​There is no doubt that descending into the deep blue as a sunken vessel magically appears always invites a sense of awe, mystery and wonder. Often harbouring tales of turbulent seas, death, and sunken treasure; capturing a wreck’s story in a single photograph is what we would call beyond challenging. As divers, we haven’t done a lot of wreck diving, and therefore haven’t photographed many wrecks. So how do you shoot a shipwreck when you’ve never dived it before? Here’s what we learnt from our first attempt shooting Queensland’s grand steamship S.S. Yongala.

​If you’re relatively new to underwater photography, you’re probably wondering how to get that striking black background behind your subject. Depending on the style of photograph your trying to achieve, a black background can make your image pop and bring out your subject’s unique character and personality. But you’ll need more than just the right camera settings to achieve it. Here’s what works for us: