Books & Guides

The Ultimate Guide to DSLR Camera Trapping eBook

Ever since capturing my award-winning photograph Grizzly Remains, I’ve wanted to see what else is possible with these formidable creatures. In 2025, I deployed several DSLR camera traps across Montana, guided by over a decade of data I've accumulated in the field — tracks, scat, “bear trees,” travel corridors, and den sites. After scouting these areas for recent signs of activity, I installed the cameras and checked them regularly, mindful that bears, especially black bears, often wreak havoc on my equipment. Within a week, grizzlies began appearing on a few of the cameras, though often at night or moving in the wrong direction. As spring turned to summer, one area consistently produced bears, though they were a little shy around the camera traps. During a battery change, I found a fallen tree that allowed me to better conceal a camera. A few weeks later, I finally captured the piece I had envisioned: an older, blonde-colored grizzly, a rare but perfect encounter with one of Montana’s wild giants.

Capture Rare Wildlife Images Automatically

A Complete DSLR Camera Trapping Guide for Consistent, High-Quality Results in the Field

Stop missing once-in-a-lifetime moments. Learn how to reliably capture wildlife using proven camera trapping techniques—whether you're present or not.

This practical, field-tested guide is designed for photographers who want to create compelling wildlife imagery using DSLR camera trapping systems—without guesswork, wasted time, or unreliable setups.

Unlock the full potential of your wildlife photography with the most definitive eBook on DSLR camera trapping available today. This expertly crafted guide offers comprehensive, step-by-step instructions for building, setting up, optimizing, and mastering DSLR camera traps to capture stunning, candid images of elusive wildlife. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced photographer, this resource covers everything from selecting the right equipment and configuring camera settings to positioning traps for maximum success. Packed with high-quality images, detailed diagrams, pro-tips, troubleshooting advice, and real-world examples from the field, it’s the essential resource to transform your camera trapping efforts into stunning, pro-level results. Elevate your nature photography and bring the secret lives of wildlife into view with unmatched detail and precision.

DSLR camera traps revolutionize wildlife photography by providing unparalleled access to natural animal behavior without human interference. Remote camera traps use DSLR (or Mirrorless) cameras, which allow photographers to capture candid, high-resolution images of elusive and nocturnal species that are often difficult to observe in person. These powerful devices are invaluable at capturing behaviors and moments that would be nearly impossible to document otherwise. In addition, camera traps can be left out for extended periods of time, from a few days to several months, making them very effective at documenting rare and elusive species. When combined with speedlights (flash), they become indispensable tools for capturing images of nocturnal wildlife.

Whether you're eager to document wild animals in their natural habitat for the first time, or simply want to hone your skills, this guide will serve as your steppingstone to mastering the art. Think of it as more of a crash course in DSLR camera trap wildlife photography, rather than just another instructional eBook. Many of the techniques I describe in my eBook have originated from years and years of camera trapping experience.

215 pages, Digital eBook, PDF Format / Published in 2022

Language: English, but the eBook can be translated into the language of your choice. A quick search online will reveal many methods for translation of PDF documents.

Device Requirements: This eBook has been optimized to work on any electronic device capable of viewing PDF documents. This includes tablets, phones, and laptops/desktop computers running Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.0 or higher (or any other PDF viewer)

***Upon purchasing, you will receive a secure link to the PDF file. If you have any trouble downloading the eBook, please Contact me.

$60.00

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The Problem Most Wildlife Photographers Face

Wildlife photography is often limited by time, patience, and unpredictability.

Even experienced photographers face challenges like:

  • Animals appearing when you’re not there
  • Skittish subjects avoiding human presence
  • Inconsistent results from improvised setups
  • Wasted hours waiting for a single opportunity
  • Technical issues with triggers, placement, or timing

Without a reliable system, capturing elusive wildlife becomes a matter of luck—not skill.

The Solution

This guide gives you a structured, repeatable approach to DSLR camera trapping—built from real-world field experience.

