Put your old DSLR to work and capture incredible wildlife!

After attending a talk last week by wildlife filmmaker, camera trap specialist, and star of Apple TV+'s The Wild Ones Declan Burley, I fell into a YouTube and Google rabbit hole researching the ins and outs of remote wildlife photography – a genre completely new to me.

What really caught my attention was just how many people are using older DSLR cameras for this. It’s such a brilliant way to give new life to gear that might otherwise be sitting idle. Instead of gathering dust on a shelf, your old DSLR could be out in the field, silently capturing incredible moments while you’re not even there.

So, what is a camera trap?

A camera trap is a setup that uses a motion sensor, flash, and a camera to automatically photograph animals when they move into a specific position. More often than not, everything is powered by batteries and essentially lies in wait, on standby, until the sensor is triggered. Once tripped, the camera wakes up, fires the shutter, and captures the shot.

Some photographers leave their traps out in the wild for weeks or even months, returning only to swap batteries, memory cards, or reposition the setup.

One photographer I came across during my scrolls was James Roddie, whose Instagram is full of incredible images captured using camera traps he leaves out on trails for long periods of time. He also shares detailed behind-the-scenes posts about his setup; everything from the specific flash units and placements to the thought process behind choosing a location. It’s a fascinating window into a side of wildlife photography that’s equal parts patience, planning, and surprise.

While digging around online, I also found a company called Camptraptions, which offers beginner-friendly kits, tutorials, and even a free ebook on how to get started. It made the whole idea feel totally doable, even for someone just starting out.

So if you’ve got an old DSLR lying around, why not put it to work? Set it up in your garden, a woodland trail, or anywhere animals might pass through. Who knows what you’ll capture. I certainly plan to find out!

you may also like

Check out our guides to the best trail cameras and the best DSLR cameras.