Photographers differ greatly when it comes to strobe positioning. Some adjust strobes constantly, while others leave them fixed in one position regardless of the environment or subject. There is no universally correct setup; strobe positioning is completely dependent on the subject, water clarity, type of photography, and the creative intent of the photographer.
This guide outlines various strobe positioning techniques for both macro and wide-angle underwater photography. Since most diving environments include suspended particles that cause backscatter, careful strobe placement is essential for clear, well-lit images.
Ideal Strobe Arm Length for Versatility
To achieve maximum flexibility for different photography styles—macro, wide-angle, and close-focus wide-angle (CFWA)—it is recommended to use two arms for each strobe. The arm attached to the housing should be approximately 5 to 6 inches long, while the arm closer to the strobe should be 8 to 9 inches. This configuration offers an optimal range of movement and allows the photographer to easily reposition strobes as needed.
Wide-Angle Strobe Positions
Wide-angle photography presents a unique set of lighting challenges. Strobe positioning must take into account the curvature of dome ports, lens angle, and proximity to the subject. In murky water, thoughtful strobe placement is critical to minimize backscatter and ensure even illumination.
Pulling Strobes Back and Outward
When using a 10mm fisheye lens, strobes are often positioned well behind the dome port and angled slightly outward. This setup reduces backscatter and helps spread the light evenly across the frame. However, if the subject is too close to the lens, this positioning may cause a dark spot in the center of the image. To fix this, bring the strobes in slightly closer to the housing while maintaining their backward and outward angle.
Close Subject Technique with Tokina 10–17mm
When shooting a subject close to the dome port at 17mm, lighting directly in front of the port becomes challenging. To handle this, pull the strobes further back and closer to the housing. The rule is simple: the closer the subject is to the dome, the closer the strobes should be to the housing. This adjustment helps to avoid harsh light falloff or center darkness.
Macro Strobe Positions
Macro photography requires more focused and subtle lighting adjustments. Lighting a small subject with precision involves not just distance, but also direction and diffusion. Multiple strobe angles are used depending on how close the subject is, its texture, and its surroundings.
Outward Position for Fish Photography
When photographing fish, especially when they are not very close, strobes are often placed wide and out to the sides. This helps avoid backscatter because the light does not directly illuminate the area between the camera lens and the subject. For fish that approach closely, strobe positioning must be adjusted inward.
Angled Front-Side Lighting
One common macro technique involves pulling the strobes slightly up and forward, then angling them gently toward the subject. This provides a mix of side and front lighting. It brings out textures and contours without overexposing the central subject. This is often the starting point for shooting marine life like nudibranchs, shrimps, and small reef creatures.
Adjusting for Shadows and Tight Spaces
Some underwater environments present tight crevices or sponge interiors. In these situations, strobes may be brought in much closer and angled forward to emphasize front lighting. This helps to fill shadows and illuminate hard-to-reach areas. When lighting nooks, a strong forward light may be required to bring out colors and textures hidden from ambient light.
In the case of photographing tunicates or subjects inside enclosures, strobes are pulled tightly inward to achieve sufficient exposure and detail.
Forward and Slight Backlighting for Glow Effects
Sometimes strobes are pushed even further forward and slightly behind the subject to create a glowing effect, especially for translucent marine creatures. This back/side lighting combination adds a natural shimmer and can dramatically highlight features like fronds, gills, and spines. Proper experimentation and careful light direction are key to mastering this style.
Super Macro: Direct Even Lighting
For super macro shots, strobes are often brought very close to the port and aimed directly forward. This eliminates shadows and creates an even spread of light. The key here is symmetry—both strobes need to be balanced and positioned tightly to the lens axis. This setup is excellent for capturing extremely small subjects in high detail.
Using a Single Strobe for Macro
Even with just one strobe, effective macro photography is possible. The trick is to place the strobe slightly above or over the subject, mimicking the direction of natural sunlight. This placement provides pleasing shadows and natural-looking depth.
A good example is a photo of a queen triggerfish being cleaned. With one strobe placed strategically, the image captures depth and texture. The light appears to come from above, lending realism to the image even though it was captured with a single strobe and film camera setup.
Creating Black Backgrounds with Strobes
One of the most striking effects in underwater macro photography is the black background. This technique isolates the subject dramatically. It requires finding a subject that sits in front of open water, then shooting at an upward angle. Set your camera to block ambient light (e.g., ISO 100, 1/250 sec, f/14) so the only light reaching the sensor comes from your strobe.
