In our Couldn't Work Without series, we ask leading photographers and filmmakers to reveal their essential kit, and Javier Cortés is a fashion photographer unafraid to declare his love in a very public way.

When he left his last permanent job, working for a large studio in his home city of Madrid, the Canon Ambassador posted an image on his Instagram page of the lens he holds above all others. "I will always love you!" he wrote alongside the image of his beloved Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens, on 29 May 2012. It’s a tribute to the lens that remains a staple in his kitbag to this day. The optic belonged to the studio where he was working, but he was so taken with it that he bought his own soon after.

"The lens cost more than my camera," laughs Javier, who works as a fashion and advertising photographer and filmmaker. "But I bought it and I’ve had it all this time. The only item that is always with me is this lens. I really love it."

Award-winning inspiration

The lens proved indispensable in his recent commission for Vogue Espa?a, Your Christmas is Unique. Javier, who has a background in cinematography (having directed commercials for Toyota Spain, fashion films for Zara, and other video projects), took the helm of the stills and moving image story about strong, creative females. His subjects – free-spirited artists, singers, writers and dancers – were between five and 72 years old, and from various parts of the world, including Saharan Africa, Russia, and the US.

He shot wide open in low light, and created crisp images of his subjects at close range – they pop amidst a smooth, soft background made possible by the lens’ circular aperture diaphragm. And when shooting outside in bright Los Angeles sunshine, he wasn't met with colour balance and contrast problems – The EF 50mm f/1.2L USM's anti-reflection Super Spectra coating cuts down flare and ghosting commonly caused when light reflects off the camera's sensor.

Javier's "documentary approach" is also apparent in a fashion editorial he recently captured for the Spanish magazine VEIN. The shoot includes images ranging from intimate close-ups to striking environmental portraits. This intuitive and varied way of working is typical of Javier, and is aided by the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM's autofocus, which gives him the fine control necessary to work quietly and steadily or fast and energetically.

While he applies an almost maniacal focus to his work, Javier is a personable and relaxed individual, which stands him in good stead in an industry that requires a certain amount of confidence and ability to get on with people, as well as artistic vision. "My team and I always try to find something different, something special – with the location, the styling, the colours, the story," he says. "When we shoot, we are like a small family, and try to make what we’re doing as good as it can be."