On 19 July 2025, over 600 photographers descended upon Clarke Quay’s Fountain Square, armed with their cameras and hearts wide open, ready to chase moments for Canon PhotoMarathon 2025.
This year, it wasn’t just about composition or colour balance. It was about connection to place, to people, and to the spirit of Singapore at 60.
SG60 Through the Eyes of the Community
Themed “One Click, One Vibe”, the 19th edition of Canon PhotoMarathon was a pressure cooker of creativity, where photographers had to interpret three mystery themes — Home, Vintage, and Vibe(s) — revealed at intervals throughout the day. With only two hours per theme, participants had to conceptualise, capture, and submit their shots, racing across the city in search of the perfect frame.
From weathered shophouses and sepia-toned nostalgia to quiet HDB corners and vibrant subcultures, the images submitted were as diverse as the people behind the viewfinders.
As Andrew Koh, Senior Vice President and Head of Singapore Operations at Canon Singapore, aptly puts it: “Canon PhotoMarathon has grown from a competition into a vibrant showcase of creativity, diversity and technical excellence that fuels the photography community in Singapore. One of the themes this year reflects the values of SG60 and serves as a reminder of the everyday lives and spirit of the people in Singapore.”
Behind Every Click: Grit, Guts, and Heart
If you’ve ever participated in a PhotoMarathon, it’s not for the faint-hearted. It’s for those who chase stories in alleyways, who brave the mid-afternoon heat with a 50mm prime and a prayer, and who believe a single frame can say what 1,000 words can’t.
Mark Teo, commercial and action sports photographer and a returning judge, noted just how tough the 2025 themes were: “This year’s themes were trickier, prompting participants to think outside the box. Clean composition, good lighting and clear relevance to the theme really made the winning entries stand out.”
Take Kenneth Chia for instance, an engineer by profession, and the first prize winner for Theme 1: Home. “When I think of home, I think of my 17-month-old son. Once the theme was announced, I rushed back to my HDB flat and took a shot of him against our national flag. That’s my story – my son is home,” he shared.
More Than a Competition: A Stage for All
What makes Canon PhotoMarathon special isn’t just the gear or the prizes (though the $50,000 worth of Canon products did raise a few eyebrows). It’s the sense of community, one where a 10-year PhotoMarathon veteran and a student with their very first DSLR can stand shoulder to shoulder, united by a love for light, timing, and storytelling.
This inclusivity is at the heart of Canon’s collaboration with APSN (Association for Persons with Special Needs). Students from APSN Delta Senior School were invited to participate in the student categories, a move that reflects Canon’s kyosei philosophy, the idea of living and working together for the common good.
“Beyond encouraging students to express their creativity and build confidence, the Canon PhotoMarathon reflects our school’s values – ‘I Can, I Want, I Will’ – and motivates them to believe in themselves,” said Muhammad Faris, CCA Arts Coordinator at APSN Delta Senior School.
Vibes, Vintage, and the Value of Visual Storytelling
Each mystery theme this year offered participants a unique lens through which to reinterpret the world around them. Home called for intimacy. Vintage asked for a step back in time. And Vibe(s)? That was the wildcard, open to interpretation, emotional, and possibly the trickiest of the lot.
Fashion photographer and judge Celestia Tan remarked: “The most exciting part of this competition is seeing how participants interpreted the themes. The true magic of photography lies in capturing a moment and bringing a vision to life.”
And that’s exactly what the Canon PhotoMarathon achieved — a celebration of perspective. A reminder that the best camera is the one you have in hand, and the best story is the one only you can tell.
For those who missed the action, or want to catch the next one, keep your eyes (and lenses) trained on Canon Singapore’s Instagram and Facebook pages.
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