A new look at macro lighting

Mark Webster · Issue 24, May/Jun 2005 · pp. 41–45

Products mentioned: Nikon D70, Sea & Sea housing, Sea & Sea YS-90DX strobe, Olympus C5050, Olympus PT-015 housing, 60mm macro lens, 105mm macro lens

As we all should already know, strobes produce white light (5400 to 5600 Kelvin), and we use strobes underwater for two main reasons. To illuminate an object, or to replace colors that would otherwise be absorbed. It’s as simple as that, or is it? As a commercial photographer, I’ve spent nearly a decade lighting my subjects from every physical angle possible and there’s a lot more to lighting than meets the eye. The truth is, there are many techniques commercial photographers use to achieve those glossy product advertisements you see in magazines (think about those ‘mood’ shots of hand phones and watches) They were of course done in a studio, but here’s the question. Why can’t we use some of the same approach in underwater photography? Besides it’s size and output, studio strobes are no different. They all produce white light, it’s how we use them that makes the difference. With that in …