Rainforest

“This collection of Thomas Marent’s images, 16 years in the making, brings alive the sheer and awe-inspiring beauty of the rainforest.” Sting – founding patron, The Rainforest Foundation

Rainforest is the stunning result of half a lifetime’s work by Swiss photographer Thomas Marent. Inspired by a visit to the rainforest in Australia when he was 24, Marent has spent the ensuing 16 years exploring and photographing the world’s rainforests. 

With all the immediacy of the best documentaries, Rainforest celebrates the fascinating behaviour and incredible variety of rainforest animals and plants – from resourceful leaf-cutter ants to the multi-hued clouds of butterflies and birds that flutter high in the tree tops. Incredibly, more is known about our universe than the millions of plant and animal species that teem inside these great hothouses of life. 

Rainforest takes you inside this mysterious realm, with breathtaking photographs and absorbing personal insight. Published in association with the Rainforest Foundation, who receive a donation for every copy sold. 

Visit www.dk.com/rainforest to see our Rainforest image gallery.

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Questions for Thomas Marent

Amazon.com: What inspired you to start taking pictures?

Marent: I used to be a birdwatcher in Switzerland–and soon I was also interested in amphibians, insects, and plants. After a while I thought it would be nice to have pictures of all these beautiful animals.

Amazon.com: Waiting for the perfect shot takes patience and time. How do you decide what images are worth waiting for?

Marent: I mostly focus on the colorful and spectacularly shaped creatures. Sometimes it is a matter of luck to find them, but sometimes I have to know where and when to look for them.

Amazon.com: What photo in Rainforest is your favorite?

Marent: I don’t have one favorite–there are many favorites! I especially like the photos of frogs, butterflies, fungi, birds and weird insects.

Amazon.com: What would people find most surprising about the world’s rainforests?

Marent: When people think of the rainforest, it’s the monkeys, birds, and wild cats that first come to mind. But there are so many small and beautiful creatures. We need to see and appreciate them too–they’re just a little harder to find! Many of these smaller creatures have never been seen by most people.

Amazon.com: Do you consider yourself a rainforest activist?

Marent: With the book I want to show to the people the endless beauty of the rainforests. I do hope that it might open the eyes of some people, so that they’ll agree that it’s worth protecting this fantastic environment.

Amazon.com: Some of the photos in the book, especially some of the insect photos, are really strange and otherworldly. What’s your favorite exotic rainforest animal?

Marent: Some of my favorites always were frogs and butterflies, but birds and monkeys as well. And of course the weird-looking insects.

Amazon.com: What’s your favorite rainforest?

Marent: In Asia it is Borneo. In Africa it is Madagascar. In Latin America it is Costa Rica and Peru/Colombia. But I also like the Australian and New Zealand rainforests.

Amazon.com: Do you have any advice for amateur nature photographers?

Marent: A tripod is an absolutely must. Try to move to the animals slowly and quietly–it takes some patience. Whenever possible try taking your pictures at the animal’s eye level. And it’s always important to think about the background when you compose the picture.