The Value of Dedicated Underwater Photography Instruction and Workshops

Learning Underwater Photography from Alex Mustard and Martin Edge

By Paul Colley 

In common with many people, I have always been attracted to images from the underwater world and soon after learning to dive, I aspired to produce my own. In 2006, I bought my first underwater camera, which was a simple compact with a single strobe. My first underwater images still serve to remind of a fantastic holiday. However, compared with the stunning pictures that adorned the pages of my favourite coffee table books and web sites, they looked poor. So I embarked on a modest investment in my skills.

I began by absorbing everything that I could from books and web sites (and the Underwater Photography Guide is superb – well done, Scott), but my real break through was taking one day of personal tuition with a renowned UK underwater photographer and then a week-long dedicated underwater photographic workshop with another. You will be your own judge, but the experience took me from rank amateur producing pictures devoid of colour and interest, to a much more confident photographer who has even achieved a small portfolio of competition-winning images. It leaves me convinced that dedicated instruction and workshops are the best way to advance skills quickly. I highlight just a couple of images below, which for me have encapsulated the value of professional instruction, because the pictures are now being recognised by fellow photographers (something that I had not achieved before).

How I took the underwater photo - Stingray image

The first image is of a Southern Stingray. Photographers the world over have taken millions of images of the sociable Stingrays that swim to the North of Grand Cayman in only a few metres of water. This particular shot was taken just after dawn using natural light and a red filter, but it is most attractive for me due to the wonderful blues and the frozen upbeat of the Ray’s nearside wing, which reveals the Remora hitching a ride underneath. The dominant feature is the natural light, which brings out beautiful surface and sand patterns, both of which provide in turn a strong frame for the main subject. This image was placed 13th in the overseas category of the 2010 British Underwater Image Festival annual print competition and 1st in the March 2010 Nature’s Best Photography weekly international competition.

Dawn Stingray, Grand Cayman. Nikon D300, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye, natural light with Magic red filter. F10 at 1/50 sec, ISO 200.

How I took the underwater photo - Snapper Hole

The second image is of a diver in a famous Grand Cayman swim-through at Snapper Hole, using an off-camera lighting technique. Alex helped his students to set this shot up by providing a remote strobe to illuminate the diver inside the cave, which was triggered by lighting from one of the on-camera strobes aimed at a slave sensor. For me, the shot is defined by the exposure technique, which brings out the strong blue background. This needed a medium f-stop and a correspondingly slow shutter speed.

The composition is also important. Alex was keen that the student photographers included the small patch of blue at the top right hand corner, which adds balance and an implied strong diagonal to a very pleasing overall composition. The under-exposed inside of the cave also provides very strong contrast for the rest of the picture. This image came 3rd in a May 2010 British Society of Underwater Photographers competition and it also won a UK newspaper Daily Telegraph weekly photographic competition on the theme of solitude.

Diver at Snapper Hole, Grand Cayman. Nikon D300, Subal housing, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens, INON Z240 triggering off-camera strobe. F8 at 1/20 sec, ISO 200.

The value of a good underwater photography workshop

I hope that you enjoy these images as much as I have. But the real point of this article is to emphasize the importance to amateurs of good instruction. To that extent, I take my hat off to both of my instructors, who have, in the space of 1 day and one week respectively, helped me to take my photography to a far more pleasing standard.

The journey started when my wife suggested that I should take a day’s tuition with one of the UK’s top underwater photographers, Martin Edge. In July 2008, Martin taught me to look at the underwater world in a different way. He set me on the right track to thinking about composition and many other vital aspects of underwater photography.

The standard of the images that I began to produce after only one day was much higher than hitherto. With a busy full time job and only a few opportunities to dive each year, I soon worked out that the more effort that I put into thinking about photography, the more that I would get from my few opportunities to exploit it. Yet as vital as theory is, there is only so much that you can learn from books. If you want to improve quickly, instruction, dedicated coaching and constant practice are the best remedies for only average ability (like most divers, I am only an average photographer). I do practice photography top side, because that provides frequent opportunities to grip the technical aspects. But my progress underwater stagnated and, to build on the jump-start that Martin had provided for me, I joined one of Alex Mustard’s week-long photographic workshops in the Cayman Islands at the beginning of this year. Many people reading this will also know Alex who, like Martin, is a thoughtful and highly competent instructor. I simply cannot overstate the value of such workshops and thought that it would be useful to capture the essence of this particular one, which led to the two images above.

