Photos of Frédéric Demeuse foreshadow the basic beauty of ancient forests – huge

Just outside of Brussels, an ancient woodland known as the Sonian Forest covers nearly 11,000 acres, including some of the world’s most impressive beech woods. It’s a familiar but always tempting place for photographer Frédéric Demeuse, who grew up in the Belgian capital. He told giant squirrels, amphibians and birds, which sparked his childhood obsession.

In fantastic photos, Demeuse explores increasingly rare, remote natural pockets in his ongoing series A forgotten place. He recorded these areas to create visual records of forests and landscapes that need to be carefully preserved, not only the flora and fauna that live there, but also for the health and mental health of humans. Over the past 200 years, our connection to nature has gradually been plagued by 60% of the overall, risking what Miles Richardson at Derby University calls “experience extinction.”

Exploring beautiful environments and communicating with green spaces helps make people feel connected to the land he travels through and encourages him to be more intentional about how he approaches relationships and daily life. He said the view of focusing on basic and seemingly simple trees and plants is “inspiring people to respect the extraordinary complexity of the life world and reminding us to be humble.”

Although Demeuse likes to return to familiar locations to understand how they organically transform and experience seasonal cycles, he also explores the landscapes of the rest of the world. “Nothing can reconnect to the wilderness more than the wilderness that comes into contact with real forests,” he said. Especially in old growing trees immersed in old trees that have witnessed centuries of change, but seemingly exist in a state of eternity.

Regardless of this place, the goal is always the same: a connection to the essential sense of primitive miracle. “The outside world has been calling us all the time – you have to be crazy to miss this!” he said.

Explore more on Demeuse’s website and Instagram.