A word from the editor:

Naturalia is a curated collection of images showcasing abandoned places reclaimed by nature. Ornate country mansions, luxury modernist designer homes, stone churches, farm holdings, factories, institutions, private homes, train stations, planes, cars, tanks, trains, palatial courtyards, spaces of work and play, life and death, all in the vivid processes of reclamation. A wide range of architectural styles from classical to hyper-modern are pictured in the grip of wild, resurgent nature.

A word from the author:

I travel the world in search of abandoned places. Over time, I have increasingly focused on what appears to be the most powerful element in this vast theme of abandonment: places taken over by Nature. It is poetic, almost magical, to see it creeping through broken windows and cracks, gradually taking back the spaces built and then abandoned by Man until they are almost completely swallowed up. This book contains 226 pictures shot in 14 countries.

PRESS REVIEW

“Beautiful photos of nature in abandoned places around the world. » National Geographic

“Naturalia is a series in which nature reclaims its rights with a striking, almost soothing beauty.” Fubiz (translated from French) 

“Jonk has spent more than a decade traveling the world and photographing abandoned places where nature has prevailed over the hand of man. His snapshots, of exceptional beauty, have given rise to a book called Naturalia.” 20 minutes (translated from Spanish) 

“Abandoned to disuse, nature slowly reclaims man-made spaces. This inevitable process is captured in a series of breathtaking photos which showcase the slow but unstoppable process of nature.” DailyMail

“Stunning pictures from all over the world have just been released as part of Jonk’s new book that showcases nature in the process of reclaiming man-made spaces.”  Lonely Planet

“Jonk is a master of his craft. With his photographs of deserted places, he has placed himself in this fashion niche of lost-places photography at the top of the world.” Stern

“Naturalia features the oddly invigorating spectacle of nature creeping in and taking over what man has long forgotten.” Vice

“Stunning pictures show Mother Nature reclaiming abandoned sites across the globe.” Mirror

“Jonk has been scouring the globe for some fifteen years in search of the perfect shot. Over the years, after taking a step into street-art and urbex, he has moved closer to a subject that is now the common thread running through his work: Nature’s reappropriation of places created by Man. His photo book, Naturalia, compiles some one hundred sublime shots dedicated to this theme.” Le Figaro (translated from French) 

“Naturalia is packed with incredible photos of places where the natural world has swallowed up places we abandoned.” New York Post

“The French photographer told P3 that he has visited around 1,500 abandoned places in almost 50 countries on four continents to remind us that “nature is always stronger” and that “no matter what happens to humanity, it will remain”. Naturalia aims to be a wake-up call. Because it asks fundamental questions: “What is humanity’s role in the world and how should it relate to nature?” ” Publico P3 (translated from Portuguese )

“French photographer Jonk, who must have been familiar with this philosophy of interchange between “man-made and nature”, has been obsessed with “ruins” for countless spring and fall, and has searched for more than 700 ruins in 33 countries on 4 continents to complete his work Naturalia. In these places called “ruins”, he photographed the vibrant life, a “chorus of rebirth” between abandoned buildings and nature.” WeChat (translated from Chinese)

“Naturalia, a superb photo project mixing urbex and nature.” Pixelists (translated from French )

“Someone remembers Plutarch, someone quotes Berthold Brecht, but all agree on one thing: Jonk began a new direction in modern environmental photography – a documentary photograph of how nature takes away what once belonged to her.” Ecology.expert

“This time Jonk’s photography is tinged with green and instead of just rubble, we witness the rebirth of life on the ruins of man’s buildings. A moving spectacle that shows us how much stronger nature can be than anything and how strong it can be enough to regain possession of places where it has long been held at bay.” Dailybest.co.uk (translated from Italian) 

“When nature reclaims its rights, gradually invading places abandoned by Man, a series of spellbinding and poetic photographs.” Africa News  (translated from French)

“Jonk’s works have a largely ecological message: they show the triumph of nature over man.” Label Magazine

“The winner of Earth Photo, an international photo contest held in the UK, is a project by Jonathan Jimenez, who photographed abandoned buildings around the world. Organizers say that these images perfectly illustrate the main idea of the Earth Photo contest, which tries to demonstrate the problems of coexistence between humans and nature on Earth.” BBC Russia (translated from Russian)

“This body of work gathers fragments of stories of human environments ‘taken back by nature’. While the images from all over the world have vivid clarity they also warp the viewers’ perceptions of time and change. They serve as a mournful commentary on the twentieth century – the era of the ‘Great Acceleration’ – but there is also something hopeful in the vivid evidence of the patient and robust capacities of the non-human world to re-cover.” Joe Smith, Director of the Royal Geographical Society

