Kickstarter

Hi All,

My Giant Armadillo project will be largely dependent on the use of camera traps. These little gizmos operate with infrared beams or motion sensors to detect movement, and trigger a camera - without the photographer (e.g. me) being present. I have had a little experience with these: in fact, the project image you will already have seen was taken with just this kind of set-up, placed outside what we knew was an active Giant Armadillo  burrow. 

But like any hi-tech, electronic equipment, there are a million things that can go suddenly, irrationally wrong with it. Common hazards: humidity (or tropical downpours) can short the circuits, waving blades of grass can fool an over-sensitive motion-sensor, and an idiot photographer can leave a switch in the wrong position and get nothing.

So in preparation for the Armadillo project, I have been testing the camera traps on animals closer to home. This past week, I used a camera trap to photograph Kit Foxes in California, with their young pups just emerging from the den. This shot came out well - but lots did not, for all of the reasons I explained above.  

With practice, I hope to get this equipment into the realm of second-nature, so I can maximize opportunities when I get to Brazil.  Stay tuned - and thanks for your support!