Shooting fashion portraits in Sicily with the Canon EOS R6

The work of fashion photographer and Canon Ambassador Wanda Martin is inspired by Romanticism, so when commissioned to shoot a fashion editorial with ballet dancer Lee Jay Hoy, she was drawn to the lavish and ornate buildings of the Italian city of Palermo, the capital of Sicily.

"Palermo has such beautiful classical buildings – exactly the kind of environment I like shooting in," says Wanda, a Hungarian photographer based in London with many high-profile editorial and commercial clients. "I'm inspired by portraiture from the 17th to 19th centuries, especially the Pre-Raphaelites. Like those artists, I tend to use natural or ambient light for interiors – the atmosphere of those paintings is what I'm aiming to capture."

Capturing fast-moving ballet dancers in low light, and at times having to freeze the dancer's movements, requires a fast camera with excellent AF, low-light capabilities and good dynamic range. Wanda, who usually shoots with a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, was invited to put the Canon EOS R6 through its paces.

The latest addition to Canon's Full Frame mirrorless range not only boasts a maximum frame rate of up to 20fps¹ (12fps with the mechanical shutter) but also performs excellently in low light, offers enhanced face, eye, and body tracking AF, and delivers 8-stops of Image Stabilisaton depending on the lens used.

Wanda says she always prefers using zooms. "I like working fast, and these professional zoom lenses give you the versatility and dynamism to go from portrait to full-length in a heartbeat," she says. "The two RF lenses were fast, with f/2.8 maximum aperture and powerful optical Image Stabilization. They just help you stay creative and react immediately in all conditions, and create beautiful and unbelievably sharp images."

Wanda prepared for the shoot methodically, as she always does, but was open to letting it develop in unexpected ways. "I always have a vision, a mood and a story I try to capture," she says. "I usually put mood boards together, but the shoot depends on the model's personality and the chemistry between us."

As expected, the lighting was a challenge in both locations. In the Teatro Massimo, Wanda could use the stage lighting setups, but backstage there was only ambient light and she was shooting at ISO6400 and above. The Canon EOS R6 has an ISO range expandable up to ISO 204,800, offering incredible performance in such low-light situations.

Wanda's style is to shoot images that are atmospheric and still, but she also took images of Lee jumping or pirouetting in both the Palazzo's rooms and on the theatre's stage. "I don't usually work with dancers, so it was a challenge to capture the movement and the fluidity," she says.

Having used cameras such as the Canon EOS 5D Mark II (now succeeded by the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV) and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, Wanda immediately felt at home with the Canon EOS R6. "I felt very comfortable and could start shooting with it straight away," she says. But the camera also offered features she hadn't used before and expanded her creative options.

"Although I'm totally used to the weight of EOS-1 series cameras, it was a refreshing experience to shoot with such a light camera," she says. "I could imagine the Canon EOS R6 as a camera I could always carry with me – it's perfect for documentary or portraiture."

The camera's 8-stops² of Image Stabilization, possible depending on the lens used, also allowed Wanda to shoot with much longer exposures and without a tripod. "I was told you could shoot handheld for at least two seconds and I said, 'No way!' In the Palazzo, I managed to shoot handheld for four seconds and the background was still sharp. I couldn't believe it."

Wanda also had the opportunity to use a Vari-Angle screen for the first time, and it helped her get one shot she'd been dreaming of. "The Old Masters used to paint their muses lying on a sofa in a classical position, and I had the idea of photographing a male model in a similar way," she says. "Lee lay on a sofa and there was some nice golden light hitting his face and upper body."

When looking over the images captured in Sicily, Wanda felt particularly happy with the quality of the files, finding the dynamic range "impressive, with all the details in the highlights and shadows." This was the case even in backlit images and shots with areas of bright light in otherwise dimly lit rooms.

Most importantly, Wanda says the Canon EOS R6 gave her greater creative freedom and allowed her to push her boundaries. "I like not to think about the technicalities too much. I don't want to worry about whether it's too dark, or if my images will be too noisy or blurry. I need a tool in my hands that makes my life easier and helps me capture a story I want to tell – and as fast as possible.

"With the EOS R6, you can shoot in low light at a very high ISO, you can lower your shutter speed and still shoot handheld, and I also just love the versatility of it being a perfect video camera too. I found everything I really need in a camera."