Taiwanese photographer Chen Yung Hua, famed for showcasing the beauty of women, used the mirrorless Canon EOS M6 camera for the first time in this shoot. She not only managed to display her unique visual style, but also took advantage of the light weight and flexibility of the EOS M6 to put her subjects at ease and capture natural-looking images of them. The rich details highlight the professional quality of her photos, which easily draws the viewer in. (Photos by: Chen Yung Hua)
Photo Gallery - Warmth
The theme of this shoot was the "warmth" exhibited by women. This series of works comes with a tinge of mystique, leaving the audience with more room for imagination. The works were inspired by the interplay of light and shadow on a summer afternoon, complemented by varying degrees of cool and warm hues as well as white balance, while allowing the model to present a variety of physical emotions to act as the central theme of the series.
EOS M6/ EF50mm f/4 USM/ f/6/ 1/1600 sec./ ISO 200
EOS M6/ EF50mm f/1.4 USM/ f/2.5/ 1/250 sec./ ISO 200
EOS M6/ EF50mm f/1.4 USM/ f/1.6/ 1/1600 sec./ ISO 1000
EOS M6/ EF-M18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM/ f/6.3/ 1/160 sec./ ISO 125
EOS M6/ EF-M18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM/ f/5/ 1/1600 sec./ ISO 125
A professional photographer's first experience with a mirrorless camera: The EOS M6
The lightweight Canon EOS M6 mirrorless camera, with its interchangeable lenses, operability, autofocus, Creative filters, Vari-angle monitor and wireless transfer capabilities, provided photographer Chen Yung Hua with much flexibility to create her works over the course of shooting. She tells us more about these features below. (Text by: Chen Yung Hua)
Feature 1: Interchangeable lenses
The EF-M lens series currently supported by the EOS M6 offers a wide selection of compatible lenses. For this shoot, the lenses that I used were the EF-M22mm f/2.0 STM and EF-M18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM. The Canon EF-M22mm f/2.0 STM has a large aperture, which makes it easy to shoot in low-light situations and produce a bokeh effect, but there is some image distortion to take note of when shooting close-up. Meanwhile, the EF-M18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM is a high-magnification zoom lens suitable for shooting both near and far, making it easy to take close-up shots of the model.
In addition to the EF-M lenses, with the help of a Canon mount adapter, the existing Canon EF and EF-S lenses can also be attached to the EOS M6. For instance, the EF50mm f/1.4 USM can be paired with the EOS M6 as a telephoto lens for shooting portraits.
Using a variety of lenses makes photos look more professional
In addition to the EF-M lens series, with the help of a mount adapter such as the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS M, EF and EF-S lenses created for Canon DSLR cameras can also be used.
Feature 2: Operations and controls
In the past, if I wanted to use an interchangeable lens for shooting, I could only use a conventional DSLR camera. However, I did feel that these DSLR cameras were a little bulkier than what many female users would prefer. The mirrorless EOS M6, in contrast, is not only compact, it also lets me freely change the lenses. This greatly reduces the equipment load when I'm out taking photos for an extended period of time. The size and thickness of the body of the EOS M6 would also probably be just right for users looking for a camera that is a bit handier.
In terms of controls, there are multiple sets of independent dials for quick and convenient adjustment of settings such as the aperture, shutter and ISO speed. This makes shooting intuitive for professional photographers. The touchscreen display of the EOS M6 is fast and responsive. Just like a smartphone, you can pinch in or out at an image to zoom in or out, to verify whether the photo has included the desired details.
Even those with tiny hands can hold the camera effortlessly
The EOS M6 is compact and lightweight, which reduces the load when shooting photos.
Feature 3: AF function
When shooting portraits, to keep up with the pace of the photographer, a suitable AF speed is particularly important. EOS M6 is equipped with the latest Dual Pixel CMOS AF system, making it possible to quickly and accurately focus in both indoor and outdoor settings, and even in backlit scenes. When photographing a model, turn on the face tracking function to eliminate the need to constantly adjust the position of the area of focus. In addition, as long you keep the Continuous AF mode on, the EOS M6 will assist the photographer in choosing the right focus for the scene in advance before the shutter is half-pressed, thereby reducing the time taken to select the right focus.
In addition to the EF-M lens series, with the help of a mount adapter, Canon EF and EF-S lenses can also be used.
Turning on the Continuous AF option on the EOS M6 helps improve autofocus efficiency.
