Hyper Nature

Philippe Martin is an ecologist, photographer, including underwater subjects, and author of numerous books with a career spanning more than 40 years. He has also contributed to many books on nature, as author, co-author or illustrator. In 2012, Philippe Martin won Grand Prize for Digital Photography at the International Festival of Wildlife Photography in Montier-en-Der, France. His book Hyper Nature Tropical received the First Place "French Book Prize" 2014.

[Review of hardcover edition:] Hyper Nature is the culmination of a dream. Philippe Martin, an innovative nature photographer, spent years pursuing his ambition to produce images with the subject in perfect focus. Large spreads and a striking three-dimensional quality (developed using Martin's own Hyper Focus process) make every subject, from grotesquely coiled snakes (much too close for comfort) to delicate orchids, seem to jump off the page. The lifelike reproductions of insects and reptiles may give some viewers the creepy-crawlies, but even the squeamish may find themselves drawn in, as the stunning detail of each shot invites deeper scrutiny. Nature photographers and digital imaging enthusiasts alike will enjoy the last section of the book, which unpacks the process, showing the images in their earliest state, then again as the process is partly complete, and at last fully realized. Martin's technique requires an amalgamation of many photographs taken with different focus points. Larger subjects can require upward of 25 hours to digitally process. Martin's love of detail shows through, as each photograph is accompanied by a brief description of the subject, its relevant ecology, any imaging flaws, and photography specs such as f-stop and aperture. From a newly emerged common cicada's three red eyes to a male cuckoo roller's iridescent feathers to a tiny spider photobombing a june bug's portrait, the details that spring from the pages of Hyper Nature incite all sorts of reactions to the book's array of subjects: freakish monstrosities, surreal dreamscapes, and the alluring grace of sentient forms. Gift Guide 2015 selection.