It’s not often that you meet a photographer who has been working on a single project for 20 years, let alone one as dangerous and mysterious as Chernobyl. Since 1993 photographer Gerd Ludwig has been risking his own health to document the devastating results of the 1986 Russian nuclear accident. Unlike some who might seek out dangerous situations for an adrenaline rush, Ludwig is motivated by a concern for man-made disasters and their consequences. His book,  “The Long Shadow of Chernobyl,” recently won the Best Photography Book Award from Pictures of the Year International.

Ludwig brings a thoughtful eye and a tender heart to his photographs. For example, his “Sleeping Cars,” series brings