Come and See

Read the campaign story

Canon Europe introduced Come and See in September 2014. The launch stories followed historic football in Florence and deer moving through residential streets near Epping Forest, with Jonathan Glazer directing. Behind-the-scenes material, product information and photography tutorials accompanied the films. The platform invited people to notice stories around them before moving towards equipment. Related films remain one campaign family rather than separate cases based on their different subjects.

Editorial interpretation: an imaging brand can create demand for looking more carefully, not merely for a new specification. An unusual scene gives the audience a reason to wonder how it was captured. A tutorial then offers a bridge from admiration to a manageable creative action. That bridge matters because a beautifully produced film may otherwise make photography seem more remote from an ordinary beginner’s resources and circumstances.

The launch account documents execution and intended positioning, not a verified change in photography habits or product sales. Professional footage does not establish what a novice will produce with a particular camera. This study does not reproduce the films or teach wildlife pursuit or contact sport photography. Its adaptation uses ordinary stationary objects in a controlled setting, preserving curiosity and instruction without encouraging risky access or disturbance.

Make observation the first creative task

Before asking an audience to learn a tool, give them something worth noticing. Choose a subject with a detail that rewards a second look rather than relying only on spectacle. A useful prompt might ask how light changes an ordinary object or what a different viewpoint reveals. Keep the observation accessible to people with modest equipment. The point is to create a reason to use the product, not imply that interesting stories exist only in exceptional locations. Test whether viewers can describe what caught their attention and identify a similarly manageable subject in their own environment without copying the original campaign scene.

Close the gap between inspiration and instruction

A cinematic example and a beginner tutorial serve different purposes. Make the transition explicit and acknowledge differences in equipment, access, preparation and expertise. Offer one achievable exercise rather than a compressed list of advanced techniques. A behind-the-scenes account can be especially useful when it reveals constraints instead of presenting effortless mastery. For a small brand, an honest demonstration of how a simple image was made may be more helpful than a polished showcase with no explanation. The audience should leave knowing what they can reasonably try next and what the example does not promise about their result.

Treat access as part of the production story

An unexpected subject may involve permissions, private spaces, animals or people who did not ask to become promotional material. Do not frame the search for a striking image as permission to intrude. Establish safe observation boundaries and explain them where the campaign could inspire imitation. A creative invitation can celebrate attention without encouraging pursuit or disruption. For a community photography project, select subjects whose use is clearly authorised and provide alternatives for people who cannot travel. The quality of the story should come from the photographer’s choices and understanding, not from crossing a boundary that makes the image more dramatic.

A bounded test for another brief

Proposed adaptation: a local camera club could prepare an original short sequence of the same tabletop object under two ordinary lighting conditions. Compare a showcase-only version with a version that adds one clear, accessible observation exercise. Use identical equipment and disclose the setup. Ask consenting adults to describe the visual difference and make a safe still-life image of their own without buying anything or posting publicly. Provide a text description for people who cannot use the visual exercise. This tests whether inspiration plus a modest instruction helps people understand a creative choice, without implying professional results or encouraging unsafe subject access.

Measure accurate explanation of the visual choice, completion of the optional exercise and realistic expectations about equipment. Separate interest in photography from purchase intent and from judgements about artistic talent.

Stop if the prompt encourages trespass, animal disturbance, photographing non-consenting people or an unsupported promise that equipment alone produces the featured result.