Alex’s workshop was dedicated to close focus wide angle underwater photography. However, there were ample opportunities for macro photography as well. His workshop began with a dedicated pool session to fine tune the correct placement of strobes. Valuable early lectures improved student understanding of how to capture and control light underwater. Alex encourages photographers to master the technical side in order that they can then concentrate harder on memorable shots; there is nothing more distracting to artistic thinking than paying too much attention to technicalities whilst underwater. One of the most valuable aspects of the workshop for me was an evening image review session, at which Alex and other photographers constructively critique your images.

So, if like me you struggle to produce great images and have only limited time to invest underwater, consider taking some dedicated instruction. There are plenty of superb instructors out there. I am not setting out to advertise anyone in particular, and neither instructor mentioned here even knows that I have penned this article. Instead, I simply make the general point from my own experience that a modest investment at the start of your interest in underwater photography can pay handsomely in the satisfaction that you subsequently achieve from the quality of your images. Happy shooting to you all.

Paul Colley

Paul Colley is a full-time director of a UK think tank, but takes every opportunity in his spare time to pursue a passion for diving and underwater photography. He hopes to take up underwater photography full time on retirement. You can see more of his work at mpcolley.com

You can also read more about Martin Edge’s workshops and Alex Mustard's workshops. The Underwater Photography Guide also gives workshops in California. 

Editors note: You can also see Paul Colley's work in our article on Saving Bluefin Tuna

Batteries, Chargers and Testing for Underwater Photographers

The importance of choosing the right batteries and equipment in underwater photography

By Bill Van Antwerp. Part 1 of a two part series

Let’s face it; today’s underwater photography is completely dependent on batteries of one sort or another. Your camera won’t run without batteries; most DSLRs and some point and shoot cameras use proprietary batteries while some P&S models can use AA batteries. Your strobes require batteries too, some use AA while many use a proprietary battery. Same thing for your focus lights and those of you shooting video have to lug around even bigger batteries for your video lights. This article is the first in a series that will talk about battery types, sizes, charging and testing batteries to make sure you don’t miss a dive because you don’t have any power.

Battery Types

There are many ways to characterize batteries but one simple one is by rechargeable vs. disposable. Most batteries that we tend to use as underwater photographers are rechargeable but many folks still use disposable, single use AA batteries in their devices. One reason for this is that the most common rechargeable battery the nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery has a voltage that is a bit less than the voltage of a AA zinc/carbon battery. The NiMH battery has an operating voltage near 1.2 V while the standard Duracell or Energizer battery has an operating voltage closer to 1.5 V. The second reason that disposable batteries are commonly used is that they have a very long shelf life.

Typically an alkaline battery loses only 2% of its capacity in a year on the shelf, compared to most rechargeable batteries that can lose 20% of their capacity in a week and 10% per month after that. Unless the voltage or shelf life is critical; we recommend using rechargeable batteries to save money and reduce the environmental impact of disposing of so many batteries. One very recent attempt to increase the shelf life of rechargeable batteries is to reduce the internal discharge rate. The first of these were the Sanyo Eneloop batteries and now there are many other brands of low internal discharge AA batteries.

Choosing a charger

Chargers come also in a variety of flavors. There are chargers that claim to charge batteries in as little as 15 minutes and others that might take 2 hours or more. Faster is not always better since batteries can be ruined if they are overcharged or overheated. In general it is recommended by the battery makers to charge their batteries at a rate that is 50% of the capacity of the battery. For example, a 2500 mAh (milli ampere hour) battery should be charged at a rate of no more than 1250 mA or 1.25A. This means that the type of charger you use can make a difference.

There are several smart chargers that are on the marketplace. Two very nice ones are made by Powerex and by La Crosse. Both of these chargers can set individual battery charging rates, as well as discharge rates and can condition the batteries by controlled charging and discharging.