Instead of trial and error, you’ll learn a system that helps you:

  • Position and deploy camera traps effectively
  • Configure triggers for reliable activation
  • Anticipate wildlife movement patterns
  • Improve composition even in automated setups
  • Capture sharp, well-timed images consistently

What You’ll Learn

Inside this guide, you’ll get a step-by-step breakdown of:

Camera Trap Fundamentals

Understand how DSLR camera trapping works and what makes a setup successful.

Gear Selection

Choose the right cameras, lenses, triggers, housings, and accessories for your goals and environment.

Choosing the Right Camera Settings & Creative Exposure Control

  • Setting up your camera for consistent, reliable operation in remote trapping scenarios
  • Understanding key exposure controls: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO in the context of motion and lighting conditions
  • Balancing exposure for moving wildlife to ensure sharpness and proper illumination
  • Selecting aperture for depth of field and subject isolation in constrained compositions
  • Managing shutter speed to freeze motion or introduce controlled motion blur when creatively appropriate
  • Adjusting ISO to maintain image quality while working in low-light or night conditions
  • Configuring white balance for natural-looking color in mixed or artificial lighting environments
  • Working with manual vs. semi-automatic modes for predictable, repeatable results
  • Dialing in exposure settings specifically for flash-based setups vs. ambient light setups
  • Using exposure compensation and metering strategies when applicable to automated capture
  • Testing and refining settings in the field to account for environmental variability and subject behavior
  • Applying creative exposure techniques to elevate image aesthetics while maintaining technical reliability

Trigger Systems Explained

Learn how to work with:

  • Motion-based triggers
  • Differences between active and passive infrared systems

Powering Your Camera Trap Systems

  • Powering cameras, triggers, and external flashes for extended deployments
  • Battery types and configurations for reliability in the field
  • Managing power consumption and efficiency
  • External battery solutions
  • Cold-weather and long-duration power considerations

Working with Speedlights to Create Natural Light

  • Using speedlights effectively in camera trap scenarios
  • Balancing flash output with ambient light
  • Diffusion and light shaping techniques
  • Avoiding harsh or artificial-looking illumination
  • Positioning flashes for directional, lifelike results
  • Syncing flash behavior with trigger systems for consistent exposure

Building Your Own Camera Trap & Flash Housings

  • Designing and constructing durable, weather-resistant housings
  • Materials, layout, and mounting considerations
  • Protecting camera bodies and external flashes in the field
  • Creating modular systems for long-term deployments
  • Practical build approaches that balance protection, accessibility, and reliability
  • Security measures to prevent theft

Field Setup & Placement

  • Positioning for optimal wildlife movement
  • Framing and composition strategies
  • Nailing the focus in your camera trap images
  • Avoiding common placement mistakes
  • Working with terrain, light, and behavior

Weatherproofing & Protection

  • Protecting your gear from the elements
  • Managing condensation, moisture, and temperature changes
  • Long-term deployment considerations

Deployment Workflow

  • Learn how to set up your camera trap
  • Testing and calibration
  • Helpful checklists for camera trappers
  • Field adjustments and troubleshooting

Learning from Real-World Scenarios & Setups

  • Analyzing actual field deployments and how they were configured
  • Understanding why specific setups were used in different environments
  • Translating real-world examples into repeatable strategies
  • Lessons learned from successes and failures in the field
  • Practical insights that go beyond theory and reflect actual camera trap performance

Becoming a Better Naturalist — Basic North American Animal Track & Sign Identification

  • Identifying common North American wildlife tracks and distinguishing species by prints (e.g., deer, elk, bear, coyote, cougar, fox, and more)
  • Reading track patterns, stride, gait, and movement direction
  • Understanding animal sign such as scat, scrapes, rubs, beds, and travel corridors
  • Recognizing habitat-specific clues across forests, mountains, grasslands, and riparian zones
  • Using environmental indicators (terrain, cover, water sources) to predict animal presence
  • Locating high-probability areas for camera placement based on track and sign evidence
  • Interpreting sign to better anticipate behavior and increase successful captures in the field

Overview of Commercial Camera Trapping Gear Available Today

  • Understanding the range of commercially available camera trapping systems and components
  • Commercial trigger systems and control units (motion sensors, infrared beams, and programmable controllers)
  • Available camera housings, weatherproof enclosures, and mounting solutions designed for field use
  • Flash systems and accessories designed for remote operation and synchronization
  • Power solutions including external battery packs, solar options, and long-duration field power systems
  • Commercial mounting hardware, brackets, clamps, and support systems for stable deployment

Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • Missed triggers
  • False triggers
  • Battery failures
  • Flashes not firing

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Who This Is For

This guide is ideal for:

  • Wildlife photographers looking to expand their capabilities
  • Fine art photographers seeking rare, unique imagery
  • Outdoor and nature photographers interested in remote capture techniques
  • Basic, intermediate, and advanced users who want a structured system

No prior camera trapping experience is required, but a basic understanding of DSLR operation is helpful.

What Makes This Guide Different

This is not a generic overview.

It’s a practical system built around:

  • Real field conditions
  • Tested workflows
  • Repeatable results
  • Problem-solving approaches used in actual deployments

No fluff. No scattered advice. Just a clear path from setup to successful captures.

I originally scouted this location in hopes of documenting mountain lions. On the evening I hiked in to assess the area, I unexpectedly encountered a lion near this very spot — a clear sign that cats were indeed moving through the area. A small saddle between a rocky ledge and dense forest stood out immediately, a natural corridor where wildlife would be funneled through the landscape. Trusting that instinct, I placed a remote camera trap here. Over time, my hunch proved right. A wide range of animals passed through — foxes, bobcats, badgers, mountain lions, elk, and bears among them. On a spring morning, this large black bear approached the camera, its curiosity sparked as the shutter fired. He moved in confidently, eventually tearing away the camouflage netting from my camera before losing interest and continuing on. For me, the mountain backdrop completes the scene, grounding this brief encounter within the larger, untamed landscape these animals call home.
I picked up my first camera at a young age, not with the goal of becoming a photographer, but as a way to deepen my lifelong fascination with tracking animals. As a child, I spent countless hours in the woods measuring and documenting tracks and sign, slowly realizing that photographs could capture more than measurements ever could. That curiosity grew into a passion for wildlife photography and, eventually, for building my own remote camera traps using professional photography gear. Today, my work is rooted in patience, field craft, and a deep understanding of animal behavior. I spend countless hours scouting and tracking, often returning to the same locations season after season, waiting for a single moment to unfold. Unlike traditional wildlife photography, which I also enjoy, camera trapping allows me to thoughtfully craft each work — from composition and light to the precise place an animal moves through the frame. This photograph of a large male mountain lion passing beneath a rocky overhang in Montana brings those passions together. After several winters studying these cats, I found a single partial track beneath this rock and trusted it was enough. Months passed with little activity, until one late winter morning the lion returned, triggering the camera as the season began to change. Moments like this — earned through time, trust, and persistence — are what continue to draw me back into wild places.

Hard work, determination, patience—and a little luck—all played a role in the capturing of this print. While cross-country skiing near my home in Montana, I came across the remains of a bull elk. Tracks and sign in the snow told the story: a wolf had been regularly feeding on the carcass. Sensing the potential for something unique, I returned later that afternoon with a custom DSLR camera trap that I built myself. Wolves are intelligent and wary, so I tucked the camera deep into a tree well and carefully camouflaged it with branches and snow. Over the next two months, I checked it only once to swap batteries. The wolf never returned. Instead, a steady rotation of scavengers showed up—foxes, martens, ravens, even snowshoe hares. As winter gave way to spring, access became more difficult. I delayed my next visit as long as possible, waiting for a cold day to help with a creek crossing along the route. After a stretch of unseasonably warm weather, I arrived to find the once-frozen stream transformed into a raging torrent. I spent two hours building a makeshift bridge from downed timber before finally crossing and snowshoeing the rest of the way in. Near the site, I spotted large, fresh tracks in the snow—a grizzly. Not wanting to surprise a bear on a carcass, I checked a secondary trail camera I had placed nearby. The footage showed the bear had passed through just hours before I arrived. Making plenty of noise as I approached, I found the scene completely changed. The carcass had been moved away from the camera, and the nearby creek was flowing high above its banks. The rising water had flooded the area where my camera and PIR sensor were positioned. My camera case was tilted skyward, the lens smeared with slobber—courtesy of the bear—but miraculously, the tripod had kept it above the waterline. Fresh grizzly tracks surrounded the site. I didn’t expect much when I opened the case. In my years of camera trapping, I’ve learned that bears have an uncanny ability to “disable” a setup without ever getting their picture taken. Scrolling through the photographs that had been captured, I saw the usual visitors—hares, a pine marten, a red fox. Then I came to this frame. A massive grizzly bear, staring directly into the camera. My jaw dropped. It was the last frame captured—taken just before the bear lunged at the camera, altering my carefully crafted composition and ending the story in dramatic fashion.

