Photographers often use drones to capture breathtaking perspectives previously only possible by helicopter or airplane. But photographer Reuben Wu used a drone in a new, unexpected way for a stunning twist in landscape photography. 

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In order to snap these amazing landscapes in the dark of night, part of his series titled Lux Noctis, Wu mounted powerful LED lights to GPS-enabled drones to light up the remote locations.

The landscapes Wu chose were deliberately off the beaten path and accessing the areas required hiking with his heavy equipment. He photographed the Bisti Badlands, New Mexico, Goosenecks, Utah, several remote locations in California and Utah's Valley of the Gods. His images of massive rock formations make North America look like an alien planet. 

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"My other projects have all used natural light of some sort—sunlight or moonlight," Wu told weather.com. "I wanted to create my own unique atmosphere using a controllable light source and a completely dark landscape."

His choice of subject also helped him achieve the mood he wanted to create. "I chose to portray only natural landforms because I was interested in the idea of observing an untouched, unexplored new world and the incomprehensible scale of time that they allude to," he said on his Instagram page.

For more photos, visit Wu's website and Instagram.

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