Inside My Camera Bag | Francesca Franchini

Hi there!

My name is Francesca Franchini, but you can call me Cookie Maestri.

I am Italo-Chilean, who studied film in Chile. I used to work all the time in the audiovisual world, and this is where I gained my expertise in documentary editing for television.

Currently, I live in Mexico, where I do travel photography for a living. When I first started traveling around Mexico, I discovered the wonderful world of photography.

Through this experience, I’ve been able to experiment with techniques, understand the value of the image, and learn how to evoke emotions through the image.

I started my photography with a Canon EOS 60D and a Canon EF 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. It was with this camera I filmed my first documentary movie, and after a few years, I decided to switch to Sony.

Sony 7RII – this is my camera for advertising photography. I use it with different lenses, such as the Sony 14mm f/1.8, the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, and the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art.

I use these types of camera lenses because of their brightness and light weight, which makes them very practical for traveling. I also use a Sony 30mm f/3.5 Macro, which is great for insect photography.

For underwater photography, I use the Sony a6500 with a 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 lens and a Seafrogs housing. I also have a GoPro Hero 11 Black that comes in handy.

Sony 7SIII – I use this camera for my video work with the same lenses that I use for photography, I also work with a DJI Mic sound system and a Ronin RSC-2 Gimbal and when I need it, I have a Manfrotto Tripod.

The lighting I use for portraits and interviews depends on whether it’s for photography or video. For video, I use two Neewer 600 LED lights with temperature control, and for photography, I use a Godox AD100Pro Flash and a Stellapro that serves as both a flash and continuous light.

Currently, the memory cards I use are Lexar Professional 128GB 300MB/s, which are suitable for both photo and 4K video.

Learn more about the best-performing memory cards.

I use two types of backpacks depending on the adventure I am chasing. An Amazon Basics Rolling Suitcase for airplane travel and a Lowepro Backpack to carry my basic equipment.

Adobe Premiere Pro and Audition – I use Adobe for editing the video I record and Audition for the sound. While for photography, I use Photoshop and Lightroom on my Apple iPad. I also have two Benq monitors, the SW271C and the SW270C, that I use.

The most important thing when creating both still and moving images is being able to connect with people. You just have to go out and tell the stories that can be found in every corner of this wonderful planet.

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