The BeetleCam is a remote controlled buggy with a DSLR or mirrorless camera mounted on top which can be used to film and photograph wildlife at very close range.
History
Created by Will Burrard-Lucas, its first shots were released in 2010 in a series called "The Adventures of BeetleCam." It filmed African wildlife in the Ruaha and Katavi National Parks in Tanzania. One of the cameras was destroyed in an encounter with a lion.
Will Burrard-Lucas and his brother, Matt, returned to Africa in 2011 with two improved BeetleCams, with the aim of focusing on lions. During this project they created a set of pictures of feeding lions and playful cubs. This series was first released in 2012 in an article called "BeetleCam vs the Lions of the Masai Mara". BeetleCam Mark II used a Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III.
In 2012, Burrard-Lucas moved to Zambia and used a new version of the BeetleCam to photograph leopards and other animals, primarily in South Luangwa National Park.
In 2013, Will Burrard-Lucas founded Camtraptions Ltd. and started producing BeetleCams for other wildlife photographers and filmmakers.
References
- Camtraptions Ltd. "BeetleCam Classic".
- Priya Ganapati, Wired (April 19, 2010). "Robotic Buggy Takes Stunning Photos of African Wildlife".
- Will Burrard-Lucas (April 19, 2010). "The Adventures of BeetleCam".
- National Geographic Society (April 27, 2010). "Lion Steals Roving Camera, Takes Photos". Archived from the original on April 30, 2010.
- Paul Marks, New Scientist (9 March 2012). "Safari robot snaps feasting lion up close".
- Will Burrard-Lucas (29 Feb 2012). "BeetleCam vs the Lions of the Masai Mara".
- The Telegraph (1 Mar 2012). "Camouflaged camera films lions close up in Kenya's Masai Mara". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012.
- "Close Encounters: Will Burrard-Lucas' wildlife photography". DPReview. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- Steve Fairclough (9 Dec 2016). "Will Burrard-Lucas: How to get close to wildlife".
