The Intricacies of Wide-Angle Underwater Photography Lighting

Underwater photography is a thrilling and often challenging discipline, but it becomes particularly complex when you venture into wide-angle photography. Whether you're capturing vibrant coral reefs, vast schools of fish, or an underwater landscape, the need for proper lighting is crucial to achieve breathtaking shots. Lighting can make or break an image, and the intricacies involved in wide-angle underwater photography lighting require both technical skill and creativity.

In this blog, we’ll dive deep into the key considerations, techniques, and tips to master lighting for wide-angle underwater photography.

The Challenges of Underwater Lighting

Before we get into the specifics of wide-angle lighting, it’s important to understand some of the unique challenges presented by the underwater environment.

1. Light Absorption and Scattering: Water, especially at greater depths, absorbs light at a faster rate. Red, orange, and yellow wavelengths are the first to be absorbed, leaving cooler blues and greens to dominate the scene. This means that as you descend, the colors in your frame may start to look muted or washed out without proper lighting.

2. Limited Natural Light: Even in clear water, natural sunlight only penetrates a certain distance. Beyond about 10 meters (33 feet), ambient light is minimal, and you’ll need to rely on artificial lighting to illuminate your subject.

3. Suspended Particles: Water often contains suspended particles, plankton, and silt, which can scatter light and cause unwanted backscatter in your images. This becomes even more pronounced in wide-angle shots, where the light needs to reach further distances.

4. Composition: Wide-angle photography often involves large, complex scenes, which means lighting needs to be evenly distributed. With multiple subjects, rocks, and other elements in the frame, achieving a balanced exposure across the entire image becomes a challenge.

   
   

Key Principles of Wide-Angle Underwater Photography Lighting

To overcome these challenges, you need to master a few core principles of lighting.

1. Use of Artificial Lighting

While natural light may work well in shallow waters with clear conditions, wide-angle underwater photography typically demands the use of artificial lights. These lights help restore the colors that are absorbed by the water and illuminate distant subjects that would otherwise be shrouded in darkness.

• Strobe Lights: The most common artificial light sources in underwater photography are strobes. These lights are powerful and can be positioned at various angles to provide direct illumination to your subjects. To get the most out of strobes, it’s important to position them so that they don’t create harsh shadows or bright spots. Two strobes, positioned on either side of the camera, are often ideal for lighting wide-angle scenes.

• Continuous Lighting: Another option for wide-angle underwater photography is continuous lighting, typically in the form of video lights. While continuous lights do not have the same power as strobes, they offer more control over the lighting in the scene. They are particularly useful for wide-angle shots that require a softer, more natural light.

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2. Positioning and Angle of Light

In wide-angle photography, light placement and angle are paramount. Proper strobe placement can enhance the textures and contrast of a scene, while poor lighting can result in a flat, unappealing image.

• Close to the Subject: In most cases, strobes should be placed as close to the subject as possible without getting them into the frame. This ensures that the light is powerful enough to illuminate the subject without scattering too much over distance. However, for wide-angle shots, this often means angling the strobes in ways that minimize backscatter while still lighting up distant subjects like schools of fish or underwater landscapes.

• At an Angle to the Subject: Avoid placing your strobes directly in front of your lens. Instead, position them at an angle, usually between 45 and 75 degrees. This angle minimizes backscatter and creates a more even distribution of light across the frame.

• Multiple Light Sources: Wide-angle shots often require a lot of light coverage to illuminate a large scene. Using multiple strobes allows for more even lighting, filling in shadows, and preventing the lighting from falling off as you move away from the subject. Several lights may be used for particularly large or complex scenes, but typically, two strobes positioned to the left and right of the camera work well. two well positioned strobes where expertly used by me :)

by Ryan Sault

3. Balancing Ambient Light

One of the most beautiful aspects of wide-angle underwater photography is the interplay between ambient light and artificial lighting. If you're shooting in shallow waters where sunlight is still abundant, you can use ambient light to illuminate the background, while artificial lights brighten the foreground. This allows for natural, balanced shots that capture both the wide expanse of the scene and the detail of your subject.

• Backlighting: In some wide-angle shots, backlighting can be effective for creating dramatic effects. Placing the light behind your subject—such as shooting towards the surface of the water—can highlight the contours of the subject and create a sense of depth.

• Gradual Light Falloff: For deeper scenes, the ambient light will naturally fade, so your strobes need to take over. However, it’s still important to retain some gradient of light throughout the image to avoid a harsh transition between light and dark. Balancing ambient and artificial light ensures the scene looks both natural and captivating. Rans image, which was captures in Gardens of the Queen, Cuba is a perfect example.

Garden of the queen, Cuba, by Ran Mor

4. Managing Backscatter

Backscatter is a common issue in underwater photography, and in wide-angle shots, where the distance between the subject and the camera is larger, backscatter can become even more noticeable. It occurs when light from your strobes hits small particles in the water, scattering back into the lens and causing distracting spots or haze in your images.

To minimize backscatter:

• Get the Lights Close: The closer your strobe lights are to the subject, the less chance there is for light to scatter.

• Adjust Strobe Power: Lowering the power of your strobes can help reduce the intensity of light, which minimizes backscatter. Experiment with the power levels to find a balance that still provides enough illumination.

• Use Diffusers: Some photographers use diffusers on their strobes to soften the light. While this can reduce the intensity of the light, it helps create a more even distribution and lessens the likelihood of harsh backscatter. This is particularly important when your close to your very close to your subject, like when capturing

• Use it to your advantage: Get a little creative and use the backscatter to your advantage.

Veil of the Deep by Ryan Sault

5. White Balance and Color Correction

Color correction is crucial when shooting underwater. Without proper lighting, wide-angle shots often suffer from unnatural color casts, with a tendency toward blues and greens. Using strobes or continuous lights helps restore the colors, but achieving perfect white balance is essential for natural-looking results.

• Manual White Balance: For the best color reproduction, set your white balance manually before each shot, especially if you're working in varying depths or light conditions. This will ensure that the colors in your scene remain accurate and vibrant.

• Shoot it RAW: shoot in RAW and adjust your color balance in post processing. This takes away the extra complexity of manual white balance underwater. You can adjust to take in post processing before showing off your images

• Post-Processing: Even with perfect lighting, a little help in post-processing can make a big difference. Using software like Lightroom or Photoshop, you can fine-tune the color balance, enhance contrasts, and remove any lingering backscatter. Using a Lightroom mask allows you to fine-tune the color between your background and subject.

Radiant Companions – by Ryan Sault

Final Thoughts

Wide-angle underwater photography offers an unparalleled opportunity to capture the expansive beauty of the underwater world. However, mastering the intricacies of lighting is essential to creating impactful, visually stunning images. By carefully managing light placement, using artificial lighting wisely, balancing ambient light, and minimizing backscatter, you can create compelling images that bring the underwater world to life.

With practice and patience, understanding the nuances of wide-angle lighting will open up endless creative possibilities and allow you to capture the full scale and beauty of the ocean beneath the waves.

If you have any questions about the intricacies of wide-angle underwater photography lighting then feel free to join our facebook group, or send us an email - contact@diveandmore.com,  We are always happy to talk photography.