Maha Powerex MC-9000, a reliable product

La Crosse BC-900, a great performer

Powerex Models MH-C9000 and BC-900

The La Crosse version has almost exactly the same functions but is quite a bit smaller. Both are excellent chargers and will keep your batteries working well for a long time.

Chargers to avoid

Avoid the 15 minute chargers, they have a chance to kill your batteries and invest in one of the smart chargers. For trips, both the Powerex and La Crosse are quite large; we take the smaller MAHA chargers that charge AA batteries in pairs at a fixed 500 mA per battery. These take an hour or more to fully charge 4 AA batteries that are depleted but they appear to be indestructible and work (so far) everywhere in the world at all voltages, frequencies and are immune to interruptions when a liveaboard changes generators.

Battery care

Taking care of your batteries is important. Salt water is obviously a no-no but there are other dangers. Heating them up to fast is deleterious as is freezing them then warming them rapidly. Most important, dropping batteries on a hard floor like on a boat can drastically alter their life.

NEXT TIME: Bigger is better when it comes to batteries, right? Not Always. Find out why in Part 2: Best batteries for your strobes.
 

About the author

Bill Van Antwerp shoots underwater as well as topside photos. He is currently shooting a Canon 50D in a modified Subal housing. He uses a variety of strobes with his favorite being the Inon ring flash for macro photography. His website is www.blueviews.net

Further Reading

Part II: Batteries put to the test

Sync cords, fiber optic cords, arms, clamps, viewfinders

dSLR Underwater Equipment checklist

Underwater Photography Tips

Underwater Photography tips for Beginner and Advanced Photographers. Also visit our underwater video tips.

By Scott Gietler

Includes Underwater Tips for the Sea & Sea DX-2G,Canon G10, G11 & G12, Canon S90, S95, S100,  Nikon d300, D7000, Nikon d90, Canon 7D, Olympus PEN, Sony NEX and all other Compacts / dSLRs.

Basic Underwater Photography Tips

These are the "traditional" underwater photography tips everyone should know

#1 - Get close to your subject - preferably within 12 inches. Water reduces color, contrast, and sharpness.

#2 - Make sure your camera flash is turned on, preferable in "forced flash mode."

#3 - For best composition - get low, shoot at an upwards angle, don't center the subject, try to fill your frame with the subject. Don't shoot "down" at the subject.

#4 - Make sure the subject's eyes are in focus.

#5 - Get your diving skills down before you start using a camera underwater.

#6 - Practice topside with your camera inside the housing. Try taking close-ups of flowers and household objects.

#7 - To minimize backscatter, buy an external strobe/flash and position it away from your underwater camera housing.

#8 - Set your camera to the highest resolution, and the lowest ISO to begin with.

#9 - Use auto white-balance when using a flash/strobe, and custom white balance or underwater mode when not using a flash.

#10 - Learn how to use manual mode or aperture priority mode if your camera offers it, so you control the balance between the natural light and the light from your flash.

#11 - If you are shooting with natural light, shoot in 20ft of water or less, with the sun behind you.

#12 - For quickest focus, use spot focus mode. Learn how to focus on an area without taking a photo (pressing the shutter button halfway) and recomposing.

#13 - If your underwater photos don't look sharp, check to see which shutter speed was used, it should needs to be 1/30th for still objects, 1/60th for slow moving objects, and 1/125th of faster for faster moving fish.

#14 - Most underwater photos can use an increase in contrast when post-processing your photos - but don't overdo it.

Underwater Photography Tips for Underwater Compact Camera Users

#1  Make sure you read the Beginner's Guide to Underwater Photography

#2 - Cover the front of the housing directly in front of the internal flash with duct tape when adding an external strobe that is optically fired, otherwise you will still get backscatter from the internal flash.

#3 - Make sure you understand the focusing distance of your camera in and out of macro mode. Use macro mode when you are within the macro focusing distance.

#4 – If you use an external flash, make sure you place it as far away from your housing as possible, and your internal flash is blocked, in order to reduce backscatter.

#5 – Bring a dive light with you to help your camera auto-focus.

#6 – If you turn your flash off, either manual white-balance your camera, or set it to underwater mode

#7 - Don't use digital zoom.

For people using only a compact camera and internal flash:

#8 - The lower the visibility, the closer to the subject you must be to avoid backscatter.

