Well the photographer set up the camera and the trigger. Framing the background is an artistic contribution.
And the important part is that the photographer would have still owned the copyright if it was a human who set off the trigger.
However, imagine a person picked up his camera and took a selfie. The person would own the copyright, not the owner of the camera. The photographer didn't contribute anything artistic.
This is a monkey selfie, so it's in an interesting legal situation.
The best comparison is to abstract paintings done by elephants. Does anyone own a copyright on those?
And the important part is that the photographer would have still owned the copyright if it was a human who set off the trigger.
However, imagine a person picked up his camera and took a selfie. The person would own the copyright, not the owner of the camera. The photographer didn't contribute anything artistic.
This is a monkey selfie, so it's in an interesting legal situation.
The best comparison is to abstract paintings done by elephants. Does anyone own a copyright on those?