Behind the Shot

There are three key elements to standout wreck interior photos: a great artifact (in this case, a WWII truck), blue background to give the image depth, and marine life for additional interest and to illustrate that it’s underwater. On a wreck like the Thistlegorm in the Red Sea, there are many subjects, but few can be framed against a blue background. During my workshops, we give the most photogenic features nicknames, so everyone knows where they are and can find the angle to unlock the shot. This is Julian’s Truck, as Julian Cohen found a way to frame it against the blue. There is one small problem — to fit the truck in the frame, you must hold the camera back against the bulkhead, so you can’t even look through the viewfinder when taking the shot. Camera: Nikon D700, Subal housing || Lens: Nikon 16mm fish-eye || Strobes: 3x Subtronic Alpha Pro, one inside truck, remote slave sensor || Settings: 1/2 sec @ f/14, ISO 400