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Ingenious Camera Traps Capture Striking Photos of African Animals at Night

By Sara Barnes on June 30, 2016

Modern camera technology allows us to see the world in ways we have never imagined. Photographer Will Burrad-Lucas pushes this idea to the limits, as seen in some of his recent images of nocturnal African animals. Teaming up with African Parks and Norman Carr Safaris, he traveled twice to Liuwa Plain, a remote national park in the west of Zambia.

Once he arrived, Burrad-Lucas knew exactly what he wanted to photograph. “My first aim was to take images showings animals under the beautiful, starry sky,” he recalled on PetaPixel. “The night sky in Africa is simply spectacular!” This required some ingenuity on his part, because he didn’t want to spook the animals or put himself in danger. His remote control camera buggy, the BeetleCam, was an ideal tool for the job—it allowed him to capture the images at a wide-angle and a compelling ground-level perspective.

Above photo credit: ©Burrard-Lucas Photography

Here's the device Burrad-Lucas used to capture the stunning images:

They captured haunting, alluring shots:

©Burrard-Lucas Photography

With the glittering cosmos as a backdrop, Burrad-Lucas photographed lions, hyenas, and wildebeests as they approached the BeetleCam with puzzled amusement. For shyer nocturnal species that wouldn’t willingly approach the device, Burrad-Lucas had another idea: he used camera traps and installed them at a local waterhole to snap pictures of porcupines and zebras as they drank. These particular images focus less on the stars and instead frame the animals against a pitch-black backdrop—they seem out of this world.

©Burrard-Lucas Photography

Burrad-Lucas arrived to Liuwa at the end of a long dry season, just as the rains began. During these epic storms, he photographed animals beneath the spectacularly chaotic sky. Although it wasn’t easy—Burrad-Lucas ended up very wet—his perseverance was rewarded with once-in-a-lifetime shots that showcase the dazzling desolate plains.

Will Burrad-Lucas: Website | Facebook | Instagram
via [PetaPixel]