However, if there is any structure or reef behind the subject, standard strobe positioning will light it up as well. To prevent this, angle your strobes inward. This way, the light illuminates the subject but passes by the background without reflecting, allowing it to fall into shadow.
This method requires at least 6 to 12 inches of open water between the subject and any background. While it may sound simple, mastering this inward-facing technique is challenging. Consistent practice and a precise understanding of angles and exposure settings are necessary to achieve the desired black background effect.
Inward-facing strobes work particularly well for small crabs, shrimps, or coral polyps where there is enough depth behind the subject to darken the background naturally.
One of the most underestimated factors in underwater photography is the clarity of water. Visibility affects how light travels, scatters, and returns to the lens. In low-visibility water, particles suspended in the water column are much more likely to reflect light toward the camera, resulting in backscatter. This is where effective strobe placement can either make or break a shot.
Positioning strobes further to the sides and slightly behind the dome port helps to reduce this problem. It ensures that only the subject is lit while the water in front of the lens remains in shadow. This technique not only avoids backscatter but also introduces a natural fall-off of light that gives images depth and contrast.
Techniques for Backscatter Reduction
Backscatter is the result of light bouncing off particles in the water. It can be particularly problematic in silty or plankton-rich environments. There are several proven strategies to reduce or eliminate backscatter through proper strobe positioning and camera settings.
Side Lighting
Position both strobes to the extreme left and right of the subject, angled slightly inward. This setup lights only the subject and leaves the water column in front of the lens unlit. It’s especially effective in macro photography where subjects are small and the distance to the lens is short.
Off-Axis Lighting
This technique involves pulling the strobes back and slightly out, so they are behind the plane of the lens and facing forward, but not directly at the subject. The light travels at an angle across the subject rather than directly toward it. This method preserves detail and texture while minimizing direct light reflection from particles.
Narrow Beam Diffusers
Using narrow beam diffusers concentrates the strobe light and reduces scatter. The diffuser shapes the light, allowing more controlled delivery and minimizing spill into areas where it is not needed. When paired with a proper strobe angle, diffusers play a key role in managing backscatter.
Diffusers and Their Effect on Lighting
Diffusers serve to soften the harsh light emitted by strobes. They increase the size of the light source and reduce the contrast between highlights and shadows, resulting in more natural-looking images. Understanding when and how to use diffusers is crucial.
Soft Light for Macro
In macro photography, diffusers help smooth out light across small, highly detailed subjects like nudibranchs, shrimp, or polyps. Without a diffuser, lighting can be too harsh, blowing out whites or creating sharp, unnatural shadows.
Wide Coverage for Wide-Angle
For wide-angle scenes like coral reefs or large marine animals, diffusers spread the light more broadly. This is particularly useful when you’re trying to evenly light subjects that span from one edge of the frame to the other. Some strobes come with removable diffusers that allow quick adaptation to lighting needs.
Trade-Off: Power vs. Softness
While diffusers soften the light, they also slightly reduce its intensity. This can be an issue in deep water or when photographing large, distant subjects. In these cases, increasing strobe power or adjusting ISO and aperture settings can help maintain proper exposure while benefiting from the softening effect.
Close-Focus Wide-Angle (CFWA) Lighting Techniques
CFWA is a technique that combines elements of both macro and wide-angle photography. It involves getting extremely close to a foreground subject while including background elements like the reef or open water. Lighting for CFWA is complex and requires a balance between front lighting and environmental lighting.
Bringing the Strobes Closer
Since the foreground subject is very close to the lens, strobes must be brought in tightly. They should sit just behind or level with the dome port and angle slightly inward. The goal is to light the subject without overexposing it while also preserving detail in the background.
Managing Background Exposure
To avoid silhouetting the background or losing color due to underexposure, use a slower shutter speed and wider aperture in combination with strobe lighting. This allows ambient light to be captured while strobes fill in the subject.
Dual Purpose Lighting
One of the hardest parts of CFWA is making sure both the subject and the background are properly lit. Sometimes one strobe can be angled slightly up to light the background, while the other is used to light the foreground. This requires experimentation and experience to perfect.
Adapting to Subject Movement
Many underwater subjects—especially fish, squid, and rays—move quickly. Adjusting your strobe position in real-time is often not possible. However, you can prepare for movement by setting up strobes in positions that work well for a range of angles.
