These nine lions in a tree were snapped by Australian husband-and-wife team Kym and Tonya Illman. Using pioneering photography techniques they've managed to get rare, closeup views of African wildlife. Their new book "Africa on Safari" tells the stories behind the shoots.
Sleeping lions —
These nine lions in a tree were snapped by Australian husband-and-wife team Kym and Tonya Illman. Using pioneering photography techniques they've managed to get rare, closeup views of African wildlife. Their new book "Africa on Safari" tells the stories behind the shoots.
Courtesy of Kym and Tonya Illman
The couple often uses a remote-controlled camera buggy to get close to the animals, as well as quadcopters. The highly dangerous African buffalo is nicknamed "The Widowmaker," so the buggy is the best way to get close to it.
Buffalo and the buggy —
The couple often uses a remote-controlled camera buggy to get close to the animals, as well as quadcopters. The highly dangerous African buffalo is nicknamed "The Widowmaker," so the buggy is the best way to get close to it.
Courtesy of Kym and Tonya Illman
After following this leopard for five hours, Tonya finally got the shot she wanted. One of the couple's tricks is to hide a camera in dung and program it to take a photo every couple of seconds.
Photographic prey —
After following this leopard for five hours, Tonya finally got the shot she wanted. One of the couple's tricks is to hide a camera in dung and program it to take a photo every couple of seconds.
Courtesy of Kym and Tonya Illman
This photo was taken from a remote-controlled buggie parked underneath a safari vehicle.
Lion selfie —
This photo was taken from a remote-controlled buggie parked underneath a safari vehicle.
Courtesy of Kym and Tonya Illman
The enthusiastic couple has no formal training and learned in the field during safari vacations. Most safari shots are taken from the top of the vehicle looking down, but Kym and Tonya's buggy lets them get a ground-level view.
Wild dogs —
The enthusiastic couple has no formal training and learned in the field during safari vacations. Most safari shots are taken from the top of the vehicle looking down, but Kym and Tonya's buggy lets them get a ground-level view.
Courtesy of Kym and Tonya Illman
This impala was raised by a manager at a Tanzanian camp after it was separated by its mother from birth after the pair were attacked by jackals.
Impala close-up —
This impala was raised by a manager at a Tanzanian camp after it was separated by its mother from birth after the pair were attacked by jackals.
Courtesy of Kym and Tonya Illman
It's rare to see a hippo out of the water mid-morning, but Kim and Tonya Illman spotted this one in the Mara Triangle in Kenya and captured the cover shot for their new book "Africa on Safari."
Africa on Safari —
It's rare to see a hippo out of the water mid-morning, but Kim and Tonya Illman spotted this one in the Mara Triangle in Kenya and captured the cover shot for their new book "Africa on Safari."
Courtesy of Kym and Tonya Illman
Staring down wildlife: Photogs spill secrets of amazing safari pics
CNN  — 

How do you look a lion dead in the eye?

Or go face-to-face with a deadly African buffalo – otherwise known as “the Widowmaker?”

Australian husband-and-wife team Kym and Tonya Illman have worked it out.

Using pioneering photography techniques – including quadcopters, remote-controlled camera buggies and cameras buried in dung – they’ve managed to get the kind of closeup views of African wildlife usually seen only by creatures who are about to become lunch.

Learning in the field

The enthusiastic amateurs have no formal training.

They learned their tricks in the field during safari vacations.

“The vast majority of wildlife safari photos are taken from the top of a vehicle looking down on animals,” Kym Illman told Digital Photography magazine.

“We took the same easy route on the first couple of safaris and ended up with the same sorts of shots most people come away with.”

The Illmans began experimenting, and came up with a mobile ground-level camera buggy that they operate remotely to get different perspectives on wild animals.

Traveling through six countries

Their new book “Africa on Safari” is the culmination of thousands of hours journeying across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa and tells the stories behind the shoots.

They share all their secrets, including the types of cameras and other equipment used, and recommended locations.

The cover shot was taken in the Mara Triangle in Kenya when they spotted a hippo out of the water.

They placed the remote-controlled camera buggy in its path and the hippo walked straight up to take a look.

2,700 pictures and one star shot

One of their favorite shots came about when they came across a dead zebra and then hid a GoPro camera beside it in a pile of dung, programmed to take a photo every two seconds.

It took 2,700 pictures that day – including one perfect shot of a leopard.

Wild dogs and adolescent lions are intrigued by the buggy; cheetahs, lions and adult males aren’t interested; and giraffes and zebras run away from it.

The Illmans, however, say they’re always careful not to invade the animals’ personal space.

“Every day brings something new,” says Kim on his website. “I try to capture the new with new angles and new technology to get something unseen – something striking.”

Images from Africa on Safari by Kym and Tonya Illman (Papadakis Publisher), available in bookstores and online at thegmcgroup.com