#9 - Avoid using the flash when shooting more than 3-4ft away for better colors in your underwater photos.

#10 - When not using the flash, make sure you use manual white balance mode.

#11 - When using the flash, make sure white balance is set to auto.

#12 - Look into using wet lenses for a wider range of focal lengths.

Mistakes beginner photographers make

#1 - Use manual white balance every 5-10ft when shooting ambient light. Newbies often don't do this and end up with blue photos.

#2 - Taking photos with a lack of contrast: You should shoot in clear water, get closer, use strobes to light the subject. Use Photoshop to increase the contrast.

#3 - Taking photos with a lack of color: The solution is to shoot with strobes! block out ambient light with a fast shutter speed. Get closer. Make sure your settings are not letting in too much ambient light.

#4 - Lack of subject, or taking a photo that is cluttered without a clear subject. Solution – try CFWA or fill-the-frame techniques.

#5 - Lack of sharpness: See the section on getting sharp photos.

#6 - Too much backscatter: See the backscatter underwater section

#7 -  Shooting only in landscape mode: Think portrait, shoot vertically 50% of the time

#8  - Don't shoot a subject more than 2-3ft away if possible. This is also called “shooting through too much water”

#9      Having a distraction background. See the underwater composition section.

#10 - Thinking you can use a long zoom lens (e.g. - 18-200mm zoom underwater) – not a good idea. Either there won’t be a port long enough, or performance will suffer at the long or the short end.

#11 - Trying to shoot a busy reef in one photo. Try to isolate subjects on the reef, instead of creating a cluttered photo

#12 - Trying to shoot a fish 2 or 3ft away at F22, after shooting a nudibranch very close-up. It won't work, the subject will be very underexposed due to strobe falloff. Dial-down to a larger aperture, such as F7

#13 - Accidentally shooting at ISO1600 or at small jpeg quality the entire dive. Always check your ISO and JPEG/RAW quality before starting a dive, this should be part of your test-shot routine.

#14 - Oversaturating your photos. Many beginners pump up the saturation too much. Try increasing the saturation only 5-10% at most.

#15 - Not using the lens for what it's for, and therefore trying to shoot through too much water.

#16 - Not reading the Beginner's Underwater Photography Guide

More underwater photo tips

#1 - Get out and shoot. Find a place to dive near where you live.

#2 - Share your photos, show them to your friends.

#3 - Shoot in raw mode if possible.

#4 - Anticipate what you might see underwater, adjust your strobe, f-stop ahead. It would be big mistake, to see a shark and having your camera at F22.

#5a - If you find a good static background, look for a good foreground subject.

#5b - If you find a good static foreground subject for wide-angle, wait for a good background to "swim by".

#6 - Learn how to use your histogram and highlights screen, and use them often.

#7 - Check photos UW for sharpness, by viewing at 100% magnification.

#8 - Use a 100mm or 105mm lens to emphasize or isolate the subject, and reduce the background.

#9 - Compose subjects parallel to the camera for close-up macro photography if possible, to get all of the subject in the focal plane.

#10 - Get the exposure right in camera; don't rely on post-processing.

Underwater photography tips for advanced underwater shooters

#1 - Get inspiration from others, but inspire to be different. As a friend of mine said, Imitate, then innovate.

#2 - To get the best reds - shoot close, within 2ft. Remember, the light has to travel there and back, a total of 4ft, some red color is already being lost.

#3 - Think about your background.

#4 - Think about ideal color combinations.

#5 – Think diagonal compositions.

#6 – Use your DOF appropriately, blur out distracting background if needed.

#7 – Previsualize your shots.

#8 – Think about the best lens to use for the type of shot you want to get.

#9 – Shoot in raw, expose to the right, bracket your shots.

#10 - Get it right in camera. Experienced shooters will need to do very little processing on the computer.

#11 - Use excellent equipment, especially the best lens and strobes you can get.

#12 - When shooting macro with a dSLR, move your center focus point around so you can focus on the eyes/rhinophores of the subject, without having the focal point in the center.

#13 - Don't approach subjects from above, get at their level, observe them for a while, and approach slowly.

