Safety stop depth with the sun above us. In this condition, shooting this transitioning Ribbon Eel was challenging at the higher power ranges (Full to -2.0EV). I'm using the AA Eneloop Pros and did notice a difference in recycling times compared to the L-ion battery. I pushed the strobe to full, trying to bring out the blacks and subtle colors while trying to beat the intensity of the sun.

Capturing the motion of a frantic batfish that panicked when I started flashing. I liked the water color and natural hue of the fish, even at slow shutter speeds.

A photogenic Mototi octopus mauls my lens. I held the shutter down and captured a series of evenly exposed images. I'm shooting 5 frames per second, using the Li-ion battery pack, and the strobe performed well. Frame after frame, the foreground and background show nice colors and a natural gradient all the way to the furthest edge of the beam throw.

Keeping the water blue with a slow shutter and the warm kelvin temps are a snap. Vibrant colors, great single strobe coverage, smooth contrast and gradient.

A large Sea Snake emerged from the coral head with a buddy close behind. Moving quickly and hunting downslope, I adjusted to 5 frames per second and confidently held the shutter.

An Anilao icon, the settling phase of the Wunderpus photogenicus is remarkable. Transparent with flecks of colored pigmentation and a large, bulbous head, this common octopus looks like a character from the movie Mars Attacks. I use a domed diffuser to prevent burning out the reflective details when shooting blackwater. I also prefer a lightweight strobe for quick movement when needed and for trimming out in the water column.

Blackwater can be challenging on strobes as everything happens at once. I often shoot frame bursts to hedge my chances of success and true to form did the same.

The bright sandy terrain provided an environment where natural light was easily captured. To prevent color cast caused by natural light, I used High-Speed Sync (HSS) to increase the shutter speed to 1/1250 second. To blur the background elements, I deliberately opened the aperture wide for the shot.

Baby wood ear mushrooms, each less than 1 mm in size, were waiting for the moment to set out on their journey. To capture as much detail as possible of these tiny subjects, I used manual focus to get as close as the minimum focusing distance allowed and shot with a narrow aperture.

The eggs of a rockfish and the fins of the male guarding them. Since this is a subject I photograph every year, I decided to try a different approach and used a slow shutter speed. I feel like I was able to capture the sparkle and the gentle movement of the eggs.

I was using a slow shutter speed to photograph the eggs of a rockfish when the male returned. The light from the strobe and my flashlight was likely blocked by his body. I hadn’t intended to capture this kind of image at all, but I thought it had a certain understated charm all its own.

The Ezo Nitchirin starfish, whose body resembles a flower. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a patch of white flowers blooming amidst the red flower field. I opened the aperture to capture the gentle atmosphere of the flower field.

When it comes to summer fun in Hakodate, I highly recommend this “spotted cuttlefish” among all the cuttlefish species! As hatching approaches, the young cuttlefish inside the eggs repeatedly darken and lighten their body color before finally hatching. The circular light tubes visible on either side of the eggs differ from the linear ones seen previously, and they blend seamlessly into photos without looking out of place.

Autumn foliage holds many charms. In recent years, we’ve seen more and more footage captured not only from the ground but also by drones and other devices, but my favorite way to enjoy it is through underwater photography. When I peer through the water’s surface at the scene above, with leaves floating on the water, rainy days feel especially magical.

The personalities of male fish guarding their eggs vary widely—some are timid, some are quick-tempered, and some are majestic. The male in the photo focuses entirely on protecting his eggs, paying no attention to people or even potential predators like cormorants. He works diligently, using his pectoral fins and mouth to stimulate hatching and supply fresh seawater—a truly devoted sight. We were able to capture this parent fish thanks to the wide coverage of the circular light tube.

Soft corals thrive on the artificial structures at “Oki Fishing Reef,” a limited-time dive site in Toi. Since the interior of the reef tends to be dark due to a lack of natural light, I set the camera’s exposure to a brighter setting and adjust the strobe output to be weaker accordingly. This is the perfect situation to showcase the beautiful light distribution of a circular light tube.

A spiny sea slug perched on a rock surface covered in pink coral. I took great care to ensure the light was evenly distributed across the foreground so as not to cast shadows on the background. By angling the strobe slightly behind the subject, I made sure the background was also well-lit.

I captured the moment when two glass gobies lined up side by side. Since I was in the middle of a seminar on shooting without the camera touching the bottom, I couldn’t slow down the shutter speed due to the risk of camera shake. To bring out the blue tones, I had to increase the ISO—but this is precisely the kind of shot that’s only possible with the YS-D130R, thanks to its low minimum light sensitivity.

Blue damselfish swimming at a depth of about 1 meter, captured against the backdrop of a sunset at the tip of Osezaki. To create bokeh from the light entering the water, I adjusted the exposure by shooting at a wide aperture and using a fast shutter speed. Previously, these shots would have turned out as silhouettes because the shutter speed exceeded the sync limit, but thanks to High-Speed Sync (HSS) photography, I was able to bring out the colors of the blue damselfish. This has greatly expanded my creative possibilities.

