Javier Cortés' Old Master inspired portraits with the EOS R

When Canon Ambassador Javier Cortés was young, he fell in love with the artistry of the Old Masters such as Caravaggio, Velázquez and Rembrandt. The way the classic painters captured light inspired him in his own photorealistic paintings – and then, once he found his true passion, in his photography. 

"I started imitating the light of the paintings with the camera," he says. "At the beginning I was just playing, but it has changed all of my work. Now I'm always working on 'narrative' ways of lighting – to tell something more, as the moving image can do, but in just one image." It's a tradition he passes on to photography students in his native Spain, showing them the way he uses one light, often continuous, or natural light, to emulate the lighting of the artists he loved.

Javier's love of light is evident in his portfolio of high-fashion work, which includes stills for Vogue and Esquire and film for brands as diverse as Estée Lauder, Toyota and Swatch. More recently, the photographer stepped away from the traditional restraints of the fashion world to put the Canon EOS R through its paces on a shoot inspired by the Baroque artists.

"I've always wanted to do a personal project with real people, rather than models," he says. "I think that the painters I love have two kinds of paintings – the ones that people paid them to paint, and the ones that they wanted to paint because they thought something was beautiful and they wanted to show it to people.

Focusing with the EOS R

The EOS R was perfect for Javier's signature low-light style. "This camera was amazing because I love to shoot with limited light, and it can sometimes be difficult for me to focus. I've tested the EOS R in low light, and it was very impressive – always matching the focus with where I wanted it to be."

In further insight into his approach on set, Javier explains: "Sometimes when I shoot portraits, I really appreciate the moment when you are in front of the model and you want to take a picture when the model isn't looking. With this camera, which didn't make a sound, I could take photos that they wouldn't notice, which I loved. I do fashion, but I always try to create a real story. This feature helps them to forget my presence and helps me to go into the story."

Falling in love with mirrorless

Shooting with the EOS R has changed Javier's opinion of mirrorless cameras. "In the past I haven't really liked mirrorless," he admits. "I love to see what's in front of my lens when I'm shooting, not something else, so I didn't like the sensation of feeling like I was looking at something digital when I looked through the viewfinder. With the EOS R it is not like looking into a screen, it's more like looking into real life, with the colours and the light.

"For a lot of my shoots, and my location scouting, it suits me really well. I currently use an EOS 5D Mark IV and an EOS 5DS. I want an EOS R because I think it will be pretty amazing to have in my kitbag for shooting.

"I love the weight of the camera. When I'm filmmaking with the 5D Mark IV I also want to have a camera handy that's light but gives me the same quality, and the EOS R is perfect for that too."

Javier found using the EOS R for this project so rewarding that he says he'd love to do more. "I try to put my personal view into my work with fashion magazines and advertisements, but it's not 'me' like this kind of project," he says. "I would love to continue taking these kinds of images – when I meet people who are really interesting, beautiful, or inspiring for a portrait."

Since Javier worked with the EOS R on this shoot, firmware updates have added additional features that could benefit fashion photographers. These include eye-detection AF that supports Servo AF, to help ensure that subjects’ eyes are clearly in focus even when they’re moving; the ability to use a small AF frame size that supports Servo AF; and the ability to use continuous shooting mode even when you've chosen to use a silent shutter.