Feature 4: Creative filters
As I often use Instagram, I adore the different colours and special effects of creative photograph filters. I did not expect the EOS M6 to have built-in filters such as those for the ‘Toy camera effect’ and ‘Miniature effect, which are effects that I often apply when taking pictures. These Creative filters enable me to freely shoot photos based on my own imagination. Besides the standard colours, the "Toy Camera effect" filter also lets you change the hue of the image between cool and warm , and modify the colour temperature and colour effect of the photo, thereby saving a great deal of post-processing time. The Miniature effect filter can further enhance both shallow and deep depths of field, especially when taking close-ups of the model, to create visual effects that would normally result from macro photography.
The EOS M6 boasts a variety of built-in Creative filters. They can be applied directly as you are taking shots, or modified through the menu after shooting.
The 'Miniature effect' Creative filter is applied to enhance the bokeh effect in the portrait and make the image look more three-dimensional.
Feature 5: Vari-angle monitor
In the past, if you wanted to change the composition angle, you had to climb up and down, which can be exhausting. Now that the EOS M6 comes with a Vari-angle screen plus a wide-area visual display, you can check your composition on the screen even when shooting from high or low angles. This is a very important function, especially when you do not have a viewfinder. If you think you might occasionally to use the conventional kind of viewfinder, you can buy an external electronic viewfinder, such as EVF-DC1 or EVF-DC2, to be able to shoot the same way on your EOS M6 as you would on a DSLR camera.
The EOS M6 comes with a Vari-angle monitor that has a large range of motion, which makes capturing both low- and high-angle shots an easy task.
Feature 6: Wireless file transfer
Sometimes, you want to examine your photos a bit more closely, but they may not appear clear enough on the camera screen due to its size restrictions. You can use the Wi-Fi file transfer function of the EOS M6 to send select photos to your smartphone, perhaps during breaks in your photoshoot, so that you can play back the photos on a bigger and clearer screen. If you are taking the photos for work purposes, you could also use the Wi-Fi function to send them to your client directly for preview or submission, or perhaps even to the makeup artist for him/her to check if any touch-ups are needed. It saves the need to first transfer the files from the camera to your computer.
In addition to directly connecting through Wi-Fi, you can also pair your devices through Bluetooth or NFC. Pairing and file transfer can be carried out using the dedicated Canon Camera Connect app, which is available for both iPhone and Android and very convenient to use.
Instant transfer of high quality photos at your fingertips!
With the dedicated Canon Camera Connect app, you can now view and transfer photos taken by the EOS M6 directly on your smartphone. (Note: Only JPEG files may be transferred.)
Prior to the wireless file transfer, you can choose the resolution/size of the photo to be transferred. This helps you save memory space on your smartphone.
For more information about what you can do with Wi-Fi and Camera Connect, check out the following articles:
Fun Ways to Use Your Camera’s Wi-Fi (Part 1): Introduction to Wi-Fi Features
6 Useful Tips for Remote Shooting via Wi-Fi with the Camera Connect App
Key Features of the Canon EOS M6
- 24.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with a native ISO speed of up to ISO 25600
- Continuous shooting speed of 7 fps (or 9 fps with AF Lock)
- 3.0", 1,040,000-dot Vari-angle capacitive touchscreen display (tiltable 180° upward, 45° downward)
- Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, remote shooting, and GPS geotagging with a smartphone/mobile device
- Can also be used with any Canon EF or EF-S lens by attaching the Canon Mount Adapter EF–EOS M, sold separately.
For more articles about the EOS M6, check out:
In Focus: EOS M6
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About the Author
Chen Yung Hua’s works have always revolved around ‘women’. What intrigues her is their softness and fragility on the inside, and the charm expressed on the outside. In her images, she seeks to find the balance between warm and cool colours in conditions of low saturation, through layering light and shadow and bringing out the emotions of her subjects. What she hopes to express through this project is a sense of serenity, much like how one would feel on a summer afternoon on vacation—warm-coloured sleepiness transiting into the deep, cool hues of one’s memories in one’s dreams, lingering on and expanding the possibilities of certain figments of one’s imagination.
Taiwanese photography magazine “Gacha!” focuses its content on how one can have fun with photography, and how life becomes even more interesting with a camera. It hopes that each of its readers can learn how to use a camera to appreciate life, instead of simply pursuing gear and camera functions. The name “Gacha” comes from the sound of a camera’s shutter release. Press your shutter button any time, any place, record joyous and moving moments encountered in life, and enjoy your ‘photo life’ with each “Gacha! Gacha!” sound of the camera!
