Main strobes (A) cast the outer rim of the cone of light on subjects. Fill (B) also feathered and set to -3 EV. Contrast strobe (C) aims at right angle to lens axis for contrast and texture. Nikon D2x, 20mm f/2.8 AF Nikkor lens in Nexus housing, Inon Z-220 strobes. Exposure, 1/125 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400.
• Predetermine lighting setups. While sometimes you may have a cooperative subject that will stay still long enough for you to adjust lights, sometimes you won't. Snyder will find an underwater area similar to the one he wants to shoot at, and set up his lights there.
• Shoot upward. Photographing from below a subject makes it look large and real -- shooting down makes it look smaller, and it can get lost on the background.
• Shoot close. "Twenty-four inches is an outside working distance," Snyder says. Water can simply suck up lighting -- flash falloff is much greater underwater.
• Shoot for the small reflection in the eyes. Catchlights are important for any wildlife photography, but underwater they're particularly important for dimensionality.
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