length documentaries to lower budget works of art. Among her 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; as well as My Name Is Pauli Murray. She has also done documentary series for National Geographic, Discovery, Showtime and CNN. Currently, Raschke is in production on an eight-part documentary series for the History Channel.
In addition, she is a founding member of the NYC Kamera Kollektiv, a boutique agency for documentary and feature film cinematographers in New York City. She is also a member of AMPAS.
“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,” Raschke commented.
David Klein, ASC, Cinematographer (The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Homeland)
Klein’s three-decade career includes lensing iconic indie film classics. They include Clerks, Clerks II, Mallrats, Cop Out, Red State as well as Chasing Amy. 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’s True Blood and Deadwood: The Movie, for which he earned a third Emmy nomination. Most recently, Klein has been on the forefront of virtual production shooting episodes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett for Disney+.
“Exploring light is quite literally what I do. On set and in preproduction, we’re always exploring new and unique ways to use light to tell stories differently,” Klein said. “Canon is constantly pushing the envelope to deliver new ways to tell stories with tried-and-true tech. It’s an honor to be named an Explorer of Light.”
Matthew Heineman, Director/Cinematographer (American Symphony, Retrograde, Cartel Land)
Heineman is an Academy Award-nominated, nine-time Emmy-winning as well as two-time DGA Award-winning filmmaker. In 2019, he received a nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First Time Feature Film Director from the Directors Guild of America for his narrative debut, A Private War. Consequently, Heineman and Martin Scorsese became the only two filmmakers ever nominated for both narrative and documentary DGA Awards. Heineman most recently directed American Symphony, which earned Academy Award and BAFTA nominations as well as won a PGA and two Critics’ Choice Awards.
Heineman also received a Producing Award from DOC NYC and was honored with the Edward R. Murrow Award for Feature Documentary. His previous film, The First Wave was also short-listed for an Academy Award and won three Emmy awards.
“I am honored and thrilled to be in the company of so many incredible artists whose work I admire, including my dear friend Jimmy Chin,” said Heineman. “From Cartel Land though my most recent documentary American Symphony (including six projects in between), I’ve used Canon equipment in every project. I’m excited to share my knowledge and skillset with other cinematographers and story tellers around the world.”
Rudy Valdez, Director/Cinematographer (Choir, Carlos, The Sentence)
Valdez, a two-time Emmy-winning filmmaker, is committed to telling engaging stories that explore a variety of cultural, social as well as political themes. Further, through his distinct cinematic approach, he captures the essence of human emotions and experiences. Notable works include the Emmy-nominated The Sentence, which follows his sister’s journey through the criminal justice system; and Translators, a touching exploration of Latino families through the perspectives of their young translators. Valdez’s recent projects include directing the docuseries Choir for Disney+ as well as Carlos, a documentary tracing the life of music legend Carlos Santana.
What’s more, as the founder of Bluff Road Films, Valdez is dedicated to amplifying meaningful stories while promoting diversity both in front of and behind the camera.
“It is such a wonderful honor to be a Canon Explorer of Light. I was lucky enough to start my journey as a filmmaker around the same time that the Canon EOS 5D Mark II was introduced, allowing me an affordable camera that could produce the images as I saw them in my head,” Valdez noted.
Shana Hagan, ASC, Cinematographer (Somebody Somewhere, Welcome to Flatch, The Kingmaker)
Hagan has shot Academy Award and Emmy-winning documentaries, including the Breathing Lessons and Academy Award-nominated Walk Run Cha-Cha, Return to Space, The Kingmaker, 63Up, Married in America, and The Conductor. In addition, she shot 21 Sundance Film Festival selections. Moreover, her scripted work includes projects with Paul Feig, Jenny Bicks and the Duplass Brothers, as well as the critically acclaimed series Somebody Somewhere for HBO and Fox’s docu-comedy Welcome to Flatch.
Additionally, Hagan was the first woman to shoot on the hit reality series Survivor. Plus, she was nominated for an Emmy for Survivor: China. She also shot four seasons on NBC’s Parks and Recreation and was the Second Unit DP on Netflix’s Arrested Development. Moreover, Hagan is a U.S. State Department American Film Showcase Ambassador. She enjoys mentoring students and has guest lectured at many film schools.
“I’m so honored. Being an Explorer of Light reminds me to keep exploring the world through my camera, like I did as a kid, and to continue finding new and exciting ways to tell stories,” said Hagan.
