Underwater Universe
This book is a global sensation! It's full of breathtakingly beautiful underwater photographs of unknown animals and life forms from the ocean and its coral reefs. The variety of forms and vivid colors of these marine creatures is unbelievable and overwhelming.
It's a book for everyone who hasn't yet forgotten how to feel astonishment, for people who are interested in and inspired by nature, animals and the ocean or by colors, shapes and design.
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Press comments and reviews
“Dear Claudia, dear Manfred, I want to express
my genuine and utmost
respect. As so often happens, a book was sent to me unsolicited.
Usually I glance at it and write a little note of thanks. But in this
case I carefully scrutinized each photo. I was so excited to have
received a book full of such excellent macrophotos. I’ve made many
books myself and have often thought that one ought to make films about
the microscopic world. The more closely one looks at nature’s smallest
details, the more beauty one finds. The marvelous things about your
book are the tiny animals, the forms and the colors: they’re simply
grand. Each page deserves lengthy viewing. I’m very delighted about
this book!”
(Excerpt from a talk given by Prof. Dr. Hans Hass at
the opening of the exhibition “Die Kunst ist in der Natur” [“Artistry in Nature”]
at the
Museum of Natural History in Vienna on March 29, 2006.)
____
"Suddenly something rustles amidst the floodtide
of underwater photobooks, and even people who've spent decades exploring
the universe below the world's oceans stop and take notice. Underwater Universe
by Viennese veterinarians Claudia and Manfred Hochleithner is a book that
deserves respect."
Lübecker Nachrichten
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"Anyone who can't wait for their next dive is urged
to acquire this large-format volume."
Tauchsport
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"An ocean of colors. This photobook portrays rare
and beautiful creatures that are threatened with extinction."
Kronen Zeitung
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"Marvelous photos from nature, revealing forms that
oscillate between real life and abstract art. Astonishingly beautiful."
Gießener Anzeiger
____
"Dive in, submerge, and let yourself be carried away
by the opulent colors of the oceanic depths."
Natur + Kosmos
____
"Something new awaits discovery on every page. A
book for all those who haven't forgotten how to feel awe and astonishment."
Handelsblatt
____
"This book presents unfamiliar animals and life-forms
from the ocean and its coral reefs, captured in breathtakingly beautiful underwater
photos."
Freie Presse
____
"With each new picture and every turn of the page,
the colorful diversity of nature depicted in this book surprises and delights
the observer."
Westfälische Nachrichten
____
"Glowingly colorful shots of unusually beautiful
or acutely jeopardized creatures reveal the parallel universe in the depths
of the ocean."
Vogue
____
Underwater Universe was repeatedly in the Geo
bestseller list of the top ten photobooks
____
"Inhabited dreamlike oceanic landscapes tempt the
diver's eye. The fascinating photobook Underwater Universe by Viennese veterinarians
Claudia and Manfred Hochleithner shows how very colorful and unfamiliar the
underwater world truly is."
Universum
____
"These photos can surprise even well-read marine
biologists. Readers who spend most of their time on dry land will experience
this book as a psychedelic journey across the threshold of an oceanic zoo."
Zeit Wissen
____
"Anyone who has forgotten how to feel astonishment
will remember again how the moment he lays eyes on this photobook."
Abenteuer und Reisen
____
"This book comes alive with photos of marine animals,
some of which are extraordinarily bizarre."
Züricher Anzeiger
____
"This lavish photobook by Claudia and Manfred
Hochleithner transports its reader into an unknown world of brilliant colors."
Hersfelder Zeitung
.........
"This is an invitation to see the beautiful and bizarre creatures of coral reefs through the lenses of underwater photographers Drs. Manfred and Claudia Hochleithner. Over one hundred of their tens of thousands of underwater photographs are on the pages that follow for the enjoyment, entertainment and education of both the ordinary viewer who has yet to venture into this underwater realm and the SCUBA diver who has.
The deepest oceans and darkest jungles are home to many
unusual organisms and the same is true of our coral reefs, with the distinct
difference that our reef organisms are brilliantly colored. Note as you view
the images that many organisms use color and structure to hide on their host
organisms. The more complex a community becomes, the more complex the symbiotic
relationships among the organisms become. It is easy to understand how geographic
isolation such as the Galapagos and Hawaiian sea mounts breed endemism, yet
there are many endemic species on the reefs within the coral triangle. Many
of these seldomseen critters have evolved nontraditional appearances that
can fool the naïve and educated alike. Some of these images positively
defy description!"
Prof. Mel Cundiff
