Mastering Strobe Photography

To get the best results using a strobe, you must go beyond the limitations of a built-in flash to the flexibility and power of an external strobe. A built-in flash is usually too weak to illuminate your subject properly. It's likely to add backscatter to your photo and because it's fixed in place, it might not clear add-on lenses, throwing a shadow on your subject.
There are many reasons why an external strobe is best:
1. It's more powerful so you can illuminate your subject from further away.
2. It's on an adjustable arm that lets you position the strobe where you want it for exactly the lighting effect you want.
3. You can avoid backscatter by moving the strobe away from the lens.
4. You can adjust light intensity manually or automatically (via DS-TTL on the YS-110 strobe) to get precisely the amount of light you need..

Mastering Strobe Photography

Backscatter is exaggerated when the strobe is too close to the lens because particles reflect directly back at the lens.Using the strobe arm to move the strobe away from the lens reduces backscatter because particles now reflect away from the lens. An arm is indispensable for reducing backscatter.
An external strobe is stronger than a built-in flash (it has a higher guide number) and its light reaches further than the built-in flash to better illuminate your subject. An external strobe may reach six to ten feet (two to three meters), which should work well as long as you remember that one of the main rules of underwater photography is "get as close as you can to your subject."

Try Lighting from Different Angles

Using your strobe from different angles to your subject can produce dramatically different results. Below are two examples. The first example illustrates top lighting (illuminating the subject from above) using a single strobe.

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This strobe placement image is simulated.
(c)Masaaki Harada @ Ishigakijima
Top lighting is a basic type of lighting. Before snapping your shot, check to make sure that the angle of your strobe will fully light the face of the fish.

The next example illustrates side lighting (illuminating the subject from the side) with a single strobe.

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This strobe placement image is simulated.
(c)Masaaki Harada @ Ishigakijima
Notice how the side lighting brings out shadows for a more dramatic effect and a greater feeling of depth. The challenge with side lighting is to make sure not to let important parts of your image fall into shadow.

Add More Flexibility with Two Strobes

A single strobe will easily cover a full frame when you're shooting macro photos. If you're shooting from the side, though, a single strobe throws hard black shadows on the side opposite the light. You can eliminate these shadows by using two strobes.

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This strobe placement image is simulated.
(c)Masaaki Harada @ Ishigakijima
When two strobes light the subject, one from the left and the other from the right, light fills the whole scene. The two strobes reflect off both the left and right eyes of the subject to add a sparkle and make the face come alive.

Watch a movie of two-strobe lighting in action, from touching bottom to shooting.

The eyes of a fish are a very important part of underwater photography. Shooting with a strobe located next to or above the lens makes most fish eyes appear black. Shooting with one or more strobes located to the side may, depending on the type of fish, add a gleam of lightning to the eyes.
A working knowledge of lighting is a very important part of underwater photography. The ability to instantly review your photos after you take them on a digital camera is an invaluable tool for learning lighting. If you don't like the effects in one shot, you can adjust the position of the strobe for the next shot to add more dramatic shadows and a three-dimensional feel, or to soften the light and provide more gentle overall lighting. In no time at all you'll learn just how to use your strobes for the best photos.

Watch Your Strobe Angle

The first time you add an external strobe to your housing and try it out, it may take a little while to get good results. Take your time when shooting to set your strobe up in the right position. Is it at a good angle from the subject? Does it face the subject?
A new strobe photographer often gets so wrapped up in taking pictures that he or she forgets about the strobe completely. The strobe ends up pointing off into open water, away from the subject, and no matter how many times the photographer clicks the shutter, the subject ends up dark.
If your pictures turn out dark, the first thing to do is check to see where your strobe is pointing. If you take time to point and angle your strobe correctly, and to set the light levels right, you'll soon start taking beautiful pictures filled with a sense of color unlike anything you've seen before.

Using a Diffuser

Each SEA&SEA external strobe comes with a diffuser, a milky plastic attachment that attaches to the front of the strobe. A diffuser drops the strobe's light level by one full F stop and gently spreads the light to provide even illumination for a scene. You may not want to use a diffuser if you're trying to create dramatic colors and contrast, but it can really help for pictures with a delicate, gentle feel. It's very useful in extreme macro photography where a strobe can overwhelm tiny subjects.

Click here for product information about external strobes.