LEARN THE ART OF CAMERA TRAP PHOTOGRAPHY FROM A PROFESSIONAL.

This guide is built from extensive field experience working with wildlife and remote photography setups across a variety of environments. The techniques presented are grounded in hands-on deployments, iterative testing, and real-world refinement—not theory alone.

Designed to support both those beginning their journey into DSLR camera trapping as well as experienced photographers looking to refine their existing systems, this guide provides a structured approach to building a more reliable and intentional workflow.

Whether you are just getting started or looking to elevate your current setup, it will help you work more efficiently in the field, avoid common mistakes, and achieve consistent, high-quality results.

Camera trapping often changes the way you approach wildlife photography—and for many, it becomes a long-term pursuit.

A black bear sow and her cub curiously investigate a hollowed-out old-growth tree in a western forest. To photograph this moment without altering their behavior, I used a sophisticated remote camera specifically built for encounters like this. Being able to capture such unique work is what draws me deeper into these forests, and reminds me why patience and restraint matter when telling wild stories.
A large male mountain lion surveys his territory from a rocky outcropping on a winter evening. From this elevated perch, the cat seems to take in every detail of his surroundings. I first discovered this spot years ago while tracking a big cat through fresh snow, and it quickly revealed itself as an important place on the landscape. Since then, I’ve returned often and documented many different lions here — solitary males, females with kittens, and cats moving quietly through the night. At times, they’ll even stretch out and nap on the rock, completely at ease, using this perch as both lookout and resting place within their domain.
Under the soft glow of an autumn moon, a young Canada lynx gracefully prowls a rugged ridgeline. Every step is deliberate, its senses alert to the world around it, moving with a certain stealth that only a wild cat knows.
A young mountain lion preparing to pounce on its sibling on starry night in Montana. In order to capture this unique work, I used a custom-built remote camera trap, combined with a long exposure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a DSLR camera trap?
A DSLR camera trap is a remotely triggered photography setup that allows a DSLR or mirrorless camera to capture images of wildlife automatically when movement or specific conditions are detected. It enables photographers to document animals without being physically present.
How do I turn my DSLR into a camera trap for wildlife?
In this DSLR Camera Trapping Guide, I reveal how a DSLR can be converted into a remote wildlife photography system by pairing it with external trigger systems such as motion sensors, infrared beams, along with appropriate housings, power solutions, and synchronization tools for reliable field operation.
How do you set up a DSLR camera trap?
Setting up a DSLR camera trap involves selecting the appropriate gear, configuring a trigger system, positioning the camera in a high-probability wildlife area, setting exposure parameters, testing the system, and deploying it with proper protection and power management for field conditions.

This guide is designed to teach you everything you need to know to build a complete and reliable wildlife camera trap setup.
What lenses and flashes are best for wildlife camera traps?
The best lenses depend on subject distance and composition goals, while external flashes (speedlights) are commonly used to provide controlled illumination.

Lens focal length, flash power, and diffusion all play a role in achieving natural-looking results. In the guide, I provide recommendations for cameras, lenses, and flash setups.
What are the best camera settings for DSLR camera trap photography?
This is where many photographers get stuck. Optimal settings depend on lighting and environment, but typically involve balancing aperture for depth of field, shutter speed for motion control, and ISO for exposure.

