DIY
IMAGING
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Auto-trigger photos of critters who roam
your neighborhood. By Jim Moir and Ken Lange
Ever wonder what’s getting into your garage at
night, eating your cat food in the backyard, or
coming by your tent when you’re camping? Now
you can find out. With a digital camera, flash, and
triggering mechanism, you’ll be able to see exactly
which critters are prowling at 3 a.m.
Although there are some challenges to overcome, we’ve discovered that there are plenty of
solutions to develop a remote wildlife photography
system that meets your needs and budget. Film
cameras were used in the past, but clearly digital
cameras bring this hobby to a new level by eliminating the expense, time, and effort that comes
with film.
MATERIALS
Digital camera We prefer the Kodak DC-290 and
discuss its benefits in this article.
Infrared (IR) detector or motion sensor
Camera flash
Power supply
What Does It Take to Do This?
Our challenge was to choose a camera system
that can stay awake for long periods (most shut
down after a few minutes to conserve battery
power) and to rig a method for sensing the animal
and triggering the shutter remotely. We also
needed a flash capable of illuminating an area
large enough to capture pictures of what tripped
the camera. Finally, we needed power reserves
big enough to run the camera, the external flash,
and the animal-sensing trigger mechanism for
several days.
Photography by fox (this page) and Jim Moir (Figure A)
162 Make: Volume 15
