One of the helpful tools when doing studio macro photography is a trigger system and few are as versatile as the Time Machine.

The main device has up to two inputs for triggering devices and one shutter and one flash output. The relationship between triggering devices and photographic equipment can be programmed quite easily and offers great flexibility. A number of trigger devices are available, such as infrared, laser, sound and vibration but others can be improvised.

As an example, here is how the device could be used to take a picture of a flying insect:

A couple of laser triggers can be connected as a single input and will start the sequence when both beams are cut. The machine can then open the shutter and, a specific amount of time later trigger the flash.

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So I have had the time machine for more than two years and had yet to use it in anger. This changed a couple of weeks ago when I was asked to trial a Camera Trap for small mammal studies. The Camera Traps we use are actually Trail Cameras, used by hunters to keep track of game stocks. They are cheap and well designed and I needed to see whether they would work on slightly smaller animals than deer. Such as mice...

The trials didn’t go very smoothly and I decided to install the time machine linked to my 5D to see what the source of my problems were. I had no doubts that the time machine would trigger reliably and provide a standard to measure the camera traps against.

For this picture, I used an infrared trigger which Mr Mumford cleverly sourced from Radio Shack. It works well but it is difficult to know exactly when it will trigger. For more precise jobs, a vibration sensor is available and one can also use the lasers although their set-up is more complex (just a matter of holding them, and the receiving targets in place).

Another interesting sensor is a U shaped light switch which will detect the passing of an object such as a drop of liquid or a bullet and will allow you to photograph it’s effect after the time machine has calculated an extremely precise delay. It is made even more versatile by the capability of the time machine to trigger shutter and flash separately.

So two years on and I basically have used 2% of this clever device’s functionality. As a new summer starts, I hope to be able to invent a number of set-ups using the Time Machine to take brilliant photographs of insects, birds and small mammals.

www.bmumford.com