“LIGHTS, Film, Action!”

March 1st, 2023

Text by Maryka Pace

The selection and use of strobes & video lights in underwater photography

To truly capture all the wonderful creatures that intrigues us underwater photographers and videographer alike prefer impressive lighting solutions. As one descends deeper underwater the colours disappear making it difficult to record the vibrant colour of the underwater corals, creatures, and other inhabitants. This is where the use of strobes and or video lights play an essential role in underwater photography and videography.

It is possible to take photos or video underwater using the available natural light, that is if you want to intensify the mood or be dramatic using shades of grey. There are photographers that specialise in this type of imaging. However, if you are aiming for the finer details, in all their full, glorious colour (and not keen on spending hours on post-production colour correcting) you will need strobes or lights!

When choosing lighting there are a few basic features and criteria to look out for. Yes, we do get that the price of these is one such consideration!

Strobe features:

Recycle time - the minimum time needed for the strobe to ‘power up’ between flashes
Guide number -the power of the strobe, the higher the guide number the more powerful the strobe
Beam angle - the angle at which the light spreads, normally measured in degrees

Video light features:

CRI rating - the Colour Rendering Index has a scale of 0 – 100. At zero all colours look the same and at 100 you will show the true colour of an item
Lumens - the more lumens the brighter the light
Battery life - most lights will indicate the run time / burn time on the different power settings

NUMBER of strobe or video lights: One or two?
There are pros and cons in the use of one or two strobes or video lights.
One strobe or video light:
The pros:

Contrast
You will have more contrast and one light will allow the shadows and texture to standout more and be distinguished from the background.
Directional lighting and the use of a ‘snoot’
A ‘snoot’ is a tool that fits over a strobe or light. This is much like a ‘lens hood’. This allows the photographer to have control over the direction and radius of the light beam. Using a ‘snoot’ is particularly effective when you only have one strobe or light or want to light up a specific creature in your image. This technique is often used in blackwater and macro photography.
Price - This is where you will need to check your bank balance and consider your budget.

The cons

Beam angle - The angle of the beam of one strobe or light is not normally broad for wide-angle subjects such as wreck or reef setting. It can be tricky to get the light in the correct position.
Backup - Having two is always better than one. It is unlikely that both strobes or lights will fail at the same time so you. You can at least make some sort of plan to get that shot.

Two strobe or video lights:
Pros

Increased cover - The light and angle of two strobes or lights is likely to cover the wide-angle subject fully easily and evenly.
Backup - You will have a backup if one of the strobe or lights stops working for some reason.

Cons

Expense – Obviously the cost of buying two strobes or lights is more expensive than buying one.

Not all of us aspiring underwater photographers have the means to buy two lights at once. Make no mistake, one strobe or light is a great place to start. Buying one good, large & powerful strobe is a good start. Rather save and budget for a second light, instead of needing to replace an under-performing light or mixing and matching lights. Having two different lights can make lighting your images underwater a complicated affair. It is somewhat like buying your own dive gear and to buy the best you can afford.

The positioning of strobes or lights:
Apart from providing natural colour correcting, lighting also minimizes backscatter. Your strobe or light positioning will depend upon your subject. This can vary greatly from doing macro photography to framing that vast wreck you are diving on.
Positioning tips:
Strobes and video lights work on the same principles regarding positioning.

For one strobe or light:

The positioning is very similar whether your subject is a macro or wide-angle.
Generally, you will position the strobe or video light above your housing either to the left or the right side. This will depend on the direction of light desired).. You can use this to play around with your subject shadow creating a special effect image.
To attach and position the light you will need to use a combination of either double ball arms or float arms. These arms will attach to the housing or to the mounting tray, to each other and finally to the light itself using purpose-made clamps.
When shooting macro, you will face the strobe or light forward and slightly down at an angle you want over the subject. The light should preferably be position behind the port. More or less above the housing body, close enough to not create a camera shadow at the bottom of your image.

When doing wide angle images you will move the light up, extend the arm as far as possible from your lens. Facing the light forward and/or slight upward to prevent having backscatter in your image.

For two strobes or lights shooting wide-angle:

It is best to have the strobes or lights positioned on either side of the housing in line with the back of the dome port.
The closer or smaller the subject, the closer you will have the strobes or lights to the housing
The further, bigger, or wider the subject, the more you will stretch, extend the arms out from the housing.

For two strobes or lights shooting macro:

When opting to do macro photography, the best is to have the strobes or lights brought forward and in line with the macro port.
Preferably angle the strobes or lights slightly inwards.
The bigger the subject the further out the strobes or lights will be stretched.
The smaller and the closer the subject, the closer and tighter the strobes or lights will be to the macro port.

Strobe and video light positioning is not an exact science, but it is important when it comes to underwater photography and videography. Be patient and remember, practice makes perfect!

Dive safety Tips when you practice you underwater photography.

Remember your buoyancy – maintaining good and neutral buoyancy will protect you and the reef environment. Grabbing onto the reef is not a good habit. Also take note of what you do with your finned feet.
The underwater environment is sacred – If you cannot get the shot without endangering life don’t take it.
Monitor your air consumption and dive time between shots. Don’t get so immersed in getting that perfect image that you run out of or low on air. And worse, having to do an extend safety stop.
Dive safe and have fun learning new underwater lighting techniques.

Good lights are vital in underwater photography. There is a whole array of colour to capture! On land you battle to see these amazing colours in such proximity to each other but underwater it is like taking a dance down the catwalk!! Grab your camera and the strobes or light(s) you have and go experiment! Strobes and powerful video lights prove their worth once you experience their results!!

Maryka Pace works fulltime in the diving industry at Dive Action, Cape Town. She assists photographers with their needs for underwater photography equipment.