Shortlist, Urban Explorers by Jeroen van Dam

"This project is about the secret life of urban explorers - people who venture into hidden manmade landscapes. The places these individuals explore are often in the middle of cities, and yet off-limits and unknown to the public. There are risks involved in accessing these locations, but urban explorers like to leave a place as they find it - their motto is ‘Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.’ I follow these people all over the world documenting their adventures.

This particular series features tunnel systems, which are often intriguing and architecturally pleasing due to their circular shapes and massive scale. Photographing someone in such an unnatural setting really appeals to me. These urban locations lend themselves to aggressive postproduction, moody tones and vivid colours – the overall effect is one that questions our relationship with the city."