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One Great Shot: Sunken Tank

A backlit diver adds a mysterious air to the Red Sea’s Gulf of Aqaba.

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by Grant Thomas

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sunken tank and scuba diver

As the sun set over Aqaba, Jordan’s southernmost city, a group of underwater photographers and I eased into the sea, equipment in hand for a photo shoot. A huge array of military hardware had been sunk off the coast, including a tank we wanted to showcase in our images. By surrounding it with powerful lights, we eliminated distracting elements from the background and created a spotlight on the tank. And by instructing a diver to swim above, with light streaming from behind, we added some haunting allure to the composition.