Wide Spread for Mobility
Keeping strobes slightly wider and at an angle increases your range of effective light. This way, when a subject turns or moves, the lighting still hits it from a usable direction. Though it may not be perfect for every shot, this flexibility increases the chances of capturing fast-moving subjects in good light.
Pre-Planning the Shot
With schooling fish or known animal behaviors (like cleaning stations), you can set up your lighting in advance. Knowing where your subject will be and how it behaves allows you to choose ideal strobe angles that don’t need adjusting during the action.
Working with Natural Light
Blending strobe light with natural light adds mood and richness to underwater photos. Sunbeams and ambient light can fill in shadows and help create depth. However, it also introduces complications in balancing exposure.
Shooting with the Sun Behind You
When the sun is behind you, your strobes will light the subject evenly and help preserve colors lost through water absorption. This is the most forgiving and common setup.
Shooting into the Sun
Photographing into the sun adds drama and can capture beautiful light rays. However, your strobes must now work harder to expose the subject properly, and careful strobe positioning is required to avoid unwanted lens flare or shadows. Slightly forward-angled strobes, often under the dome port, can help light the subject while avoiding overexposure from the sun.
Lighting Subjects in Crevices and Caves
Marine life often hides in hard-to-reach places. Shooting in crevices, under overhangs, or inside coral requires creative strobe work.
Tight, Forward Light
Bring strobes in tightly, aiming them forward to illuminate the small space. If possible, adjust the angle to bounce light off nearby walls, softening shadows.
Use One Strobe if Needed
In tight spots, using one strobe may provide better control. A single light source creates directional shadows that enhance texture. Keep the strobe above the subject for a more natural look, mimicking sunlight from above.
Avoiding Hotspots and Overexposure
Hotspots occur when light is too concentrated in a small area. This can happen if strobes are pointed directly at reflective surfaces like fish scales, octopus skin, or coral.
Feathering the Light
Angle strobes slightly away from the center of the subject, allowing only the edges of the light cone to illuminate it. This softens the light and prevents harsh highlights.
Use of Lower Power Settings
Reduce strobe power when shooting reflective or brightly colored subjects. Overexposure blows out details and textures. Underexpose slightly and recover in post-processing if needed.
Balancing Shadows and Highlights
Underwater lighting is about contrast. Over-lighting flattens the image, while under-lighting loses detail. Mastering this balance is critical.
Backlighting for Drama
Place strobes slightly behind the subject to create a rim of light. This technique works well with translucent subjects like jellyfish or feather stars. It separates the subject from the background and adds depth.
Cross Lighting for Texture
Angle each strobe from opposite sides. This creates soft shadows that emphasize texture, particularly useful when photographing coral, anemones, or crustaceans.
Avoiding Common Mistakes in Strobe Positioning
Even experienced photographers make lighting mistakes. Here are some of the most common and how to fix them:
Strobes Too Far Apart
This creates uneven lighting with dark centers or bright edges. Instead, bring the strobes in slightly and test the light spread. Adjust distance based on lens width and subject proximity.
Over-Lighting the Water Column
Lighting the space between the lens and the subject illuminates suspended particles, causing backscatter. Always aim strobes away from the lens axis to light only the subject.
Forgetting to Adjust for Lens Changes
Switching from a macro to a wide-angle lens without adjusting the strobe position results in improper lighting. Always recalibrate your strobe setup after changing lenses or dome ports.
Advanced Strobe Techniques for Underwater Photography
Once you have mastered the basics of strobe placement for macro and wide-angle shots, it’s time to push further into advanced lighting strategies. These techniques allow photographers to creatively control mood, emphasize subjects, and explore the artistic side of underwater photography. Whether it’s deep wrecks, large pelagics, or bioluminescent organisms, each scene requires tailored lighting.
Lighting for Large Subjects: Sharks, Turtles, and Rays
Large marine life presents unique challenges. Their size and distance from the camera require wide and even light coverage, often without the benefit of proximity. Positioning strobes appropriately ensures these creatures are lit evenly, with depth and dimensionality.
Wide Spread, Slightly Forward
When photographing a large shark or manta ray, place strobes far apart, well outside the frame, and angle them slightly forward toward the subject. This setup provides a wide cone of light, evenly exposing the entire animal while minimizing harsh shadows.