This scene of a striped white-bearded shrimp cleaning was captured using a lighting setup with an 80×82° beam angle and no diffuser. While the light isn’t as tightly focused as it would be with a snoot, controlling the area illuminated allowed me to emphasize the subject through contrast rather than bokeh. The YS-D130R’s exceptional burst shooting performance ensures I never miss a precious moment.

Taken beneath the drift ice in Utoro on the Shiretoko Peninsula. Since light doesn’t pass through the drift ice, the contrast between light and shadow is very strong. Even when large ice floes drift by, the scene can become quite dark. This makes it necessary to aim a strobe at the ice, but photographing white ice with a strobe is extremely difficult. Using a dome diffuser with the YS-D130R allowed the light to spread beautifully, softly, and evenly, making it easy to capture the shot.

A photo of a Clione taken beneath frozen drift ice. I set the ISO high to create a crisp blue background, blurring the white of the ice and the blue of the sea to create a gradient effect.
It’s usually difficult to capture the exact moment when a Clione’s pteropodia unfurl, but since the flash emits a consistent amount of light even during continuous shooting, I was able to get the shot without any trouble. It makes me feel a little regretful, thinking that it used to be much harder… (laughs).

This is a pteropod called the “dwarf sea snail,” which lives beneath the drift ice and serves as food for the sea angel. Since I wanted to capture the snail’s beautiful shell and form, I shot with the aperture set to f/1.4 and the ISO at its lowest setting of 64. I fired the flash at a relatively high output of -1.5 EV, but continuous shooting worked flawlessly, and I was able to use the camera comfortably and without any issues even in the harsh environment of -1.5°C water temperature. I’m truly grateful for the cold-weather mode and the accurate battery indicator.

At a depth of 50 meters, the outline of life is briefly illuminated by a flash of light. The strobe light, directed to trace the delicate edges of the fins, faithfully brings out the subject’s colors and accentuates its presence by contrasting it with the soft bokeh of the background.
Perhaps because I usually use warm-colored light sources, I felt that the YS-D130R’s color temperature rendered the Akebono goby’s white body color with a crisp, vivid clarity. Its stable HSS flash output, combined with the large light volume dial that allows for precise exposure control, helped reproduce a natural sense of depth even underwater.

A shot captured from a perspective just above the water’s surface, utilizing an extremely shallow depth of field. Shot wide open at f/2.8 to blur the background extensively, the YS-D130R precisely brought out only the subject’s details and colors.
I aimed to create an image where the presence of the strobe was barely noticeable, using a very low-power HSS flash at a wide aperture. The result is a soft yet crisp image that makes the most of the natural light’s tones.
This shot blends the delicate bokeh produced by the combination of the A7C II and the FE 90mm Macro lens with the quality of light from the SEA&SEA strobe.

Inside the EMMONS. I chose the kitchen area, which is relatively easy to access, as my subject. I deliberately used RC/TTL Auto at a wide aperture and set the flash compensation to -1.3 EV.
Even under challenging conditions, the exposure remained stable, confirming the flash’s ability to provide balanced lighting without overexposure or underexposure. Thanks to the circular light tube, the light spreads evenly and gently to every corner of the frame. Additionally, backscatter is minimized, resulting in impressively clear images.

While capturing the bow in the foreground with proper exposure, the hull extending into the distance transitions into a natural gradient of blue.
The balance between the area illuminated by the light and the ambient light coexists beautifully, faithfully rendering the color changes caused by distance. The uniform light distribution provided by the circular light tube ensures that even wide-angle shots appear natural.

“Pyramid,” a popular boat dive site in Futo during winter known for its excellent visibility, is home to a vibrant expanse of soft corals. To capture the scene with greater clarity, I wanted to stop down the aperture. To minimize the risk of shadowed areas when shooting against the light, I used the strobe at full power. Thanks to the latest circular light tube, the light was evenly distributed across the soft corals.

A large cat shark was resting on the seabed. I shot this by getting very close to the subject using the 20mm wide-angle lens. Using a dome diffuser diffused the light, creating a soft, gentle illumination.

Every winter, deep-sea anglerfish arrive in the bay at Osezaki. This was the first time I’d ever encountered this subject, which I’d wanted to photograph for years.
The anglerfish lies flat on the sandy bottom, with its head slightly raised like a small hill. I experimented with various lighting setups, but since using two strobes would have completely eliminated the shadows, I chose to use just one strobe to intentionally create some shadows.

While Osezaki is best known for macro photography, the “Tip Point”—open only on weekends—features abundant beautiful soft corals and anthias, making it a great spot for wide-angle photography.
Since the slope at the tip is relatively steep, if you frame your shot to include the water’s surface, you can capture the anthias and soft corals against a stunning blue backdrop.

I have the impression that schools of blue damselfish and gold-striped anthias gather in the shallows at the tip of Osezaki. Since shooting from a bird’s-eye view allows me to make good use of natural light, I kept the flash output low and focused the flash only slightly on the creatures in the foreground.

This photo was taken aboard a cruise ship in Raja Ampat. While diving along the eastern drop-off of an island southwest of Waigeo Island, soft sunlight streamed through the trees from the west, creating a beautiful sunbeam effect.
To capture the sunbeam, I stopped down the aperture and gently illuminated a school of butterflyfish in the foreground with a strobe.

