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Underwater Strobes:
Part 2. Power Ratings
(continued)
Typically, small strobes have a
single power setting and a narrow angle of coverage, thereby
limiting their usefulness for wide-angle photography. Powerful
strobes, on the other hand, are the most versatile. Their variable
power settings and wide angle of coverage allow them to be used in
any shooting situation. If you are going to stay with a single
strobe, common sense dictates that you buy the most powerful one
you can afford.
Part 3. Color Temperature
Another factor to consider about strobes, though not as important,
is color temperature. Strobe output is measured in degrees Kelvin
(again, of interest only to physicists), but the important
thing to remember is that a lower number indicates "warmer" light.
Most strobes are generally rated
at about 5200K, approximating the color of direct sunlight; a
"warm" strobe is rated around 4800K. Warmer strobes have a
tendency to shift light output very slightly towards orange. If
your subject is a diver, this has the effect of making flesh tones
a bit more lifelike and pleasing. For "cooler" strobes, I will
often place a flesh-colored nylon stocking over the head to create
the same effect.
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