The Hall of the Thirteen
in the Gouffre Berger, France

This image was taken in the Hall of the Thirteen, in the Gouffre Berger system, during the 70th anniversary of its discovery.

I was commissioned by Méandre Technologie to produce an image as part of a technical demonstration. The objective was to fully illuminate the chamber using more than 120,000 lumens, revealing the space in a way it had never been seen before, and allowing the many visitors present that day – during the Berger camp – to experience it under these conditions.

The main challenge was logistics. A significant amount of equipment had to be transported underground. A key part of the operation relied on Clément Sage, technical advisor for the French Cave Rescue, who carried a 25kg pack containing most of the lighting system.

The photograph was taken without any flash, using only continuous lighting. The final image therefore closely reflects what could actually be seen by the human eye at that moment.

Technically, the image is a composite of five horizontal frames, shot at 13mm on a Fujifilm X-H2S, to achieve an ultra-wide vertical field of view while maintaining a high level of detail.

Beyond the technical aspects, this image documents a specific moment: when one of the most iconic chambers in caving was, for the first time, fully revealed to the human eye.

Thibault Poinas

Peter Lord in Sótano
de las Golondrinas, Mexico

Almost exactly 50 years ago I needed to take a break from cave diving explorations to broaden my horizons. There was so much going on overseas and the area that gripped my attention more than any other was North America. I reflected long and hard about the idea of a trip, applied to my employer for leave of absence and – even though I was a geography teacher – found myself turned down flatly.
‘If you go, you’ll never get a job again in this authority’, said their advisor. It was a red rag to a bull.

So commenced a three and half month caving odyssey around the US, Canada and Mexico. It was a fantastic trip, meeting the leading explorers, learning so much and visiting world famous sites. With very little money, no insurance and just a lust for adventure I think it is true to say that everything reached a magnificent height (or depth) when tackling the deepest known shafts in Mexico, and indeed the world: El Sótano and Golondrinas. Fantastic in every sense!

Now, with more than a few grey hairs and a life-weary body, there were still places that figured strongly in my head. I wanted to return to Mexico and I really wanted to photograph some of the spectacular sites I knew; visions prominently, permanently, etched into the memory bank and crying out to be addressed.  

But Golondrinas? Fifty years ago I was young and fit; now, 376m felt like a very long way down – and back up. Then I heard rumours that a Mexican president had been to the bottom of the pit and somehow the idea of my return appeared to become just about feasible. What could possibly go wrong? Well, you only live once and with the encouragement of an old mate who now lives in southern Mexico a plan was set in motion. And what a unique experience it proved to be.

Martyn Farr

Emma Key in Doolin River Cave

Back in 1999, Andy Dopson of Rubber Duck Caving Club proposed a trip to County Clare in Ireland, a first for all of us and indeed for the club. We piled five of us into Andy’s Discovery and set off on this superb adventure, making new contacts and lifelong friends. The caving was most excellent. This was the start of many visits to the area, which I organised; not every year, but quite frequent. It was once described as a drinking trip, with a bit of caving whilst we’re there.

The cover photo was taken on the 20th anniversary trip, not that we needed an excuse to pop over to County Clare. On numerous trips into Doolin River Cave I have taken pictures, some on film, then more recently in a digital format.

In this photograph, I had never stopped here to take a shot, as we were often rather wet and cold from the entrance series and then taking photos in a previous area. There are some super formations in this cave, but often the geomorphology and passage shapes are overlooked. I like this particular section of passage, as it shows off some lovely scalloping as well as the vadose development of this superb cave. There were just two of us on this trip, so lighting was tricky. We used a light stand to hold the flash at the required height and give a good level of backlight.

My normal caving camera is a Cannon EOS M6, with an 11-22mm lens. This effectively gives a 35mm shot, as it’s not a full-frame mirrorless camera. We used two Yongnuo flashes to give front and backlight. The front flash was on a lower setting of intensity and zoomed in a bit to allow more backlighting to follow through.

My thanks as always to all assistants who either rig caves, carry kit or model for the photos. Without the backing of such helpers, the photos would not happen, or be of very little aesthetic interest.

Bill Nix

Judith Calford in Caverna do Morro Preto, PETAR, Brazil.

Cave photography overseas, at the other end of an international flight, has the extra complication of limitations in the equipment that can be taken with you – especially batteries, but also increasingly when having to meet weight and size restrictions. Added to that …

This image was shot in Caverna do Morro Preto, in the Brazilian caving region of PETAR near São Paulo, after the conclusion of the 10th International Congress of Speleology during the summer of 2025. It was almost the final photo of a dedicated, week-long cave photography trip in the company of friends and was taken with the help of Judith Calford (the caver shown here) and Tiço, our guide. The visit had additional difficulties: I had lost a crown and the remains of the tooth had carved enough of a hole in my cheek, which in turn had swollen my throat, that I had problems talking (never mind yelling), while Tiço spoke Portuguese and no English and I knew zero Portuguese. Instructions for where to hold and aim flashguns were reduced to hand signals and frustrations, though Tiço was nevertheless very willing and helpful.

I could see images everywhere in this stunning cave, but our time was limited and everything had to be done at speed; most photographs (including this one) were set up and taken within a few minutes before moving on. Tiço ended his tour with this side passage, a wonderful location that, with an extreme wide-angle zoom lens set at 14mm, left the spectacular banding in the walls soaring overhead. As ever, I am incredibly grateful to my two helpers and those who organised the trip, without whom this photo would never have been created – despite the struggles.

My normal caving camera is a Canon 5D Mark IV with a 16-35mm lens, but humidity had finally taken its toll and the camera failed two shots into the trip. Luckily, I also had my surface camera with me in a sealed pouch, so it was pressed into service for the rest of the day. The technical info is therefore a Canon R5 Mark II and an RF14-35mm lens at f5.6 and ISO 400. The main flash is the backlight, a Godox AD200, while the front light was a Godox TT600 zoomed to match a 200mm lens – this made it very directional and able to pick out the caver without unduly affecting the surrounding backlit walls. Both were triggered by radio slaves.

Chris Howes

Péter Juhász in Tywarnhayle Mine, Cornwall, by Dave Watts

I have visited quite a few different mines over the years – in Mendip, Wales and Derbyshire – but nothing had prepared me for what the mines of Devon and Cornwall had in store. The sheer scale and diversity of minerals and complex geology all contributed to producing some of the most amazing mines I have ever seen. Tywarnhayle Mine offers a great introduction to the mines of Cornwall; the interesting stopes, dramatic skipway and colourful mineral deposits give lots of scope for photography.

This image of Péter was taken at the bottom of one of the large stopes. The intricacy of this section of the mine made it a little challenging to light and the pit prop timbers, although useful for hiding flash guns, also cast unwanted shadows if not lit properly. To get round this problem I shot this particular image on a tripod; this enabled me to shoot a variety of exposures before blending them together in Photoshop. I thus had more control over the final image and the balance of lighting.

Dave Watts

Daniel Jackson in the White Forest, Redhouse Lane Swallet, by Bartek Biela

Over the years, we heard stories about Redhouse Lane Swallet from the Forest cavers, mostly grim and uninviting. In my mind, that painted a picture of a cave in the ‘to be avoided’ category. I was excited to be invited, but also anxious that it might break me. The cave certainly lives up to its reputation, but what lies beyond is nothing short of spectacular. Redhouse offers the full spectrum, a bit of everything that makes for a great caving experience, and its significance leaves a lasting mark on the history of caving in the UK.

Bartek Biela