hyena stars

Awe-inspiring Angles on Wildlife Photography

Lions under the Milky Way in Liuwa Plain, Zambia. Photographed by Beetle Cam.
Lions under the Milky Way in Liuwa Plain, Zambia. Photographed by Beetle Cam.

Wildlife photography has a big, big place in this world. Whether it be a passion or a career, for art or for marketing; photographing wild animals all over the world is a culture. Canon or Nikon (or neither of the above), cameras and photography have evolved over time, and now, in a time when people feast with their eyes, imagery of animals in their natural habitats is used for not only pleasure, but for education, conservation, and research.

A muddy spotted hyena yawns for the Beetle Cam in Liuwa Plain, Zambia
A muddy spotted hyena yawns for the Beetle Cam in Liuwa Plain, Zambia
Two leopards photographed by Beetle Cam in South Luangwa, Zambia
Two leopards photographed by Beetle Cam in South Luangwa, Zambia

Technology has developed cameras to such an extent that they don’t even need to be manually operated by photographers. Automatic triggering of the shutter has created the possibility of capturing images without being physically present, opening a world of never-before-seen activity and behaviour in a variety of categories, but particularly wildlife. Camera traps – although no portrayal of photographers’ skill – have offered a glimpse into the secret activity of animals.

Going a step further is photographer extraordinaire, Will Burrard-Lucas, whose invention of the DLSR camera trap has combined the quality and capabilities of a camera with the technology of a camera trap. These phenomenal photographs were captured using Burrard-Lucas’ invention and have a truly alluring, mystical, and awe-inspiring effect on the viewer. The movement of an animal is sensed by the camera trap and automatically triggers the click of a shutter, but the device is so non-invasive that the animals appear to be hardly aware of the camera at all.

A leopard captured on camera trap at night
A leopard captured on camera trap at night
A porcupine captured on camera trap carrying a palm nut in South Luangwa, Zambia
A porcupine captured on camera trap carrying a palm nut in South Luangwa, Zambia
An African civet captured on camera trap in South Luangwa, Zambia
An African civet captured on camera trap in South Luangwa, Zambia
A miraculous camera trap capture of a hippo and a bat in South Luangwa National Park in Zambia
A miraculous camera trap capture of a hippo and a bat in South Luangwa National Park in Zambia
A miraculous camera trap capture of a hippo and a bat in South Luangwa National Park in Zambia
A miraculous camera trap capture of a hippo and a bat in South Luangwa National Park in Zambia

The value of this photography is immeasurable in terms of understanding behaviours and movements of various animals. Many of Burrard-Lucas’ photographs were captured in Zambia’s Liuwa Plains, North and South Luangwa National Parks, and recently he was at work with the World Wildlife Fund in the Kavango-Zambezi Conservation Area in Namibia. It offers an astonishing view of the wild inhabitants of Southern Africa when they think nobody is watching, and their behaviour is unaltered by the presence of humans.

A male lion captured on Camtraptions PIR motion sensor for World Wildlife Fund in Namibia's Zambezi Region
A male lion captured on Camtraptions PIR motion sensor for World Wildlife Fund in Namibia’s Zambezi Region
An investigative elephant trunk triggers the Camtraptions motion sensor in the Zambezi Region of Namibia for World Wildlife Fund
An investigative elephant trunk triggers the Camtraptions motion sensor in the Zambezi Region of Namibia for World Wildlife Fund
Serval photographed with camera trap in the Zambezi Region of Namibia for World Willdlife Fund
Serval photographed with camera trap in the Zambezi Region of Namibia for World Willdlife Fund

Just when we thought we had seen it all, Burrard-Lucas brought out his one-of-a-kind Beetle Cam, which is ‘an armoured remote-control buggy for your DSLR camera’. This pioneer invention allows wildlife photographers to delve deeper than ever before and to capture their subjects from a position that would never be safe for a human to be.

The buggy carries your camera right up to the animal subject and evokes nothing more than a photogenic curiosity. The Beetle Cam comes with a protective carapace that protects your camera from the investigative claws and teeth of, say, a lion cub, or a leopard. The unbelievable images that have been released into the world of wildlife photography are truly unique to the field.

A Zambian male lion getting a close up with the Beetle Cam
A Zambian male lion getting a close up with the Beetle Cam
A spotted hyena under the stars, photographed by Beetle Cam in Liuwa Plain, Zambia
A spotted hyena under the stars, photographed by Beetle Cam in Liuwa Plain, Zambia
A lion cub photographed by Beetle Cam in front of the super moon eclipse
A lion cub photographed by Beetle Cam in front of the super moon eclipse
Lion photographed by Beetle Cam at Twilight in Liuwa Plain, Zambia
Lion photographed by Beetle Cam at Twilight in Liuwa Plain, Zambia
African wild dogs investigate the Beetle Cam in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
African wild dogs investigate the Beetle Cam in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

One is left wondering, what next? How much closer could we possibly get to wild animals sharing the African continent with us. If you’ve developed a love for safari, a love for wildlife, and a love for photography, these images will touch your soul.

A male lion yawns widely for the Beetle Cam in Masai Mara, Kenya
A male lion yawns widely for the Beetle Cam in Masai Mara, Kenya