#14 – Bring your macro lens & port with you on the boat if you are going out to shoot wide angle. If sky is dark and cloudy, you’ll be able to switch to macro before the dive, while your camera is dry, and shoot WA another time.

#15 – If you only own cooler strobes such as Inon or S&S, try gelling them for your wide angle shots to 4500-4800K, for better colors and a bluer background. Ikelites and subtronics will already be warm enough.

Underwater photography tips for common problems underwater

#1 - Strobe is firing erratically.

• Solution - there is moisture is in the system somewhere, immediately surface, and dry out strobe, sync cord & bulkhead connections

#2 - Strobe power is getting low. 

• Turn up the ISO and shoot at a larger aperture to use less of your strobe battery power.

#3 - Reflections in your photo when taken sunny shots with a dome port.     

• At certain angles, metal inside your wide-angle lens can reflect light that shows up in your photos. This will usually only occur at certain angles, and shooting at a slightly different angle will usually solve the problem. Scratches in your dome port can also cause this issue, and those can be removed with a mesh kit if your port is acrylic. It is also sometimes possible to put tape over these metal or gold strips inside your wide-angle lens to reduce the chance of reflections.

#4 - I'm diving and there is nothing to photograph -

• Try to think of ideas from the artistic composition section or creative shooting section.

#5 - My photographs are partially black on the top or the bottom. 

• You accidentally set your shutter speed faster than the sync speed your camera supports. Bring your shutter speed back down to the sync speed.

#6 - I'm shooting wide angle and the visibility isn't as good as I had hoped

• Think about shooting some silhouettes or black and white photos.

#7 - I'm trying a split shot, and the area underwater or above water is always blurry. 

• Focus on the underwater subject, and use a very small aperture. Bump up your ISO if necessary.

#8 - My photos are coming out red or orange

• Your white balance setting is probably wrong. When using a flash or strobe, don't use the cloudy white balance setting, use auto or sunny. Also, don't use the underwater mode with a flash or strobe.

#9 - I'm using a strobe or internal flash, but my colors are not looking very good

• You may be letting in too much ambient light. If your shooting at F5.6, 1/60th for macro, or even worse, F2.8 1/60th, that is letting in too much light in shallow depths. You want most of your light to come from your strobe or internal flash for macro, try shooting at F8, 1/250th for better reds and oranges.

#10 - My camera keeps fogging up underwater

• Read about preventing fogging your underwater camera

Further reading

• Underwater Composition tips

• Getting great photos without a strobe

• Shooting RAW vs. JPG

• Keeping your digital images safe

• Questions or Comments?  Please post in our forums

Support the Underwater Photography Guide

Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo & Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!

Underwater Strobes

Features & comparison of strobes for compact & dSLR underwater cameras

By Scott Gietler

An external underwater strobe, also known as an underwater flash, is very important in underwater photography. It allows you to reduce backscatter, and enables you to try different lighting options. After a camera housing, it should be your first purchase. Inon, Ikelite and Sea & Sea are popular makers of underwater strobes.

            You can also learn about how to light underwater with strobes, and learn about various underwater strobe positions.

            Underwater strobes come at many different price points, from $75 to $3200. Here are their features, and what you should look for to get the best possible underwater strobe.

Underwater Strobe Power:               

• More is better. Power of an underwater flash is usually given by a guide number. The higher the guide number, the stronger the strobe. The precise formula for guide number = distance * F-stop. For example, a strobe with a stated guide number of 20 (meters, above water) might have a guide number of 10 underwater. This means, if you are shooting at a subject 1 meter away at full strobe power, at ISO 100, F10 will give you the correct exposure. At 2 meters away, you will need a larger aperture, F5.6. At a half meter, you would use F20.
• Guide numbers are usually given in meters, at ISO 100, usually above water but sometimes below water. Check to see if this number is with a diffuser or not, since a diffuser will reduce the guide number. when you look at the power of a strobe, you must also look at the angle of coverage. For example, the Ike DS-51 is fairly strong, but has a smaller angle of coverage, so this strobe needs less power.
• Also keep in mind that strobe guide numbers sometime vary from real world results, as you see in this article. View the strobe choices below for more insight on strobe power.

