Remote-control nature photography

For those critters that just won't let you get close enough ... (or "How to photograph nature from the comfort of your couch while watching TV").

Requirements

• Camera with Infra-red remote control
• 12V Battery
• Power inverter
• Infra-red wireless remote extender
• (Optional: wireless video camera and receiver)

Step 1 Set up an outdoor power supply

If you're close enough to run a power cable from your 'hide' to the camera, you might as well just run an air-powered shutter-release, and follow this instructable instead.

So let's start. First find a 12V battery (maybe from a car or a lawn tractor) and hook it up to a 12V DC to 110V AC inverter. In the words of Snap!, "I've got the power!".

Comments

[dmonday]

nice idea, dc to dc converter would be more effective, your wasting battery converting it to 12v to 120v and back down again, also will allow the car battery to run longer before recharging

[flyboy11]

good way to get your camera jacked but nice ible

[Jakeg]

how would you do this if your camera wasn't ir?

[gtoal]

As I mentioned in Step 1, the simplest alternative is a very long shutter release: http://www.instructables.com/id/Hummingbird-Shooter/

Some cameras also have a usb or other electronic way of taking a picture, and you might be able to jerry-rig some sort of direct electrical trigger for those. I just took the simplest option that was possible with the stuff I had around the house. A bit clunky, but it worked for me...

[ForestWander]

ForestWander Nature Photography

Pretty neat idea.

I know where some bobcats are and I may use something like this to get a good shot of them.

Thanks for the help.

[Whig]

Nice idea =) Little bit hard to take to forest with you but... =)

[Crash2108]

Don't tell me you hooked up an inverter to a DC source to just convert it back to DC.

[denilsonsa]

That's exactly what I was thinking. I think he should have used a voltage converter. It is small, cheap. I don't know details about them, but someone with an electronics background can explain you. (in other words, it will convert an input DC voltage to an output DC voltage)

[CanDo]

I prefer stealth and patience, but this looks like fun...

[jongscx]

I love that this comes from a guy with a ninja spike for an avie

[gtoal]

I'm with you on that one, but it makes for a dull instructable: "Stand still. Wait for a long time. Take one picture. Scare off bird with camera noise. Repeat" :-)

[rrrmanion]

that, plus in some places it gets a bit cold

[gtoal]

I wish I could use that excuse but it''s 85 degrees down here on Halloween night tonight. (South of Texas. Never ever gets 'a bit cold' :-/ ) No, it was just that you can't get that close to these birds, and a good close-up is far better than what I can do with a telephoto.

Mind you, since then I've concentrated on photographing butterflies instead, which are much more cooperative.

If I were doing this again I would use a webcam in order to detect motion, then have the computer automatically trigger the still camera.

[rrrmanion]

sorry, meant like a single system, not ready-made

[rrrmanion]

even HD web-cams, have appalling quality, besides, they can never match up to an SLR (SLR-FTW), but if your gonna use a ready-made camera, why not go for something made for it: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=260629

besides, 85 (30 Celsius right?) sounds like you could get away with sayin is too hot to concentrate...

[CementTruck]

"Hey! Who is that guy, and why am I seeing the inside of a car's trunk?" Exclaimed the couch potato as his camera and battery disappeared into the sunset. ; ) Cool instructable. I wish I had an IR remote for my camera.

[PikesPeak]

I had a thought (this can be dangerous), set up a extendable arm in front of the camera lens about 3-4ft. and put squirrel food on it. When you see the squirrel eating in front of the camera hit the shutter and see what his startled facial expression looks like. Bet you get a very wide-eyed squirrel.

[TheCheese9921]

thats cool

[PikesPeak]

Neat idea. Years back there were plans in Popular Science(?) for making a camera remote similar to this out of a remote controlled cars' insides, and it's handheld transmitter.