Be enchanted by Italy – as seen through the lens of photojournalist Lester Ledesma’s Canon EOS M6 mirrorless camera. 

I’ve been using Canon’s DSLR cameras for travel photography for over 14 years but recently had the pleasure of shooting with the EOS M6, Canon’s latest pocket-sized power shooter, during a trip to Italy. Backed by these razor-sharp EF-M lenses – the EF-M11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM and the EF-M15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM – I captured the historic charm of southern and central Italy with this lightweight shooting kit.

EOS M6, EF-M11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens, f/8, 1/160sec, 11mm, ISO160
A new dawn at Piazza del Plebiscito

In the heart of Naples, Piazza del Plebiscito buzzes with activity for most of the day. Hoping to capture a quieter photo of this famous landmark, I visited the area early in the morning when its main building was catching the first rays of sunshine. The EOS M6 accurately metered the scene’s contrast lighting, but I opted to underexpose by 1/3 of a stop to give me a moodier scene.

Get a better understanding of the EOS M6 here: 5 Key Features of the EOS M6

EOS M6, EF-M15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens, f/10, 1/2500sec, 30mm, ISO160
Man and Mount Vesuvius

Behold Mount Vesuvius, the famous Italian volcano that dominates the skyline around Naples. I wanted to add a human context to this landscape shot, so I looked for a man-made foreground to accompany the mountain. The distant docks, the seaside promenade and the human silhouette all worked together to give a stronger sense of place to this photo.

Improve your travel photography with these composition techniques: How To Use Rule Of Thirds And The Golden Ratio In Photography

EOS M6, EF-M11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens, f/4, 1/100sec, 11mm, ISO100
The sweet Napoletana life

Travel photography encompasses many aspects of photography, including landscape, portraits and food. These delectable pastries beckoned from the window of a bakery and invited an in-your-face angle that showed the tempting variety on display. With the EF-M11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens attached to the EOS M6, I got close enough to capture this mouthwateringly sharp image.

EOS M6, EF-M15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens, f/3.5, 1/25sec, 15mm, ISO640
Traipsing through Via Orvieto at dusk

Dusk caught up with me in the medieval town of Orvieto, where I was strolling with the EOS M6 slung behind my back. I didn’t have a tripod at the time, so I had to use my widest available aperture and an ISO setting of 640 to get a shutter speed for sharper images. I then relied on the EF-M15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens’ Image Stabilization function to give me this sharp handheld image.

Learn how to effectively use ISO speed when shooting without a tripod: Challenging Handheld Night Shots

EOS M6, EF-M11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens, f/4, 1/60sec, 11mm, ISO160
A street artist showcases his creativity

Travel photography is also about observing your surroundings. I was fascinated by this street artist who created replicas of classic paintings using coloured chalks. I figured an overhead shot that showed his open-air workshop along with the audience’s feet would illustrate the casual nature of his work. I simply zoomed out the EF-M11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens to its widest focal length, and flipped the EOS M6’s moveable LCD screen so I could shoot with my arm above me. 

EOS M6, EF-M11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens, f/8, 1/1000sec, 11mm, ISO100
Tourists and locals bustle past the Florence Cathedral

Faced with another over-photographed subject, I initially struggled to find a new angle through which I could shoot Florence’s world-famous renaissance church. An idea came when I was tying my shoelaces in front of its ornate façade. I shot from below and added lots of silhouettes – the EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens’ ultrawide perspective did the rest in this dramatic worm’s eye view.

Discover more tips on taking low-angle shots here: Low-Angle Shooting with Canon EOS M10

The EOS M6 body may be light at approximately 350g, but it certainly boasts some heavyweight features. The first thing that impressed me was its AF speed, which I felt was better than other mirrorless cameras I’ve used. The control layout was also very well-designed, making me feel at ease after an hour of travel photography. It reacted pretty quickly with start-up and shutter lag times that kept up with my shooting demands. My best compliments, however, go to the quality of the images produced by its APS-C sized, 24-megapixel sensor. It produced DSLR-worthy shots with good colour and minimal noise, even at high ISO settings. 

---