Summary
excerpts from three different reviewers...
A book about orchids? Yes indeed. And about photography, and the people and countries of the Asia/Pacific region. All told with the author’s sly humor and grand sense of adventure as he tracks down the most beautiful of the beautiful with his camera, always mindful of respecting the customs of the lands and the people who share their environment with these elegant flowers. A wonderful travelogue full of personal stories and anecdotes and a great sense of tolerance and whimsy directed at those of us who have many pre-conceived notions about these “enchanting” plants. A terrific read and beautifully photographed.
In The Enchanted Orchid Max Fulcher has brought together his talent for photography and his knowledge and love of the alluring blooms. This is not just a how-to-grow-’em book. It’s an entertaining read—as warm and witty as the author—interspersed with his gorgeous photographs.
Armed with camera and diary, Max has tracked orchids across Asia and the Pacific for three decades. He recounts many of his orchid experiences on the orchid trail including how, in Burma, he happened upon the rare blue Vanda and why, with a $13,000 hole in his belly, he limped around New York in winter searching out moon orchids.
There’s also heaps of good sound advice for the home grower. “Make sure they pass water” and “Orchids love light and air, just like you and me. Get them to sunny garden spots.” Plus a chapter crammed with tips on photography. Use dawn light to photograph flowers, he warns darkly. “Put the camera away after 8am in Australia.”
The photographs in this book are VERY high quality - the best I’ve seen - and there are lots of them. The colors are bright, brilliant even! Most photos are full page. I bought it to give as a Christmas gift to an orchid-loving friend, but I really want to keep it so I guess I’ll have to get a second copy! The book is also well organized. If you love orchids, I’m pretty sure you’ll love this book.
About the Author
Max Fulcher, a highly individual fourth generation Australian entrepreneur, creates and directs creative business solutions for a wide range of clients. His work is essentially based on subjects relating to his journeys throughout the exotic regions of South East Asia—Burma, China, Malaysia, Thailand, South China Sea, and outback Australia. Max shares his unique world of words and ideas through books, design, larger-than-life photography, and corporate publishing campaigns.
The Enchanted Orchid, Max Fulcher’s debut book, offers global audiences new ways to appreciate this wonder flower. In his most recently published work, a semi-autobiographical piece called Striptease, It’s all done with flowers!, he explores his journey from childhood in the rainforests of Queensland to a stellar career in advertising before his ultimate incarnation as a writer and artist. He has translated his popular pen-and-wash art style to now draw freehand on a computer—using a trusty mouse.
His photography and stories have appeared in a variety of magazines, including Vogue Entertaining, Your Garden, Belle, House & Garden, Sydney Morning Herald, ITA, and Australian Women's Weekly. Some of Australia’s leading companies, including Westpac and ANZ, have commissioned Max for various creative works and communications.
Max’s portfolio of drawings is characterized by a huge appreciation of nature and humanity, sought after by enthusiasts and collectors alike. It is a showcase of vibrant illustration. Tropical flowers, people, places, rainforests—nature in all her forms—inspired by a lifetime of traveling.
For distributors, companies, and individuals interested in purchasing Max’s works, the full range of drawings, photography, and books are available through Vanity House Publishing, www.vanityhouse.com.au.
