Tim Laman

Bird Planet presents the best work of Tim Laman, the world’s most celebrated bird photographerBirder extraordinaire Tim Laman is a superstar in one of photography’s most challenging pursuits: The quest to portray birds in the wild. A naturalist and explorer as well as a brilliant image maker, he has spent thousands of hours over more than 30 years wedged precariously in the tops of trees, often in remote jungles, in the hope that careful planning and good fortune will align to produce the perfect picture. His is a passion shared by all birders, carried to the level of art. Bird Planet takes the reader on a journey to the world of birds. Laman shares his best images of spectacular birds on all continents, from the scarlet ibis of the Orinoco River in Venezuela to rhinoceros hornbills in the rainforests of Borneo; his familiar backyard American birds are as memorable as his poetic red-crowned cranes in snowy Japan. His signature achievement—to photograph all the known species of birds of paradise, spending 18 months in New Guinea over eight years—gets a chapter, as does his visits to the penguins of Antarctica. Immensely knowledgeable about both nature and photography, Laman is the perfect guide to the kingdom of the birds.

An enthralling exploration of the biologically richest island on Earth, featuring more than 200 spectacular color images by award-winning National Geographic photographer Tim LamanIn this beautiful book, Bruce Beehler, a renowned author and expert on New Guinea, and award-winning National Geographic photographer Tim Laman take the reader on an unforgettable journey through the natural and cultural wonders of the world's grandest island. Skillfully combining a wealth of information, a descriptive and story-filled narrative, and more than 200 stunning color photographs, the book unlocks New Guinea's remarkable secrets like never before. Lying between the Equator and Australia's north coast, and surrounded by the richest coral reefs on Earth, New Guinea is the world's largest, highest, and most environmentally complex tropical island—home to rainforests with showy rhododendrons, strange and colorful orchids, tree-kangaroos, spiny anteaters, ingenious bowerbirds, and spectacular birds of paradise. New Guinea is also home to more than a thousand traditional human societies, each with its own language and lifestyle, and many of these tribes still live in isolated villages and serve as stewards of the rainforests they inhabit. Accessible and authoritative, New Guinea provides a comprehensive introduction to the island's environment, animals, plants, and traditional rainforest cultures. Individual chapters cover the island's history of exploration; geology; climate and weather; biogeography; plantlife; insects, spiders, and other invertebrates; freshwater fishes; snakes, lizards, and frogs; birdlife; mammals; paleontology; paleoanthropology; cultural and linguistic diversity; surrounding islands and reefs; the pristine forest of the Foja Mountains; village life; and future sustainability. Complete with informative illustrations and a large, detailed map, New Guinea offers an enchanting account of the island's unequalled natural and cultural treasures.

National Geographic Face to Face Readers is a high-interest series of books for confident, independent readers that have been adapted to a Key Stage 2 audience by education experts. The books pair magnificent National Geographic photographs with lively first-person text and fascinating facts about the natural world. Journey to the rainforests of Borneo and join experienced nature photographers to learn all about these highly intelligent, tree-dwelling primates. Written in an engaging and fun to read format, the captivating photos and fascinating facts are perfect for encouraging the future explorers and primatologists of tomorrow! Level 5 readers are ideal for kids who are confident in reading independently and ready for the challenge of varied sentence lengths, some technical vocabulary and increasing inference.

Birds of Paradise is destined to be the first-ever popular book to reveal the most exotic birds on earth. Photographer and National Geographic grantee Tim Laman and co-author Edwin Scholes (ornithologist/leading authority) traveled to the most remote parts of the New Guinea wilderness - the only place these birds occur - to photograph and study their "secret" lives. The authors' documentation of the appearance, displays, and behaviors of these 39 species of birds has taken years of dedicated fieldwork. This high quality, large-format photography book will inform and enthrall the book-buying public with images of astonishing beauty, solid yet approachable natural history, and a National Geographic message of conservation. With universal appeal and a huge cross-platform presence similar to the blockbusters Polar Obsession and March of the Penguins, this brilliant, one-of-a-kind photography book will also have a strong presence in spcial and international sales.