DIY 5-Minute Snoot for Underwater Strobes

I have stumbled upon this question quite a lot lately, so I decided to create a short guide showing how simple it is to create your own snoot for creative underwater photography lighting!

First, why do you even want a snoot?

Because it’s cool, fun and different! You can gain a unique control over your lighting and produce fantastic images straight from the camera, thus lowering your post processing time.

So how do you build a homemade snoot?

All you need are 3 simple items:

A plastic bottle, hopefully one with a diameter similar to your strobe.
Masking Tape
Knife / Scissors

Part I

Make sure the bottle diameter fits your strobe. I was in luck and the first bottle I tried fit my YS-D1 perfectly (I wonder if Sea & Sea thought about that when designing it…)

Part II

Choose the desired length of the snoot and cut the bottle accordingly.

Part III

Cover the half bottle with tape thoroughly to prevent any undesired light except for small opening. Black tape would be better and you might want to cover it inside with aluminum foil if you want to get the most out of your light and save on battery.

Part IV

Attach your new snoot and go diving! Nudibranches love the spot lights 😉

* Note – Make sure you cover the top of the bottle completely, unlike what I did here. This would make your beam more accurate.

Do you have suggestions on how to upgrade this fun project? Let us know in the comments below!

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Ran Mor

Sales and Marketing at Mozaik Underwater Cameras

Ran is a professional photographer for over 14 years. His passion for scuba diving and photography has pushed him to combine his profession and hobby and become a professional underwater photographer. Teaching is one of his greatest passions and over the years he has shared his experience with many divers and aspiring photographers. Along with his wife Danielle, an experienced Scuba Instructor, they have founded Dive and More, leading dive trips and UW photo workshops all over the world. Ran is also an electrical engineer and an avid internet marketing specialist.
Visit his personal portfolio at www.ranmorphoto.com.