For those of you that follow that work, you'll be aware that for the last three years (in collaboration with Leeds Castle) I've been photographing the castle, grounds and its wildlife. While looking at ways of photographing the animals in other parts of the estate away from the public I came across a dilapidated, disused boardwalk in a wet area amidst a tangle of willow and scrub. Given the proximity of a nearby sett, I had high hopes that badgers were using it which was confirmed a week later while looking at my trailcam footage.
It was then a matter of locating an interesting composition and attaching Nikon SB28 flash units and a Camtraptions V3 PIR sensor to various branches, and the boardwalk itself while navigating the low, overhang of willow and two-foot deep mud and stream water in which the camera was placed.
The camera was 'safely' housed in a Camtraptions weather-sealed housing which is then padlocked and attached to loop-ended steel wire. If someone was determined enough I am sure they could steal it but it acts as a precaution. Importantly, I use a camera that wouldn't break my heart if it got stolen; in this case, a Nikon D3200.
The main light was positioned above the camera and fitted with a diffuser, while a second was placed to the left and a third to the right some 10 metres away to illuminate the far end of the boardwalk.
Aside from the camera and flash units which can remain dormant yet retain full charge for weeks on end, the flash triggers and sensor transmitter are powered by external D cell batteries. which has enabled me, in some set-ups, to leave it unattended for more than a month. I never rely on the AAAs which fit inside the units as these can fail on you within a week (sometimes a few days), particularly during cold spells which drain charge.
There was no point in extending the exposure in the hope of introducing some ambient light since behind and above was thick with scrub and trees and so I set the shutter speed to 1/60th second and the aperture to f/8.
The set-up was in operation for two months but it was this image that stood out which was captured on the first night! How typical? Subsequent 'hits' included a fox, numerous squirrels (the bane of many a camera-trap photographer!), badger rear-ends, and an unsuspecting couple that shouldn't have been there, though I feel must add were doing nothing more than crouching their way along the boardwalk!
