WILDLIFE TRANSFORMED INTO ART IN EXTRAORDINARY NIGHT IMAGES FROM KENYA’S SHOMPOLE RESERVE WITH PIX AND VID By Mike Jones Check out these striking night photographs captured through Untamed Photo Safaris, a British photographic safari company founded by wildlife photographers Mark A. Fernley and Jaren A. Fernley, who specialise in taking guests into Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda’s most untouched wild locations. These images were taken in October 2025 at Shompole Wilderness Camp in Kenya, using two underground safari hides — the Shompole Plains Hide and the Shompole Kichaka Hide — a few kilometres apart. Each hide has studio lighting and relies on wildlife visiting the waterholes both day and night. The photographs highlight a range of species including elephant, lion, spotted hyena, striped hyena, caracal, serval, giraffe, zebra and more, captured using side lighting, front lighting, and dramatic back lighting. The blue-lit dust in some images appears when an animal walks past and the back light illuminates the airborne particles, creating an ethereal visual effect. Mark and Jaren spent two continuous months inside the hides, entering at 4 PM daily and staying awake through the night with only brief rest. With the help of their Maasai assistants Maren and Nixon, they monitored visiting animals, sometimes with lions approaching within two meters of the hide. There were no barriers — absolute silence was essential so the animals would not flee. They said the harsh environment took a toll, describing severe sleep deprivation, memory loss, and the intensity of working from a small shipping container hide in the middle of the dry Shompole desert. Yet the results were worth it. Mark explained that the closeness to the animals and the mirrored reflections in the water created “a modern, minimalist effect that transforms wildlife into works of art.” He added that the Shompole hides are “probably the best photo safari hide in Africa,” offering unparalleled, intimate opportunities to capture the raw presence of these animals. One user commented: ‘These do not look real. They look like paintings.’ Another added: ‘The lighting, the dust, the reflections… this is next-level wildlife photography.’ ENDS
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