Louise wolbers
Still Life & Macro | Last Updated: July 23, 2021
My name is Louise Wolbers. I’m from the sunny Gold Coast, Australia. I travel three months of the year to either new exotic places on my bucket list or to my favourite spots in the world like Venice, Italy. When I’m not travelling, I throw myself into the world of Macro photography.
I enjoy setting up water drops, insects, and frogs in my home studio (see guide). There’s always so much more to learn and experience in the world of photography, so I try to challenge myself with new projects often.
The contents of my camera bag varies according to my destination, but I try to limit myself to three lenses and two bodies.
When flying, I never check-in my camera bag and have been lucky so far with the airline weight restrictions for carry on. I have a small utility soft bag where I keep cables, a mini tripod, adaptors, a flash, and my power pack. This goes inside my check-in luggage.
I have stopped taking my laptop when I travel and now use an Apple iPad Pro that my Canon camera’s wifi can remotely connect to for viewing shots.
I don’t like to edit and post whilst travelling, as I prefer to use my Wacom Cintiq Pro at home. I take a My Passport Wireless SSD to back up my photos during the trip. You can never have too many back-ups!
CAMERA GEAR
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV: This is my go-to camera body. It’s durable, weather-resistant, and a comfortable size for handheld photography.
Canon EOS 5DS R: I only use this camera body in good light with a tripod. In low light with a high ISO the images are quite noisy. However, in the right light, those 50mp are magnificent.
Canon EOS 1DX Mark II: This is my wildlife camera body. It’s larger to handle but the dual dials can be used horizontally or vertically. I usually have it set up on a Really Right Stuff safari kit and gimbal with the telephoto lens.
I really like how the Canon bodies all have the dials and controls in the same location. This makes transitioning between bodies during a shoot really easy. There’s no second-guessing the settings so I can just let my fingers do the shooting.
LENSES
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8
Canon EF 11-24mm f/4
Canon EF 24mm f/1.4
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8
Canon EF 14mm f/2.8
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
Canon EF 200-400mm f/4
I take my Canon 24-70mm f/2.8, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8, and Canon 200-400mm f/4 plus my 1.4mm extender when I travel for wildlife. This covers everything from a sunset to birding.
I use the extra extender on the Canon 200-400mm f/4 at 560mm (with the lens extender switched on) to capture those really close up shots.
I go to Venice each year for the Carnival. This is mainly portraits and there is low light in the mornings and inside the palaces. I take my 24mm f/1.4 for the low light, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 for close-ups.
I also like to take my Canon 11-24mm f/4L wide-angle to shoot the models low down looking up.
My two favourite lenses are the Canon 11-24mm f/4L and the Canon 200-400mm f/4. These lenses are so sharp and smart. The built-in 1.4x extender in the telephoto lens is brilliant.
As an animal approaches, I can easily flip the switch and zoom in or out. On a fixed lens, this isn’t possible. The Canon 11-24mm f/4L is so versatile. I have a spiral staircase obsession and this lens is the best. It has amazing glass, but it is heavy!
LIGHTING
Speedlite 600EX II-RT x2
Elinchrom D-Lite RX 4 x2
Canon MR-14EX II Macro Ring Lite
Canon MT-24EX Macro Twin Lite
It is very crowded in Venice during the Carnival and I’m constantly on the move, so I have to think strategically about lighting. I use a Garyfong on my speedlite when shooting to defuse the light. I also use a little LED and a small handheld reflector for indoor shots.
MAIN CAMERA BAG
LowePro BP450 Backpack: This backpack holds so much gear. It’s incredible. I can fit my telephoto lens with two camera bodies and a few more lenses.
The top pouch is perfect for items you need to get to easily like memory cards, cable remote, filters, and my mini tripod. The large zipped front area holds my light rain jacket, black velvet backdrop, and a small reflector (see best ones).
ACCESSORIES & MISCELLANEOUS
REALLY RIGHT STUFF (RRS): Ball head, L Plates, Safari Kit, Gimbal, mini tripod. RRS gear is extremely sturdy and well thought out.
ROSE ANVIL DRIFTER: Leather Dual camera harness. I use this for street photography, especially in Venice. In the mornings, I take two cameras mounted with Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8.
With the harness, I can easily switch between lenses without carrying a backpack and unnecessary gear.
I am so careful with my photos and gear. I place a coloured sticker on all the gear to identify it as mine. Shooting with friends or in a workshop I often lend out gear or misplace a lens cap. I know which items are mine with my blue sticker.
I always shoot to two memory cards. I’ve heard too many horror stories of a faulty card or a lost card. Backing up to a second card gives me a sense of security over my work.
www.louisewolbers.com | @LouiseWolbers
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