Managing Exposure Across the Frame
Large subjects may span from one edge of the image to the other. Using strobes on high power helps maintain even exposure across the body. However, be careful not to overexpose white bellies or reflective skin. Underexpose slightly and adjust in post-processing for the best results.
Wreck Photography and Artificial Structures
Wreck diving is visually dramatic but poses difficulties in lighting. Interiors are dark and complex, while exteriors often have uneven surfaces and obscure corners. Strobe positioning needs to adapt to both tight spaces and open structure shots.
Broad Coverage for Exterior Shots
When shooting the exterior of a wreck, use wide-angle lenses and place strobes further apart, behind the dome port, and aimed slightly forward. This will evenly light the structure, especially useful when capturing divers, corals growing on the wreck, or large scenes.
One Strobe Inside, One Outside
Inside a wreck or swim-through, lighting becomes tricky. Try placing one strobe inside the structure to illuminate details, and one strobe outside or above to light your subject from a different angle. This creates separation between subject and background, adding depth.
Creating Depth Through Shadow
Inside dark environments, don’t aim for completely flat lighting. Use shadows to your advantage by turning off one strobe or angling it backward. This creates moody, contrast-rich images that evoke the mystery of wreck diving.
Night Diving and Bioluminescence
Night dives offer a whole new atmosphere. The lack of ambient light forces you to rely completely on artificial lighting. This allows for strong control over shadows, exposure, and creativity.
Tight, Directional Lighting
Use short strobe arms and keep strobes close to the dome port, angled directly at the subject. The darkness surrounding the subject creates natural vignetting and emphasizes details. A diffuser can help soften the intensity of light in close quarters.
Highlighting Bioluminescent Organisms
When shooting bioluminescence, traditional strobes are turned off. Instead, use low-output video lights or allow your camera to capture long-exposure images. To include flash in bioluminescence scenes, pre-focus and pre-compose the shot. Fire a single strobe burst after the exposure to freeze a subject in motion.
Strobe Use in Silty or Muddy Conditions
Some of the most biodiverse environments—muck diving sites, estuaries, and lagoons—have the worst visibility. Stirred-up silt and organic matter make backscatter a major issue. Strobe positioning is critical in these environments.
Back-Angled Strobes
Pull your strobes behind the housing and angle them slightly outward. This lights the subject while allowing the central water column to remain dark, eliminating backscatter from particles between the lens and subject.
Lighting from Above or Below
Try placing one strobe above or below the subject, especially when photographing on the seafloor. This can reduce the amount of disturbed sediment captured in the frame. The angle helps cast shadows across the bottom, highlighting textures in sand, seagrass, or mud.
Split Shots: Over-Under Photography with Strobes
Split shots—or over-under images—capture both above and below the waterline in one frame. Lighting for these shots can be challenging since sunlight above and strobe light below must blend seamlessly.
Strobe Placement Below the Waterline
Since strobes only work underwater, they should be placed below the surface, just beneath the dome. Position them to light the underwater portion of the image without casting light on water droplets or reflections on the dome. Use diffusers to avoid lighting only a small area of the subject.
Balancing Light Above and Below
To balance sunlight with strobe light, shoot during golden hour when the surface light is softer. Use a smaller aperture and slower shutter speed to expose the above-water part correctly, while letting strobes illuminate the underwater part.
Strobe Angles Based on Subject Texture
Textures affect how light is absorbed or reflected. Smooth surfaces reflect harsh light, while rough or uneven textures scatter it gently. Your lighting setup should match the type of subject.
Smooth Surfaces: Feather the Light
Subjects like turtles, sharks, or dolphins have shiny surfaces. Aim strobes to the side or slightly behind to reduce glare and hotspots. Avoid lighting from the front unless diffusers are used.
Textured Surfaces: Emphasize Shadows
Corals, sea fans, and crustaceans benefit from sidelight or cross lighting. Position strobes so that shadows fall gently across the subject, emphasizing its detail and creating a sense of three-dimensionality.
Using Color Gels and Filters on Strobes
Adding colored gels to strobes can enhance the mood of your photos or correct color balance issues in specific environments.
Blue Water Backgrounds
In green water conditions or during late evening dives, a blue gel on the strobe can simulate tropical blue backgrounds. This creates a pleasing contrast with warm-toned subjects like fish or coral.
Creative Color Washes
For artistic shots, try using colored gels—red, purple, or orange—to add emotion to a photo. You can use one strobe with a colored gel and the other with white light to create dynamic and creative lighting.
