The Light & Motion Sola NightSea blue light will enhance your night diving experience like nothing before. It Is an underwater blue light that allows you to see fluorescence. The NightSea blue LEDs cause proteins and minerals to fluoresce brightly underwater. If you want to photograph fluorescence you will need a yellow barrier filter over your camera lens. The barrier filter will block the reflected excitation of light and transmit the fluorescence to deliver a psychedelic experience.
Underwater fluorescence by Shawn Miller
Below is a photograph of my underwater rig. This is the setup I use to capture the underwater fluorescence in Okinawa. I am currently using one Light & Motion Sola Nightsea and one GoBe nightsea blue light.
Dive Team Miller- Underwater rig © Shawn Miller
Below is a photograph of the Light & Motion Sola NightSea Underwater blue light photographed in the studio. I wanted to capture the blue light rays coming out of the light. No previous photos displayed this and I had to do it.
Light & Motion Sola NightSea underwater blue light © Shawn Miller
Some cases the fluorescence is so strong it can be photographed during the day without any specialized lights or filters. This red heart coral was photographed at a depth of Seventy-five feet.
Red Fluorescence -ambient light, 75feet © Shawn Miller
In 2017, Some of my fluorescence enhancement photographs were published in Blue Planet 11.
Underwater fluorescence – Shawn Miller featured Blue planet 11
Most of the marine life will fluoresce a beautiful green. I photographed this sea anemone in a submarine cave at Maeda Point, Okinawa. (Nightdive)
Sea anemone (Dofleinia armata) Okinawa- Japan © Shawn Miller
Corals that fluoresce orange are much harder to find here in Okinawa. (Nightdive)
Coral of the Ryukyu Islands – Lobophyllia hemprichii © Shawn Miller
Corals that fluoresce red are scarce in Okinawan waters. (Nightdive)
Bio fluorescence – Coral of Okinawa, Japan© Shawn Miller
I decided to experiment using the nightsea and custom filters over my strobes to give it an original look. I call this technique fluoro blending.(Nightdive)
Anemone hermit crab (Dardanus pedunculatus)© Shawn Miller
More fluoro blending using the nightsea and custom filters. (Nightdive)
Large mouth triplefin (Ucla xenogrammus) on coral
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I had this eel in my aquarium for a long time and had no idea it fluoresced until I exposed it to the Sola NightSea light.
Eels that fluoresce in Okinawa – Gymnothorox sp © Shawn Miller
The NightSea also provides a beautiful background color to complement the marine subject. This technique is becoming very popular in Japan.(Nightdive)
Fire fish ( Pterois antennata) Back lit with the Sola Nightsea © Shawn Miller
Glowing hydroids were recently discovered in 2015 by marine researchers in the Red Sea. I photographed these fluorescing hydroids in Okinawa-Japan.
Vexillum exasperatum with glowing hydroids © Shawn Miller
Niotha albescens with glowing hydroids © Shawn Miller
If you would like to know more about the Light & Motion Sola series visit. https://www.lightandmotion.com/choose-your-light/sola
All underwater images were photographed using an Ikelite underwater housing. Check out my previous post on why I use an Ikelite Underwater housing.
Have a Psychedelic day!