Manual exposure is often used to maintain consistency, especially when working with flash systems. In the guide, I cover preferred settings along with creative exposure approaches using both manual and semi-automatic modes.
Is this eBook suitable for beginners?
Yes. While some familiarity with DSLR or mirrorless cameras is helpful, the guide is structured to walk you through each step clearly and methodically.
What equipment do I need?
A DSLR or mirrorless camera is required, along with camera trapping accessories depending on your setup goals.

It is essential that your camera has a remote shutter port. Most DSLR cameras do, but some entry-level DSLR and mirrorless models may not. Specific equipment recommendations are included in the guide.
Will my camera trap work in different environments?
Yes. The principles outlined in the guide apply across a wide range of wildlife habitats and environmental conditions.
How long does it take to see results?
Results depend on your field time, subject behavior, and deployment strategy. However, the system is designed to help you achieve consistent results more efficiently than trial-and-error approaches.

Start Capturing Wildlife on Your Terms

Move beyond chance and begin using a repeatable system for truly one-of-a-kind wildlife imagery.

Get Instant Access to the Guide → ($60)

When Camera Trapping, You Are Only Limited By Your Own Imagination.

What Others Are Saying!

“I just purchased a copy of Zack’s ebook and my first thought was: “I wish this existed 15 years ago when I first started camera trapping!” As I spent many years making mistakes, emailing other cam-trap photographers with questions and learning via trial and error. It’s extremely well illustrated with Zack’s photo examples, informative illustrations and beautiful layout. He’s really created something special here! This is a fantastic resource for camera trap photographers of all skill levels wanting to capture pro-level photographs. This ebook will fast track photographers new to this style of photography, so they don’t have to spend years making costly mistakes as I did, and it provides plenty of great tips for advanced camera trappers to fine tune their skills. Whether you’re just starting camera trapping or someone like me, an experienced cam trapper but still learning, The Ultimate Guide to DSLR Camera Trapping ebook is highly recommended and worth every penny! Job well done Zack. Thanks for this amazing resource!” — Kalon Baughan (Instagram - KalonBaughhan)

“I finally purchased your ebook and I wish I had bought it earlier. It is so well written. Easy to follow and understand. I’m setting my camera trap back up next week and I’m excited to utilize some of the new knowledge. Thank you so much!” — Shannon Phifer (Instagram - Shannon Phifer Photography

“I’ve purchased the ebook and wanted to say, “Great Job!” I love the images and your writing is concise. Your image style of “not looking like flash”, is compelling and certainly not what you see from most people doing camera trapping. You have made me re-think my lighting and post processing!” — Pete Z.

“The ebook is well over 200 pages, so it took some time to go through it all. I gained piles of information. I incorporated many of your camera settings and I really liked the pro tips. Very easy to reference when I need a quick refresher. The specific lighting strategies are very very helpful. The word composition now plays over and over in my head.” — Daryl Dean

“Great eBook, it is very instructive and helpful! Looking forward to giving my newfound knowledge and toys a shot in the wild!” — Shaun C.

This is an excellent, comprehensive guide to dslr camera trap photography. I wish I had found this resource before I started building my camera trap, it would have saved me countless hours of research. The best part about it is that all the information is in one place. Prior to this book I got my information from various youtube videos and blogs, which are hard to find again for reference, and are not as in-depth as this ebook. I got the book for tips on flash lighting techniques after I had already built my camera trap, and it immediately helped me improve my photos. There are also excellent recommendations for building waterproof housings for the equipment, especially the clear cases for the flashes. 10/10 worth the price. — Otto O.

Great detail with clear and straightforward direction on how to setup a quality camera trap! Lots of cost-effective older cameras and lenses recommended, much appreciated! — Mark S.

Super happy with the purchase. Zack does an incredible job detailing setup and tools needed for camera trapping. Definitely recommend to anyone who is thinking about getting started. — Grant W.

Excellent e-book. Lots of information in this guide that that I could not find online. — John O.