A photographer captures up-close photos of some of the world's most dangerous animals. Here's how he does it.

Matthew WilsonApr 21, 2020, 00:31 IST

A lion approaching the camera.Graeme Purdy

Graeme Purdy is a photographer from Northern Ireland who captures dramatic portraits of Africa's wildlife.
For his book, "Eight Feet," Purdy used a remote-controlled car to get within 8 feet of wild animals in Kenya and Uganda.
From lions to gorillas, many of the animals could be dangerous but Purdy's photos show a more peaceful side to them.
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Graeme Purdy captures potentially dangerous wildlife as they've never been seen before – up close and personal.

Most of the animals featured in his new book have been known to be deadly, but Purdy's portraits of lions, hippos, and elephants show a more peaceful side. His book is called "Eight Feet" because all of the images were taken within 8 feet of these majestic creatures.

Ahead of Earth Day, Insider spoke to Purdy about how he manages to get so close and capture these one-of-a-kind photos.

Read the original article on Insider

When visiting the gorillas, Purdy had a very small window to get the shot he wanted.

Gorilla. Graeme Purdy

In order to see a gorilla, a person must slowly gain their trust.

Baby gorilla. Graeme Purdy

While gorillas are potentially dangerous, Purdy said they are mostly peaceful and docile creatures.

Gorilla. Graeme Purdy

When he came back three months later, Purdy found that all of the pride's cubs except one had been killed by other lions.

Lions from the Ridge Pride. Graeme Purdy

Dubbed the Ridge Pride, these lions were always together.

The Ridge Pride. Graeme Purdy

The only time Purdy felt fear was when he took photos of a group of lionesses and their cubs.

Lion. Graeme Purdy

Purdy spent 30 minutes trying to get a picture of a hippo without spooking it.

A hippo grazing. Graeme Purdy

Despite their reputation as killers, the hippos were actually very shy.

A hippo grazing. Graeme Purdy

Due to mating patterns, red deer let their guard down only four months out of the year.

Red deer. Graeme Purdy

Capturing up-close photos of red deer proved to be just as challenging.

Red deer. Graeme Purdy

When trying to take a photo, Purdy had to be extra careful not to scare off the elephants because of their heightened sense of hearing.

Elephants. Graeme Purdy

Elephants can be dangerous to humans if provoked.

Elephant investigates the camera. Graeme Purdy

Buffalo have even been known to attack other animals on the savanna.

Buffalo. Graeme Purdy

When trying to get a photo, Purdy's remote-controlled car was trampled by a buffalo stampede.

Buffalo. Graeme Purdy

In Purdy's opinion, buffalo are the most dangerous animals on the African savanna.

Buffalo. Graeme Purdy

For three days, Purdy followed a mother and her cub waiting for the right conditions for the photo.

Cheetah with her cub. Graeme Purdy

The cheetah was difficult to capture because the big cat can be quite timid and elusive.

Cheetah with her cub. Graeme Purdy

To help him take photos, Purdy used a special animal auto focus on his camera.

A hyena. Graeme Purdy

To capture up-close photos of animals like this hyena, Purdy attached a remotely activated camera to a remote-controlled car.

A hyena. Graeme Purdy

Graeme Purdy, from Northern Ireland, is a nature and wildlife photographer.

Graeme Purdy. Graeme Purdy

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A photographer captures up-close photos of some of the world's most dangerous animals. Here's how he does it.

When visiting the gorillas, Purdy had a very small window to get the shot he wanted.

In order to see a gorilla, a person must slowly gain their trust.

While gorillas are potentially dangerous, Purdy said they are mostly peaceful and docile creatures.

When he came back three months later, Purdy found that all of the pride's cubs except one had been killed by other lions.

Dubbed the Ridge Pride, these lions were always together.

The only time Purdy felt fear was when he took photos of a group of lionesses and their cubs.

Purdy spent 30 minutes trying to get a picture of a hippo without spooking it.

Despite their reputation as killers, the hippos were actually very shy.

Due to mating patterns, red deer let their guard down only four months out of the year.

Capturing up-close photos of red deer proved to be just as challenging.

When trying to take a photo, Purdy had to be extra careful not to scare off the elephants because of their heightened sense of hearing.

Elephants can be dangerous to humans if provoked.

Buffalo have even been known to attack other animals on the savanna.

When trying to get a photo, Purdy's remote-controlled car was trampled by a buffalo stampede.

In Purdy's opinion, buffalo are the most dangerous animals on the African savanna.

For three days, Purdy followed a mother and her cub waiting for the right conditions for the photo.

The cheetah was difficult to capture because the big cat can be quite timid and elusive.

To help him take photos, Purdy used a special animal auto focus on his camera.

To capture up-close photos of animals like this hyena, Purdy attached a remotely activated camera to a remote-controlled car.

Graeme Purdy, from Northern Ireland, is a nature and wildlife photographer.