Strobe Angle of Coverage

• You will want a higher angle of coverage for wide-angle shots. Strobes like the Ike DS-51, with an angle of coverage less than 90 degrees, are sufficient for macro. Strobes meant for wide angle usually have an angle of coverage of 90-100 degrees or more in both directions. The number quoted can be with or without a diffuser, so check the specifications carefully.

Recycle rate of the underwater strobe

• Faster is better. 1 second is considered very good, 3 seconds a little slow. This recycle time is only for a "full dump", which means the strobe fires for its maximum duration. Lower strobe powers will recycle faster. Remember, when comparing strobe recycle rates, you also have to compare them at the same power setting. If Strobe A and B have the same recycle time, but Strobe B is a stronger strobe than strobe A, Strobe B will recycle faster than strobe A when both are set to Strobe A's maximum power. 

Shots per full battery charge

• More is better; the normal range is 100-300 shots per battery charge, assuming a full dump (strobe is fired at maximum power). The best batteries for your strobe are usually 2700mAH or 2900mAH rechargables. Batteries often don't meet their specs, so get a high-quality battery like Maha powerex or Sanyo, and check out battery reviews. 

Underwater strobe size and weight

• Less is better. Figures are usually given for above water, and under water.

Spotting light

• A spotting light, also know as an aiming light or a modeling light, is a light that comes out of the strobe, lighting up the subject to help with auto-focus. I find very few people use this feature, most of the times strobes are not aimed exactly at the subject. They are very useful as a backup light on night dives though, or as an emergency focus light if your focus light goes out or floods. They can also be used to help you know which exact direction your strobe is pointing.

TTL converter compatibility

• Not all strobes are compatible with each TTL converter available.

Color temp of a strobe

• Color temp of most strobes will range from 4700 to 5600K. See the color temperature section for more info. A slightly lower (warmer) color temp, e.g. 4700K, can be beneficial for WA shots, because of the better blues it produces. Some of the highest end strobes, like SeaCam, even have adjustable color temp.

Bulb size

• Some more expensive strobes have a tubular or curved bulb for better quality of light. The difference will be very subtle.

Recommended Underwater Strobes:

dSLR users:

Some of the popular underwater strobes or flashes for dSLR users are the following:  S&S YS-D1, S&S ys-110 & YS-110a, Ikelite DS-125, Ikelite DS-160, INON Z220, INON z240. All are excellent choices, at different price points. Subtronics and SeaCam have a good reputation at a higher price point and are used by many professionals. Ikelite just came out with a stronger DS-160 strobe, which is also popular. Sea & sea recently came out with game changing YS-D1 strobe, read our YS-D1 strobe review. Some people may start choosing the Inon S2000 or the Sea & Sea YS-01 for a small macro setup - read my Inon S2000 review.

Mirrorless users:

Most of you will  be served best with a Sea & Sea YS-D1. If you already own an Ikelite strobe, you can get a fiber optic adapter so it can work with the fiber optic connection of your housing. If you are only doing macro, you might be able to get away with a less expensive strobe.

Compact camera users:

Sea & Sea YS-01, Sea & Sea YS-02, Inon S2000, and Ikelite DS-51s are all popular choices. You may want to look at the Sea & Sea YS-D1 if you want to get great wide-angle shots.

Underwater Strobe Chart

Special thanks to Bill Van Antwerp for helping me put together this underwater strobe chart.

Strobe choices - a quick overview

I'm going to give a quick overview of some of the most popular mid-level strobes. This does not cover some of the very inexpensive strobe makers like Fantasea or Epoque, or the more high-end strobes like SeaCam, Subtronic or Hartenberger.

Strobes are listed in order of increasing power.

Sea & Sea Strobes

Great quality strobes - small, strong, with a fast recycle time - especial the YS-D1, YS-02, YS-01 and Ys-110a. Those models also have an optical TTL feature that works well. Easy to use buttons. Takes AA batteries.

