The Hawaiian dove population is dominated by two species, the zebra dove and spotted dove. Parts of Hawaii also contain the Mourning Dove, but its population is small by comparison. Zebra doves are the smaller species, with a distinct barred pattern around its neck and shoulders.
Unlike other doves who forage in large groups, zebra doves tend to eat alone or in pairs. They can commonly be found eating short grass or grass seed.
Spotted doves are larger and feature a spotted pattern around the back of the neck. They can be seen in larger flocks and in populated areas have become accustomed to the presence of humans.
Zebra doves were introduced to Hawaii in the 1920s, and spotted doves were likely introduced around the same time. Both quickly spread to all islands and in some areas are the most populous bird seen.
On my recent trip to Kauai, I got plenty of opportunities to photograph both species in different environments. While both seemed to be more skittish than the Nene, I found that if I was still enough and remained low to the ground these birds would eventually approach reasonably close to me.
Meet Gidget, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She loves to fetch the ball, and will do it for hours if you let her. Afterward, she is quick to take long naps and generally look very cute.
I find myself doing more and more pet photography these days. I photographed some friends’ dogs on a recent trip to Las Vegas, where they live. These little ones are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and they have the wonderful trait of remaining cute even long after puppihood. They both had a very sweet disposition and were relaxed and easy to work with. I didn’t try to pose them at all or add props – they were cute enough just hanging out and snoozing! Too see all the photos of these two buddies, be sure to check out the gallery here.
Meet Lola, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She has a very sweet disposition and loves to cuddle.
These are very impromptu and informal shots, but even if you are not creating a full studio setup, there are certain things to keep in mind to improve the photos. Most importantly, put the camera at eye level with your subject. This is a good idea for any time of animal photography (and people too!), but with pets, your environment is controlled and you really have no excuse not to. If the dog is lying on the floor, this usually means you are too. But the sore knees is worth it in the end.
Meet Gidget, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She loves to fetch the ball, and will do it for hours if you let her. Afterward, she is quick to take long naps and generally look very cute.
Next, and again this is a general rule for many types of photography, use a tripod whenever possible. As I didn’t have a studio setup for these shots, I was relegated to normal home lighting, which can be quite dark. I stayed away from using a strobe as I didn’t have any diffusers or bouncers with me, and I was too lazy to create a make shift one. This meant that longer shutters and a tripod were a must.
Meet Lola, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She has a very sweet disposition and loves to cuddle.
Finally, if a pet is active or energetic, tire them out before any photography session. For Gidget this meant fifteen minutes of playing fetch with a ball. She was already pretty calm to begin with, but after a fetch session she was very relaxed in front of the lens. A tired pet will allow the photographer much more freedom in posing, props, or just making sure the pet will sit still.
Pet photography can be a lot of fun (in fact, I think I enjoy it more than taking people portraits!) and the results can be treasured keepsakes for loving owners.
Gem hides behind couch cushions, peeking out at people.
Meet Gem the kitten, a precocious little thing filled with curiosity. Although she is the runt of the litter, she has become the boss of everything, always getting into the most trouble and melting hearts with her big personality.
Click here, or on any photo in the post to see the full collection of photos of Gem getting into mischief.
Gem peeks around the leg of a tableGem rests after a tiring session with the scratching post.Gem plays with a feather toy
Don’t get me wrong – I love my big lens. My primary lens for bird photography is the Canon 800mm, which serves as a real workhorse. However, there are times while using that lens that I get frustrated. One of the lens’ limiting factors is its minimum focus distance. I can’t bring any subject closer than 16 feet into focus, which means that very small things (for example, hummingbirds) still appear fairly small in frame. What to do about this limitation? Enter the extension tube!
An anna’s hummingbird pauses from its rapid flight to warm itself in the sun
Recently I took an out of town colleague to some of my favorite local bird sites. We found an area rife with anna’s hummingbirds, zipping this way and that, and generally causing a ruckus as they battled each other over territory. I took some shots, but couldn’t get close enough to these little creatures to fill the frame. I resolved to come back the following day, this time armed with my full array of extension tubes.
Luckily the hummingbirds were still there, sparring and resting, and this time in beautiful light. I wanted to get as close as possible, so I stacked three tubes together and placed them in between my camera body and lens. This allowed me to get as close as about 10-12 feet away from the birds, finally filling my frame. Creeping closer yet, I wanted to push my extension tubes to their limit, and was able to get the image below.
An anna’s hummingbird perches on a small branch and opens its beak
Extension tubes have no optics in them, and can even be in the form of cardboard – no electronics required! My tubes happen to have small contacts that still allow me to use my lens’ autofocus system, albeit much slower than normal.
The principal of an extension tube is to move the rear focusing element of the lens further away from the focal point, which in today’s world means the camera’s digital sensor. The effect is that the lens’ minimum focus distance is reduced, allowing the entire rig to move closer to the subject while keeping it in focus. The downside is that with extension tubes attached, the lens will no longer be able to focus to infinity.
In comparison to most photography gear, extension tubes are relatively cheap. I have a set of Kenko tubes that stack together. If you ever want to dabble in macro photography, I recommend first getting a (cheap) set to tubes before spending bigger bucks on dedicated macro lens. Yes, the macro lens will give you better quality, but a set of extension tubes will allow you to bring your entire collection of lenses into the macro world.
