Canon ‘Explorer of Light’ Atiba Jefferson Brings Photo Magic to Seacrest Studios

Skateboard tricks in a hospital? While doctors might recommend against that right off the bat, they were more than happy to allow it and encourage it to brighten the spirits of a lucky group of young patients at Rady Children’s Health this month.

It’s exactly the kind of “high-energy” vibe photographer Atiba Jefferson brought to Seacrest Studios, a special creative location within the hospital and accessible to those undergoing treatment.

On April 9, the world-renowned skateboarding and portrait artist, as well as a Canon Explorer of Light, teamed up with Canon USA and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation to turn what would have been a normal afternoon into a high-energy masterclass in creativity for patients in Orange County.

The action took place in Rady’s specially outfitted studio, with equipment provided by Canon and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation’s dynamic partnership that offers kids facing hospital treatments a fun and creative outlet.

The afternoon began with the “Photos in Motion” contest awards, a friendly competition to try and capture the perfect action shot. Jefferson, who has spent decades photographing icons from the skate park and on a professional basketball court, served as a guest judge of the work, which the participants had captured using provided Canon gear.

Art gallery-style prints were created using the Canon PIXMA PRO-200S photo printer. Then Jefferson crowned the winner, who took home a premium swag bag that included a Canon SELPHY QX20 printer.

As Jefferson underscored to the group, photography is about “capturing a moment in time that will never happen again.”

(Katie Klochany)

The room was transformed into a live photoshoot set, complete with skateboards and high-speed shutters. Staff member Josh Castaneda performed skate tricks right there in the room while Jefferson taught the kids how to freeze the action using the Canon EOS R5 Mark II.

Then, it was time for the real magic: Jefferson handed the cameras over to the young participants. Under his mentorship, they stepped behind the lens, getting a hands-on tutorial on how to frame shots and trigger the shutter like pros.

“Watching our patients step behind the camera, learning from a world-class photographer and seeing their ideas come to life was truly powerful,” said Kathryn Burton of Rady Children’s Health. “Experiences like this bring joy and build confidence.”

An Inspiring Partnership

Since 2024, Canon has been the official imaging partner of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, outfitting studios across the country with top-tier cameras and printers. For Sammy Kobayashi, President and CEO of Canon U.S.A., the event was a perfect example of how imaging can “inspire and transform.”

“Seeing these resilient young creators mentored by Atiba Jefferson and using Canon technology to capture their unique perspectives is truly moving,” said Kobayashi.

The afternoon wrapped up with a Q&A where Jefferson shared incredible stories from his career, leaving the young creators with one main takeaway: Keep chasing your creative passions, no matter where you are or what challenges you face.