Ribbon sweetlips captivate divers around the world. Off the coast of Kri Island—one of the most popular dive sites in Raja Ampat—a wall of ribbon sweetlips suddenly appeared at a depth of around 35 meters. To keep the entire school in focus, I stopped down the aperture as much as possible, slowed the shutter speed, and increased the strobe output.

One of the most memorable sights during my cruise in Raja Ampat was the wobigong shark.
This wobigong shark was in a fantastic spot, surrounded by hard corals, soft corals, and sea fans.
Since I got really close to take the photo, I had to be careful to avoid casting shadows depending on the position of the strobe.

I looked for an angle where the surrounding divers wouldn’t get in the shot, but since it was backlit, I took the photo using a higher flash output. By attaching a dome-shaped diffuser, the light spread evenly across the entire school, allowing me to capture the vivid colors of the yellowtail snapper.

A green sea turtle swimming in the brilliant sunlight. To capture the turtle’s natural colors and clearly depict the beautiful rays of light reaching the seabed, I shot this photo using high-speed sync (HSS) mode with a fast shutter speed.

Since I was more than 2 meters away from the large school of horned filefish, I photographed them with the flash set to full power. The new dome-shaped diffuser produces excellent color reproduction and works well with the circular flash tube. The light distribution also looks natural.

A Kikuchi crab mimic living on a pink freshwater sponge. To capture its striking blue and orange coloration, I had to carefully direct light into the crevices of the sponge, and the sponge in the background was prone to overexposure. Even under these challenging macro photography conditions, the soft, diffused light allowed me to capture the colors exactly as I envisioned.

The moment a Hachijotatsu hatches. Since the subject was less than 1 cm in size, I used HSS to increase the shutter speed to avoid blurring. Incidentally, since the flash syncs even during 10-fps continuous shooting, I’d like to try using this feature in the future for scenes where it won’t stress the creatures.

At a beautiful, small reef at a depth of about 5 meters, the highlights near the surface were quite harsh. To accurately capture the vibrant colors of the red togariebi fish schooling beneath the coral, I needed to balance the exposure with the strobe light; however, by using HSS, I was able to achieve a much more natural-looking shot.

The glassfish, which is prone to flare when facing the sun, was photographed using HSS.

A massive school of anchovies and a group of flathead fish gathered around the reef. The lighting allows for an extremely uniform effect that also conveys a sense of depth.

Even in the Maldives, where countless anthias swarm around an anemonefish, the light shone beautifully, and the colors of the subject were rendered with stunning clarity.

I went to Sado Island to see the adorable pufferfish. The water temperature was 11°C at that time; over five days, I logged 11 dives and took over 1,700 photos. Yet, I didn’t have to change the battery even once during that entire time. The dedicated lithium battery is amazing! If the battery lasts longer, you don’t have to recharge it as often, which in turn reduces the risk of it getting submerged. I was truly grateful for that.

Cute anthias swimming in front of beautiful soft corals—the composition is already perfect♪ Now all I have to do is focus and press the shutter at just the right moment. Since the D130R has an RC mode, I can adjust the flash output directly on the camera if I’m using an OM SYSTEM camera. I don’t have to take my eye off the viewfinder, so I never miss a shot. It’s really convenient.

My favorite thing about Ainan is how beautiful the soft corals are. It’s so amazing that I actually thought, “This place is so awesome, I want to live here!” (lol). Plus, one of its defining features is the mix of different colors. To achieve the “Sachi color” look, you need to ensure the light is distributed evenly over a wide area. Thanks to the high light output and the circular light tube, the light spread beautifully without any shadows. This is really important.

I spotted a juvenile Suruga Ryugu nudibranch crawling along. Its coloration looked so cute against the white sandy bottom! Macro photography really brings out the true colors of the light. The fact that white appears white, and that the subject’s natural colors are faithfully reproduced—it may seem obvious, but it’s still crucial. You’ll see just how beautiful this strobe’s color reproduction is when you look at the photos.

It’s a truly luxurious setup, but you actually see it quite often on Kashiwajima (thanks to our guide’s hard work—I’m so grateful). Since the way light falls is just as crucial here as it is in macro photography, this circular light tube is a huge help in achieving a shadowless, soft-focus finish. It’s great because I don’t have to worry about minor adjustments, so I can focus entirely on shooting. Wow, it’s beautiful...

The Tokara Islands offer a succession of landscapes that seem almost un-Japanese, leaving no room for complacency while diving. The current was fierce during this dive, and I was struggling just to stay in place... When shooting wide-angle, I extend the arm to direct the light. In situations like this, I’m incredibly grateful that my camera supports RC mode, allowing me to adjust the light output directly from the camera—so I don’t have to reach out and fiddle with the strobes in the middle of a strong current.

These days, it’s become quite rare to see chagara unless you head out to the northern seas. They’re one of my favorite fish! ♪ During the breeding season, they display stunning colors, but they only spread their beautiful fins for a split second. To capture that moment, I set my camera to continuous shooting mode. This photo really drove home just how much potential this strobe has.