• YS-17TTL - not considered a good strobe for the money
• YS-27dx - Popular choice for compact cameras with fiber optic cable
• YS-01 - New strobe, direct competitor to the Inon S2000, very similar specs.
• YS-02 - same specs YS-01, but less expensive - no TTL or LED modeling light.
• YS-90 - Replaced by the YS-110
• Sea & Sea YS-110 - Replaced by the YS-110a, good choice for macro & wide angle. Three second refresh rate at a full dump. Read my YS-110 review, and the comparison of the YS-110 and the Inon Z240.
• Sea & Sea YS-110a - Faster refresh rate than the YS-110, 1.5 seconds on a full dump. Good choice for macro & wide angle. Has an optical TTL feature. They are used by compact and dSLR users. 
• Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobe - great specs, this strobe is small and very powerful, and will be released in late April 2012. This is a top choice for underater photographers.
• YS-250 - Professional level, very strong, larger & heavier, made for wide-angle. Ultra-fast recycle time.

Ikelite Strobes

Excellent reputation for strobes, known for good color temp (Ikelite DS-125 & above) and fast refresh rate. Strobes are larger & heavier than S&S and Inon, and take a proprierary battery pack. People with Ikelite housings usually get Ikelite strobes so they can use the Ikelite TTL converter. An Ikelite fiber optic adapter is needed to work with a fiber optic cable.

Ikelite recently came out with a new lithium battery for the DS-160 and DS-161 which gives it quite a good number of shots.

• Ikelite DS-50 - Replaced by the DS-51
• DS-51 - Used for compact cameras or dSLR macro photography.
• Ikelite DS-125 - Replaced by the DS-160, used for macro and wide-angle, one of the most popular strobes for dSLRs.
• Ikelite DS-160 - One of the top choices for dSLRs, fast, powerful, used for macro and wide angle.
• Ikelite DS-161 - Released in Dec 2009, same as DS-160 but includes a 500 lumen LED video light
• DS-200 - Professional level, made for wide-angle.

Inon Strobes

Solid reputation for strobes, known for excellent build quality, small size, a good S-TTL (optical TTL) feature which mimics a camera's preflash. The Inon S2000 is their latest strobe. The dials can be a little small on some models.

• Inon S2000 - Brand new as of early 2009, could be the new top choice for compact cameras. Slightly smaller, cheaper, and almost as powerful as the D2000. Considered the "hot" new strobe for compact cameras. Takes 4 AA batteries. Guide # of 20. Retail price is around $450 USD. Read the Inon S2000 review
• Inon D2000 - This strobe has been a top choice for compact cameras over the last couple of years. It's fired by a fiber optic cable.
• Inon Z220 - Replaced by the Z240. great choice for dSLRs, fired by sync cord only.
• Inon Z240 - Outstanding strobe, small, powerful, great for compacts or dSLRs. See my Inon Z240 review.

Sea & Sea and Inon TTl, S-TTL

Sea & Sea's TTL, and Inon's S-TTL, also known as "optical" TTL, will allow you to shoot TTL without using a TTL converter, as long as the camera has it's internal flash firing, and the strobe can "see" the flash fire via a fiber optic cable. The strobe will mimic the camera's preflash. This type of TTL is becoming very popular in compact cameras, and is even spreading to dSLR's where the housing allows the internal flash to "pop up". 

Subtronic Strobes

Subtronic strobes are heavier and more expensive strobes, but some pro's swear by them for their soft light, power and even light coverage. If you have the money, and don't mind the extra weight, consider Subtronic strobes.

Saving money: Used & budget strobes

If you are on a budget, older YS-110s are good strobes with good strength and coverage, and can be bought fairly cheaply if you look hard enough. I’m guessing around $250. Ikelite DS-125's and Inon Z220's are also great, strong strobes that be bought used at good prices.

And if you are really on a budget, the Fantasea Nano strobe costs $105 new, and works ok without a fiber optic cable, with most point and shoot cameras. I haven't tried the Intova ISS2000 ISTR Slave strobe, but I heard it's a good value for the money at $135, for macro shots. The Intova is also sold as the UltraMax Ultrapower UXDS-1 strobe.

You can find good options on less-expensive strobes here. 

You can also read about choosing the right arms and clamps.

Instructional Video tutorials on strobes

Video tutorial on using a strobe

Further Reading

White balance underwater

Color Temperature Underwater

Underwaer lighting with strobes - frontlighting,sidelighting,backlighting

Underwater Strobe position diagrams

Best Batteries to use with your underwater strobes

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