“Jonk’s compelling photographs represent a high degree of skill and vision, while exemplifying the duality of human co-existence with nature.” Marissa Roth, Pulitzer-Prize-winning photojournalist, Jury Committee Chair of Earth Photo 2020

“The overall winner of the competition was French photographer Jonathan Jimenez, known by the nickname Jonk, with a series of paintings of abandoned buildings. Jimenez’s photo “Coffee Shop” reminds viewers of man’s place on Earth.” Vietnamnet (translated from Vietnamese) 

“Stunning Award-Winning Photos of Spaces Reclaimed by Nature.” Vice

“Nature making its way, winner of the Earth Photo 2020 photo contest. Beautiful yet heartbreaking, the images of this contest seek to reflect on human behavior and its consequences on nature.” La Vanguardia  (translated from Spanish) 

“A stunning series of nature reclaiming abandoned ruins has just won the Earth Photo competition for 2020. 35-year-old Parisian photographer Jonk has just been announced as the winner of the Earth Photo 2020 competition. Jonk’s photo series, Coffee Shop, Abkhazia; Hotel, Portugal; Swimming Pool, Italy and Theater, Abkhazia, which showcases the extraordinary resilience of nature, won the overall competition and well as the Place category.” Happymag.tv

“Thought-provoking photos top the international competition by Forestry England and the Royal Geographical Society. A stunning series of photos featuring nature reclaiming building abandoned by civilization has scooped the top honors at Earth Photo 2020 – an international photographic competition jointly developed by Forestry England and the Royal Geographical Society. Earth Photo 2020 is envisioned by the organizers as a way to better understand the world through the disciplines of the environment and geography. And this idea was best encapsulated by photographer Jonk, and his headline image ‘Coffee Shop, Abkhazia’, securing the top spot in the “Recovering Nature” Category. ” Digitalcameraworld.com

“Investigating the relationship between humans and nature, offering a fresh look at the often conflicting relationships between people and their ecosystem. The Earth Photo competition draws from these premises. This year’s recipient of the award was photographer Jonk. Looking at the winning images, the intentions behind the contest seem to stand out the best. Indeed, the aim of the review is to offer an opportunity to reflect on the damage done by man to nature, which is too often relegated to a marginal space and forced to “back down” in the face of the increasing demands on land caused by human productive activities. Jonk’s undoubtedly striking images show trees and plants conquering abandoned buildings and structures.” Sky Arte   (translated from Italian) 

READERS’ OPINION

“The photographs in this book are incredible! Superb research and photography. For all enthusiasts of abandoned places, or not.” Etienne, Amazon (translated from French)

“I could easily tear some out to frame. Would have liked to know where they were taken- but that might limit my imagination and the perceived stories.” Ah, Amazon

“There is nothing wrong with it. It is a beautiful book.” Javier, Amazon (translated from Spanish)

“Beautiful book. Stunning photography.”  Stewart, Amazon

“A nice book with beautiful pictures.” Peter, Amazon

“Good sized and clear pictures. Well presented and would be great for pastels or acrylic work.” Rainy, Amazon

“Fascinating” M.J, Amazon

“Beautiful photography, I follow him on Instagram as well. This is a gift for my boyfriend. Book is very nice condition, well-made.” Lexi, Amazon

“Present for parent, they loved it! I want a copy now.” Chris, Amazon

“Excellent book with beautiful pictures and stories. I ordered this book and it was delivered in 3 days. Great Job.” Carol, Amazon

“A juxtaposition of opposites in a most inspiring way, nature and man-made together forever.” RRS, Amazon

“Good – Beautiful and interesting photography which through, tells a story of how natural our world really always will be, but as it is for now paralleled to our existence within it. Readers of higher consciousness will come away with the realization of human impact and our ultimate insignificance in our abbreviated and most temporary visit on this planet, and arrive at acceptance with knowing that in the not too distant future, all evidence of the existence of our kind, homo sapiens, will be but another layer in the fossil record. Not good – Subject location information is missed, so for me this is a huge turn off.” Antonio, Amazon

“Good book. The pictures were haunting and compelling, but something was definitely lacking. It would’ve been so much better if there had been some info or story behind these pictures. I was left wondering where were these pictures taken? How old are these places? Why were they abandoned? If these pictures had had some kind of background info provided, it would’ve been perfect.” Pumpkin Queen, Amazon

“Beautiful pics, love it. Absolutely amazing.” Masha, Amazon

“Beautiful book on overgrown abandoned places.” Tammy, Amazon

You can order the book in any bookstore or online bookstore. If you want a signed copy, you can buy it here.