Illuminating the Subject: A Deep Dive into Underwater Snoot Photography

In this article from The Underwater Photography Show, we're tackling a popular topic that we've received many requests about: snoot lighting and snooting underwater. We're going to cover the history of how it all began and discuss how we use this technique in our own photography.

The History of Snoot Photography

Snoot photography has always been a part of underwater photography, with people using the technique from very early on. However, it didn't really gain mainstream traction until about 15 to 18 years ago.

The technique really took off after a Canadian photographer named Keri Wilk created a series of astounding macro images. These groundbreaking shots were completely black, with incredible details or colors in the subject lit only by the strobe. These pictures went on to win loads of major competitions and sparked a huge interest in snoot photography.

What's amazing is that some of the shots Keri took are still considered among the best snoot shots ever, despite the fact that the gear he used was very basic, consisting of simple reduction snoots to create those spots of light.

In the years that followed, the market invented much better snoots, particularly the optical snoots. Rather than just cutting the light smaller and smaller, optical snoots use a lens to create a focus spot of light, getting much more power from the flash gun into the picture.

I (Alex) have one of Retra's earlier generation snoots here. It has a lens at the end and a diffusion screen at the back, which is set at the right distance away from the lens to create a focus spot of light in front of the snoot. This allows for a very sharp-edged beam of light. Because it's a focus beam, you can use inserts to make the beam of light smaller. Most modern snoots, whether they have a switch to change the aperture size or boards you push through, are similar in design and style and offer much more power.

More Versatile Than Just a Spotlight

When people think of snoots, the first thing that often comes to mind is that spotlight effect. Frankly, that is my (Matthew's) least favorite type of image with a snoot, because I think they are much more versatile.

My favorite use for snoots is actually for cross-lighting or to eliminate unattractive backgrounds. For example, where I dive locally, the environment is often muck, rubble, or sand, so snoots are a tool to eliminate those unattractive surroundings more than they are to highlight a subject.

While there is a place for the typical approach of angling a snoot down from the top—say, to shoot a seahorse—I generally prefer to use harsh, hard lighting from snoots or reduction rings to create contrast and texture on a subject. My favorite subjects for this are weird fish like frogfish, batfish, and seahorses. By cross-lighting them to show all the bumps, grooves, and ridges, you can accentuate an already cool fish and make it a cool picture.

I have tons of pictures of frogfish, and almost all of them are taken with either reduction rings or snoots, yet almost none of them look like they've "just been snooted". Snoots are much more versatile than most people think, and there is a lot of potential in taking the technique beyond just the spotlight effect.

Tips and Techniques for Aiming a Snoot

If you are just starting out, getting that classic spotlight shot will likely be a high priority. Here is some advice for achieving it:

A. Using a Dive Guide

If you are diving somewhere with dive guides, one of the easiest ways to use a snoot is to ask someone else to hold and aim the snooted strobe.

• You can attach your strobe to the snoot and have the long optical cable from your housing out loose.

• A dive guide familiar with snoots will know the distance to hold it away from the subject and, with their excellent buoyancy control, can aim it very well.

• They can also vary the lighting quickly—for backlight, front light, or side light—allowing you to create those shots fast and easy.

The downside is that you will only get snooted shots in places with dive guides. I (Alex) would encourage any keen underwater photographer to learn to aim and use a snoot yourself.

B. Aiming the Snoot Yourself

Here are the key steps for aiming a snoot on your own:

1. Parallel Position: Always position the snoot so it is completely parallel to your lens port. If the lens port and the snoot barrel are parallel, you know that the beam of light will be crossing where your lens is pointing at some distance.

2. Back Button Focus: Switch your camera to back button focus.

3. Find the Light: Move in and out with the snoot's aiming light on until the beam of light lands on the subject.

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4. Lock and Shoot: If the distance is right for the rest of the dive, lock everything down and shoot at that distance. If not, re-aim the snoot slightly further up or down. By using back button focus, once the beam of light is in your picture, you stop focusing, and you know that whenever you move to a position where your point of focus is correct, you also have light in the picture.

5. Tweak with Focus Distance: Since the lens port is parallel to the snoot, you can use your focus distance to move that spotlight up and down, which is easier than re-aiming the snoot.

   • If the snoot is landing too low (in front of the subject), move a little bit closer and refocus—the snoot will move up through the picture.

   • If the snoot is landing too high (behind the subject), back up a little bit and refocus—that will bring the snoot into position.

C. Pre-Diving Setup

It's a good idea to go in on a snoot dive with an idea of what you plan to shoot.

• Set up your snoot before you get to the subject, on a little pebble or rock, and get everything aimed and locked down.

• By lining up on something that isn't your subject first, you can get your lighting ready to go. This prevents you from wasting time messing around, which could cause the subject to move or go into a hole.

• Once it's set up, then you can move over to your subject.

• Don't worry if you have a lot of black space around the subject; it's easier to crop your picture afterward than constantly re-aim the snoot underwater for every subject.

D. Recommended Snoot for Beginners

The whole technique has become easier in recent years with the advent of snoots like the Backscatter Mini Flash. While I (Alex) think it lacks a bit of power, it is by far the easiest snoot to aim. If you are new to snoot photography and want success early on, it is the best snoot to start with, especially if you dive in darker conditions. Its long, thin shape helps you keep it parallel with the lens port, which is key.

Other Uses for Snoots

Beyond the spotlight effect, people also find snoots very good for:

• Combining snoots with long exposures, which can create interesting effects.

• Combining snoots with artificial backgrounds, allowing you to differentially light your background or light your subject with a different type of light.

• Wide-angle snooting, which is often overlooked but a useful technique in certain environments or situations.

We'll definitely come back to snoots to cover these other techniques!