A bobcat has been on my list of creatures to see and photograph for a long time. Typically, in order to photograph an animal, you first have to see it. However, this time that was not the case. To date, this bobcat is the only subject I have good pictures of and yet have never seen in person. I accomplished this by using a homemade DSLR camera trap, which is essentially a fancy trail camera.
A typical store-bought trail camera consists of a camera, a sensor, and infrared flashes, all in a neat, compact package that is easy to set up and operate. A DSLR camera trap is far more complex and time-consuming to set up, but the pictures it produces are of far greater quality, if it is used correctly.
While exploring a new section of state woods last February, I came across a rock outcropping that appeared to have a scent scrape below it. The area also had a very strong smell. I set up a commercial trail camera at the site to see what had created the scrape, and what else had visited the area.
I returned several weeks later to check the camera and saw that the rock had been visited by a variety of species, including several striped skunks, opossums, a flying squirrel, and, finally, the creator of the scent mound—a bobcat.
The trail camera captured several clips of the cat scraping in the leaves and examining the scents left behind by the skunks and opossums that had previously visited. I had captured footage of bobcats during the previous fall, but this new footage was far better in terms of quality and behavior.
While I was happy with the footage I had captured, I wanted to try capturing a print-worthy photograph of the elusive species. I returned that fall with my homemade DSLR camera trap.
The basic components are a DSLR or mirrorless camera; some type of sensor, whether it be a PIR, beam break, or some other type of sensor; two or more external flashes; and waterproof housings for everything.
The camera and lens are two of the most important components of the setup, but they don’t have to be anything fancy. Almost any DSLR or mirrorless camera will work. Considering what it will be used for, I recommend a cheaper used camera, as there is the possibility of loss due to moisture, theft, or destruction by animals. I use a Canon Rebel T1i that I bought used at a good price. Full-frame cameras are preferred over crop-sensor cameras due to their light-gathering capabilities, but either will work. A wide-angle lens is necessary for most applications, but the exact reach usually does not matter. I use an 18-55mm, which has worked well.
Typically, with wildlife photography, the lower the f-stop the better, but that does not matter as much in this case, as external flashes will light the scene.
The next step is to figure out how the camera will be triggered. This is achieved using a sensor, which is what detects the animal’s movement and triggers the camera body. There are a few pre-made options available for sale, along with many tutorials, if you wish to make your own. I chose to follow a tutorial.
I began with a store-bought trail camera that emits infrared light when it detects an animal. I attached a photosensor (an electronic device that detects light and converts it to an electric signal) to it, which plugs into my DSLR camera through the electronic shutter release port. This makes the camera take a picture whenever the photosensor detects the light from the trail camera. This has worked fairly well, but I will likely upgrade to a sensor designed specifically for camera trapping for greater accuracy and control over how often the camera triggers.
Flashes are important for photographing anything that is active at night. The Nikon SB-28 DX Speedlight is often used due to its ability to “go to sleep” and conserve battery power for long periods of time. A minimum of two flashes are needed to prevent harsh, unnatural shadows, and many more can be used for background lights, backlight, or whatever else needs light in the scene.
If the setup is outside long enough, it will encounter dirt, snow, water, and other such things that can be hazardous to electronics, so protecting the equipment is important. This can be as simple as putting a plastic bag over the camera and flashes or as complex as custom-designed cases for everything. There are also several companies that sell premade cases.
I chose to design my own to save money. I used a waterproof box I bought at a hardware store, along with several 3D-printed parts I designed and had printed that hold the camera in place inside the box and protect the lens that sticks out of the box from rain and snow.
This setup requires a lot of batteries, so I ended up purchasing rechargeable lithium batteries to power the flashes and trail (sensor) camera. External battery packs can be useful, but, depending on the setup, the camera and flash’s internal batteries can usually power the setup for up to a month.
There are a few other bits and pieces that are necessary to complete the setup, including tripods, tree mounts, SD cards, and flash and sensor cables. Typically, I attach the camera box to a RAM mount fixed to a wooden frame that sits on the ground. This places the camera about ten inches off the ground, a good height for most subjects I work with. The flashes attach to screw-in tree mounts or small tripods, depending on the scenario.
Any SD card that is compatible with the DSLR will work, but I would recommend using one with at least 32 GB worth of storage. There is nothing worse than coming back a month after deploying the camera trap only to find that mice or blowing leaves filled up the SD card in the first few days.
Wireless flash transmitters and receivers can be used to eliminate the need for messy cords stretching from the flashes to the camera box, but I have found that in most scenarios it is simpler to just use the cords, as the wireless system can disconnect sometimes and requires more batteries.
Where I set up this contraption depends on several factors, including target species, weather, human activity levels, time of year, and terrain. If I find a suitable spot, I usually set up a normal store-bought trail camera for a week or two first, like I did here with the bobcat scent mound, to see if my target species or any other species are active there. If they are, I can observe how they move through, or use, the area. This allows me to make sure I set up the camera trap and flashes in suitable spots the first time.
The location of each component will be different with every setup, but the general idea is that the camera, flashes, and sensor will all be pointed at where the animal is expected to pass by. I typically place the camera three to six feet from where I want the subject to be when the picture is taken, and the two flashes one to three feet away on either side, aiming down toward the focal point.
There is still more work to do once everything is set up. The settings on the camera and both flashes must be adjusted so the scene and any animals that walk through will be adequately lit. For nighttime shots, the focus must be set manually to where the animal will likely be when the sensor detects motion and triggers the camera. I typically shoot at f/8-f/11 to make sure there is a good chance the animal’s eyes are in focus. I set the ISO to 200, and set the shutter speed anywhere from 1/100 to 1/400. It is okay to have a lower shutter speed when photographing at night, as the flashes will freeze the movement of the animal.
I typically set the flashes to “auto” and adjust the zoom that is built into the flash as needed. I set the camera to multi-shot mode, so when the photosensor detects light from the sensor trail camera, the DSLR will take eight shots in a row. The first shot wakes up the flashes, and the following shots are of the subject.
Once I ensure everything is working correctly, I close up the cases and set up an additional cellular trail camera pointed toward the whole setup to help deter theft and to allow me to check on it to make sure everything is working. Depending on the location, I will also attach bike locks to the various components as an extra security measure.
This particular location was fairly remote, so I waited quite a while before returning to check on the setup. When I finally returned and checked the SD card, I saw that the camera had captured a skunk, lots and lots of mice, a flying squirrel, chipmunks, and the bobcat!
