Canister Lights and Picture Taking

[ChickOfTheSea]

Hey Guys!

Are there any underwater photographers out there own and use a canister light when taking pictures? Just wondering if this poses any problems or if you have any techniques you can share on trying to hold the camera while taking pictures without blowing out the subject with your light....

Thanks!
Jen

 

[riguerin]

I think this is covered in the DIR-P(hotographer) specialty course, Jen You thinking of getting a can light ?

 

[Peter Guy]

I've been thinking of asking the same (or similar) question -- how to manage a can light (with goodman handle) AND a camera with an attached strobe.

I've been thinking, should I attach the light to the arm or the base or ???

Please, those who use can lights and cameras with strobes, how do you manage the whole darn thing?

(And no, it is NOT covered in the DIR/UW Photog Class -- there is not enough standardization.)

 

[Mo2vation]

About the best Can Lighter photographer I've seen is Phil (MaxBottomTime) On purpose and on accident, he's grabbed several shots that are lit in a spooky and cool way. Last I checked, he was shooting a P&S with no external strobe(s).

I don't use my can light to illuminate my subjects, except at night. If you're not interested in diving and shooting, and only interested in tips to make your can light pull double duty as a Hot Light for your stills, then I have nothing to offer - except this: For "effect" pictures or art shots or erie shots, its pretty cool. For other shots (what I would call "real" shots) the temperature is wrong (it conflicts with your internal strobe), the light too hot and unless you really work on the angle (or bring down a diffuser) you get very, very harsh shadows. Again, if that's what you're going for, its pretty cool. If you want soft, proper lighting, they're not good.

Here's what I do with my DSLR rig:

First of all - the approach: we're not diving photographers, we're photographing divers. If the distinction isn't clear and very top-of-mind on ever dive and for every shot, you are an accident waiting to happen. Always, always, always - Diving first (and the associated buddy protocols, dive awareness, gas awareness, etc.) and photographing second.


As you know, I shoot a housed up DSLR with two large strobes. I dive a 21W HID Can light. I always have the light with me on every dive. So when I'm shooting, the light is there.

When diving around looking for subjects, a good can light can't be beat. Especially in our SoCal green water. What I do with my light:

1) Nudis - keep it off of the gill ring. Zotting a gill ring is the best way to ruin a shot of a Dorid. No gill ring = bad composition. Its that simple. I keep the light deployed, but I keep it off the subject. I hold it in my left hand, and press it against the left handle on the camera rig. It will always point out of a Macro shot.

2) Octos - I turn off the light and stow it on the Dring. With the light waving around, octos get nervous. They change colors. Or worse - they close their eyes. I love the brightstar bulb, as I can turn it off for a few minutes, then turn it back on later. I do this sometimes 5 - 10 times on a dive. With Octos, I always, always turn the light off.

3) Fish - Same as above. Gotta turn the light off.

4) Morays - I use the light to get them to come forward. By flickering the light, I can generally get a moray that's really deep to come out a bit. Once he's in position, I turn off the light, or just drop it out of the way.

5) SeaLions - I shoot Sealions with my 12-24. I turn off the light and stow it. They don't like it. If you've seen me with SeaLions, you know I roll and tumble and dive and play along with them. They come over, bring their friends, and its a party. Nobody wants a light saber in their eyes at a party. I turn it off and stow it for SeaLion shots.

6) People - I usually keep it on, as it allows me to better direct the subject. I can compose the shot with one hand, and move the subject forward, backward, etc. with the light. When I'm ready to squeeze of the shot, I'll usually just drop it so its out of the shot.

7) CF/WA and Wide Angles - I turn it off and stow it. When I'm shooting with my 10.5 fisheye, its 180 degrees (in all directions - side to side and up and down...) There is no way to have on a can light and have it not in the shot. I shut it off and stow it for W/A's.

8) Night Dives - I will use the corona of the light to illuminate the subject at night - so I can get sharper focus. This includes octos and fish. But only the corona... just the edge of the light. Until I get a proper focus light, this is all I have. The modeling lights on the Ike strobes are behind the diffuser (unlike the Inon) and are pretty weak.


I keep my Cam in my left hand all the time. That's my light hand. I have developed a way to dive with the light and camera in the same hand that allows me to point my light forward while still holding the camera as I move from site to site during the dive. Yeah, its a lot to manage. And more than one time (before I got proficient at it) I blew up a shot because I either zotted my subject or the light cord got hung up on a stobe arm and the critter ran off, etc.

It was just another thing to learn - but I like having it around.

---
Ken

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Theres two problems - the HID has a different colour temp to the strobe or natural light, and longer shutter times are needed to illuminate the subject.

The following night shot was taken using a 21 W HID as a fill in/focus light: notice it appears green as the white balance was set for the camera strobe. Strobe on camera arm, HID resting on bottom to the left. You can also try to keep the HID on your hand with a goodman mount and juggle the camera as well.

The longer exposure times mean you will need steady hands, higher film speeds and larger apatures (low depth of field) to get a well exposed image, but it can be done.

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[ChickOfTheSea]

Wow! Thank you Ken for your in-depth explanation of using the light! It's good to hear that it is doable and may even help out in a lot of situations! Great nudi shots with your new lens btw

Thank you Rohan as well for the example! I really appreciate it!

And Rick... are you going to teach the DIR-P(hotographer) specialty course I'm signing up hehe

Jen

 

[scubak]

Tim uses a Hid for his exposures...I can't stand it for mine...I use a Oly 5060 in an Ike houseing with a DS125 strobe...I just drop my lite to get the pic...or I end up throwing around my neck...
Hope this helps.
K

 

[TSandM]

First of all - the approach: we're not diving photographers, we're photographing divers. If the distinction isn't clear and very top-of-mind on ever dive and for every shot, you are an accident waiting to happen. Always, always, always - Diving first (and the associated buddy protocols, dive awareness, gas awareness, etc.) and photographing second.

Hooray, hooray, hooray!!!!!!

 

[calypsonick]

I use my light much like Mo2vation describes. I keep my HID light on my left hand with a strap that goes around my hand with the light on the backside. This allows me to point the light in the general direction of the subject and lets me rotate my grip on my tray handle, depending on how much light I need. I have found that direct light in the frame will result in a "hotspot" in the picture. I usually keep the light aimed slightly out of the frame and use only the edge to help with autofocus.

Having my light on my hand and not on my tray or strobes also allows me to hold it out and away from the camera during those night dives when the worms attack the light. Model lights tend to attract the critters to come right between the subject and the camera.

Good luck with the research.

Nick

 

[azcaddman]

Like the rest, I keep it in my left hand, but with 2 strobes, pointed slightly outward, I use it as a focus light.. lock focus, point the light away, and shoot.

One thing to practice also, is your sharing air, s-drills etc, with the camera in your hand (or clipped off where you usualy stow it).. you want to be able to respond to a situation quickly, and not fumble with what to do with the camera, so practice.