Correcting for Mixed Lighting
When using continuous lights in video or mixed lighting scenes, apply gels that match the color temperature of your video lights to your strobes. This avoids unnatural lighting differences across the frame.
Lighting Transparent or Translucent Subjects
Subjects like jellyfish, glass shrimp, or salps require very careful lighting. Standard front lighting makes them disappear or appear flat.
Side and Backlighting
Place strobes behind or slightly to the side of the subject. This causes light to pass through their bodies, illuminating their edges and internal structures. Backlighting can give these creatures a beautiful glow, revealing patterns and textures that are otherwise invisible.
Low Power, High Precision
Use low strobe power and tight angles to prevent overexposing delicate structures. Precision is key—experiment with minor angle changes and evaluate your results carefully.
Lighting Multiple Subjects in One Frame
When you are shooting groups of fish, a diver and marine life, or multiple coral heads, light placement must take the whole scene into account.
Prioritize the Primary Subject
Determine which part of the frame you want the viewer’s eye to be drawn to, and prioritize lighting for that subject. Reduce lighting on secondary elements to avoid distractions.
High-Angle Lighting for Group Shots
For schooling fish or diver portraits with marine life, place strobes high and slightly outward. This broad lighting setup ensures even illumination and avoids harsh shadowing on individual subjects.
Adding a Third Strobe or Light Source
While two strobes are standard, a third light can add new layers to your images. It can act as a background light, fill light, or highlight specific elements of your composition.
Background Illumination
Place the third strobe behind or below the subject to illuminate the background or create a glow around the subject. This works well in wide-angle reef scenes or wreck interiors.
Highlighting Details
Use a snoot on the third strobe to highlight a specific element like a coral polyp, crab, or nudibranch. This isolates the subject and adds depth to your composition.
Learning Through Experimentation
Mastering underwater strobe positioning takes time, patience, and a willingness to experiment. Conditions change constantly beneath the surface. Subjects move, currents shift, and light disappears with depth. The only way to truly develop your lighting instincts is to repeatedly adjust, test, and analyze your strobe placements on every dive.
Take Multiple Shots of the Same Subject
Don’t settle for one image. Change your strobe angles and distances across a series of shots. Observe how small changes affect shadow placement, highlight intensity, and background exposure. Review these results after each dive. Over time, patterns will emerge, and you’ll begin to predict how your adjustments will influence the final photo.
Make Incremental Adjustments
Avoid drastic movements unless you are completely changing your composition. Instead, move one strobe an inch or two, or slightly change the angle. This teaches you the subtle nature of underwater light and how different angles create completely different visual effects.
Learn From Environmental Feedback
Use the visibility, subject texture, and seafloor color as a guide. Murky water? Pull strobes back. Bright sand? Lower strobe power. Dark reef? Use wider angles. Understanding how to read your environment is key to developing consistent lighting habits.
Analyzing and Correcting Lighting Mistakes
Every underwater photographer encounters lighting mistakes. Recognizing them is essential for growth. With experience, you’ll not only know how to correct them but also avoid them altogether in the future.
Common Lighting Errors
Photos too bright? You may be too close, or your strobes are too strong. Photos too dark? Either you're underexposing or the light isn’t reaching your subject. Harsh shadows? Likely caused by direct lighting or too much distance between strobes. Uneven lighting? Your strobes might be too far apart or not symmetrically angled.
Using the Histogram
Your camera’s histogram is one of the best tools for identifying exposure issues. A histogram that’s too far to the left indicates underexposure. If the peaks are bunched to the right, you're overexposing your highlights. Adjust strobe intensity and camera settings accordingly, and make use of bracketing techniques when in doubt.
Diagnosing Backscatter
When backscatter occurs, analyze where in the frame it’s most intense. This tells you which strobe is contributing most. Re-angle that strobe or move it further from the lens axis to fix the issue. Sometimes using only one strobe, or switching to natural light, may be the better option in heavily silted areas.
Developing a Personal Lighting Style
Just like composition, your lighting can become part of your visual identity. Some photographers favor soft, evenly lit images. Others prefer high-contrast lighting that dramatizes texture and form. Once you’ve mastered strobe control, you can start intentionally crafting your images to reflect your style.
