Earlier today while researching a PDNPulse blog post about Shane Hurlbut's new short film shot with a Canon 5D Mark II and the new 24p firmware, we came across something interesting. On Canon's Digital Learning Center site where Hurlbut's film, entitled "The Last 3 Minutes," is being hosted, it refers to the cinematographer as an "Explorer of Light."

See web page grab below or click on this link to visit the site.




That's news to us since Hurlbut's name does not currently appear among the 57 photographers listed on the website for Canon's exclusive Explorers of Light program.

What's also interesting is that Hurlbutt is not a photographer, suggesting Canon may be opening up the program to videographers, cinematographers, and filmmakers just as it did this morning with its CPS professional services program.

And with the NAB show taking place in Las Vegas next week, Canon could be announcing all of this as early as Monday. (Just a guess on our part.)

Canon had little to say when we contacted them for this story.

"We cannot comment at this time," a Canon PR representative told PDN Gear Guide late Friday.

Though Canon's Explorers of Light program is largely honorary, it's a much-sought-after designation for professional photographers and includes some of the biggest names in the business such as Walter Iooss, Harry Benson, Lauren Greenfield, James Nachtwey, and Art Wolfe, just to name a few.

Along with Hurlbut, who was the director of photography on Terminator Salvation and We Are Marshall, what other movie-makers could be joining this elite group?