When I considered buying my first snoot, I was searching for a way to up my photo game a little bit and to broaden the scope of my portfolio. Something that would help me to create stronger compositions and create better frame presence of my subjects—a way to help me assert more control over the image and a way to gain ground on new skills.

Jumping off a boat and into the black ocean at night, far away from any landmass, is not for everyone, but more and more divers are quenching their fears and venturing out to experience this “not-so-new” form of black water diving first hand.

Luck and chance encounters play heavily into our underwater encounters especially as new divers. As we continue to dive, we also continue to gain experience and knowledge of our new oceanic surroundings, becoming more comfortable and curious. Soon thereafter, a thirst for knowledge suddenly develops, becoming very hard to quench. This wonderful lifelong journey of discovery upon which we embark is furthered when we acquire a camera and from that moment on, some of us never look back.

Diopters or wet lenses are attached on the outside of the housing, giving the name “wet lens” to the diopter. A wet lens increases your magnification while decreasing the working distance of your camera lens. This makes longer camera lenses such as the 100mm or 105mm the best choice for several reasons. Getting greater than 1:1 can also be achieved using a 60mm lens, and both combinations of lens/diopters have their place in this area for different reasons.

Often referred to as slugs due to their evolutionary path, the grand designs of nudibranchs are as fascinating and varied as there are slugs themselves. Each one of them has evolved in a special manner to survive and reproduce in the many different and challenging habitats in which they are found. Cold water to warm water, benthic or pelagic and at every depth, nudibranchs occur globally and have even been found in brackish rivers.

Some of our planet’s most interesting creatures live below the waves, with gaudy and interesting appearances that seem like they are straight out of a creative, fictional Hollywood movie. However, it is Mother Nature that seems to be the master of creating non-fictional subjects that survive in our planet’s most hostile environments—against all odds. Whether in open ocean, on sandy seabeds, soft corals or small coral heads, each species has evolved in some special way that enables them to eat, hunt and proliferate.

For instance, a common pipefish will carry its developing brood in a specially designed flap on its belly, while a female ornate ghost pipefish will carry them in a pouch. What I like most about shooting egg brooding images is that I would always learn something new about the subject.

Snoots are an effective tool for underwater photography that gives the user precision control of light quality and direction that can be used for creating interesting compositions in macro photography.

 

But be sure to bring your sense of humor and be prepared for a challenge as learning to use them is anything but easy. That said, once your images begin to take shape, the additions to your portfolio and your understanding of light will reach new heights and be well worth the effort.

 

The intertidal and estuary zones typically associated with muck dives provide much more overall for the eco-system than what meets the eye. Nutrients flowing into the ocean current mix to create an amazing bio-mass of diversity that ranges from bull rush sea grass to bull sharks.