Consistency Through Familiarity
Build muscle memory by sticking to a consistent strobe setup as your baseline. As you get faster at setting and adjusting, you'll have more time to focus on composition, subject interaction, and creative ideas. When your strobe control becomes second nature, your creativity truly begins.
Experiment with Intent
Don’t just move strobes randomly. Ask yourself: what kind of mood am I trying to create? Do I want soft shadows or bold edges? Should the subject feel isolated or immersed in its surroundings? Each lighting decision should support your artistic goal.
Building an Efficient Lighting Workflow
To maximize your underwater time, develop a fast and effective workflow. Pre-dive preparation and in-dive discipline help you respond quickly to new subjects and conditions.
Before the Dive
Test your strobe connections on land. Clean and grease o-rings. Check for a full battery charge. Review your subject list and consider what strobe positions might work best. Having a plan for wide-angle versus macro or ambient-light versus strobe-lit scenes helps you avoid fumbling with gear underwater.
Underwater Efficiency
Set a neutral position for strobes when descending. As you approach your subject, move into your adjusted shooting posture. After the shot, evaluate it in the LCD, make small corrections, and shoot again. This fast feedback loop increases your learning and improves shot quality within limited bottom time.
Post-Dive Review
Spend time after each dive analyzing what worked and what didn’t. Compare lighting across similar shots. Look at where shadows fell, where highlights blew out, and how light interacted with water particles. Over time, this kind of review builds a mental database of lighting solutions for different environments.
Post-Processing for Strobe-Lit Photos
Even with perfect lighting, post-processing can elevate your underwater images. Editing allows you to fine-tune contrast, correct white balance, and bring out details that were slightly lost due to the challenges of underwater light.
Correcting Color Casts
Water absorbs red, yellow, and orange wavelengths with depth, leaving images looking blue or green. Use your editing software to gently bring warmth back to the image. Start with white balance adjustment, then fine-tune using HSL tools for specific color channels.
Managing Highlights and Shadows
Use local adjustments to manage blown-out highlights or overly dark shadows caused by strobe light. Dodge and burn tools help rebalance light across the subject. Subtle adjustments are key to maintaining a natural appearance.
Enhancing Contrast and Texture
Use clarity and dehaze tools to bring out midtone contrast and textures in coral or fish scales. But avoid over-processing; underwater images can easily look unnatural when pushed too far. Aim for realistic enhancements that mirror how the scene felt during the dive.
Removing Backscatter
Backscatter can be minimized or eliminated in post-processing with clone or healing tools. Use small brush sizes and zoom in for precision. Some editing software includes spot-removal automation specifically designed for underwater images.
Staying Inspired and Continuing to Learn
Strobe positioning is a lifelong learning journey. Marine environments are dynamic, and every subject is different. Stay inspired by following other underwater photographers, reading dive magazines, and participating in underwater photo competitions.
Practice in All Conditions
Don’t wait for perfect conditions to experiment. Low-visibility dives are excellent for practicing strobe control. Night dives sharpen your directional lighting skills. Even in poor conditions, every dive teaches you something new.
Share and Seek Feedback
Join photography groups or online communities. Share your work and ask for lighting critiques. Learning from others can help you see angles and techniques you hadn’t considered before.
Keep a Dive Log
Maintain a notebook or digital log of dive conditions, strobe setups, camera settings, and your results. Over time, this will become an invaluable reference for preparing future shoots and continuing your lighting evolution.
Conclusion
Strobe positioning in underwater photography is both a technical skill and an art form. From macro to wide-angle, from shallow reefs to deep wrecks, every scene demands a unique lighting approach. Mastering this discipline requires patience, experimentation, and adaptability.
Understanding the fundamentals—such as arm length, strobe angle, and diffuser use—provides the foundation for success. From there, advanced techniques like backlighting, color gels, and tri-strobe setups allow you to push your creative boundaries.
Great underwater images are the result of thoughtful strobe placement combined with compelling composition and precise exposure. The difference between a flat snapshot and a dramatic, textured masterpiece often lies in just a few inches of strobe adjustment.
By observing your environment, analyzing each shot, and developing a consistent workflow, you will gain confidence and speed. Over time, lighting will become intuitive. It will support—not interrupt—your creative process.
Whether you're photographing a single nudibranch on a reef wall or capturing a school of barracuda under a sunlit surface, your strobe choices shape the image's story. Keep learning. Keep experimenting. The ocean is vast, and your best shot is always the next one.