Focusing light with Saga Optical Snoot

Phil Rudin · Issue 75, Nov/Dec 2013 · pp. 32–35

Products mentioned: Saga Optical Light Guide Snoot, Inon Z-240, Inon Z-220, Inon D-2000, Olympus E-M5, Nauticam housing

Light shaping devices have been around for about as long as photographers have been exposing images. Underwater photographers are no exception to this truth. We have used the position of the sun to create interesting lighting effects, a verity of diffusers to widen and soften strobe lighting. Multiple strobes can control shadows, highlights, contrast, color and depth. Another technique underwater photographers have taken right from the studio photography toolbox is the use of snoots for shaping and directing light onto the subject. A snoot is a cylindrical or conically (cone) shaped light reflector which is fitted over the strobe to produce a focused beam of light directed onto the subject. The snoot creates a column of light which will allow you to separate a subject from its background or place a very narrow sliver of light on an element of your subject like its eye or mouth. We most o…