By Jack Williams
These awe-inspiring images showcase the vast grandeur of one of South America’s most breathtaking collection of caves.
Terra Ronca State Park in Sao Domingos, Brazil, is home to more than 60 different caves, with the cavernous spaces filled with stunning rock formations, giant stalagmites and stalactites, and flowing rivers.
Despite there being so many caves in the area, only four are open to visitors – namely Lapa do Angelica, Lapa do Sao Mateus II, Lapa da Terra Ronca I, and the system Lapa de Terra Ronca II – Malhada.
That leaves showcasing the more remote areas of the park up to cavers and photographers like Alexandre Lobo, Rafael Camargo and Daniel Menin.
Daniel from Sao Paulo, said: “Man has been to the moon and also deep in the ocean.
“At the same time, we still have many unknown underground places in the caves.
“To discover these places and being the first human to see and to register that at pictures and maps is a privilege.”
One of the caves that is open to the public, Lapa da Terra Ronca, is split into two areas and offers some of the best photography opportunities in the area.
Deep inside the other caves, though, Alexandre, 46, Rafael, 29, and Daniel, 42, are able to capture not only the sheer size of these locations, but also add a human element, too, as they often feature a speck of a person to show scale.
They have all visited the caves at different times over the past decade and, they said, there is an element of respect for the work each does in documenting these hidden wonders.
Alexandre, from Brasilia, said: “The size of these caves and the rare formations and rivers are very impressive.
“I like to bring the to the surface the wonders of the underground, and to show these wonders to people who don’t have access to caves.”
Each year, Lapa da Terra Ronca also plays host to the annual religious ceremony Romaria do Bom Jesus da Lapa.
This pilgrimage, which lasts a week, ends with a feast at the cave entrance.
Rafael, who currently lives in Berlin, Germany, said: “The Lapa da Terra Ronca is very well known, and the park was actually named after it.
“The area has some hidden gems as well.
“There are many other cave systems or even just hidden galleries that few people know and where only cavers usually go.”