The Gecko Whisperer
Photo by Gil Gagnon
Teri Gagnon creates her own sets and props with handmade miniatures made of everyday objects like Benadryl bottle caps, erasers, buttons and more.
Gecko p ho
Photo by Gil Gagnon
tos by Te
ri Gagno
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Extras
Teri creates gecko greeting cards for holidays and special occasions, including graduations and birthdays.
By Kristina Anderson
Photo by Gil Gagnon
The Gecko Whisperer
South Kona resident tames and trains geckos
South Kona resident Teri Gagnon studied under famed animal trainer, Ralph Helfer. She says geckos are as smart as dogs and can be taught to do tricks and respond to commands. 20 at home in west hawaii/ may 2013
T
heir names are Dolly, Octomom, Cassius, Sam, Mesa, Puka, Binky, Snowy, Biscuit and Kukio — and they’re just a few of more than two dozen Madagascar gold dust day geckos living freely in Teri Gagnon’s sunny South Kona atrium. From all appearances, the geckos love Teri as much as she loves them, and they wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. “They are surprisingly intelligent creatures, about as smart as a dog,” says Teri, who trains her perky pals to hold a paintbrush, use an iron, wear snorkels and hats or sit in a cantina sipping cocktails. Teri poses the friendly reptiles with handmade miniature props and photographs them for her line of greeting cards and calendars. No matter the holiday or occasion, Teri has created a gecko scene to match. A retired deputy sheriff from San Mateo County, Calif., Teri once interned for famed Hollywood animal trainer Ralph Helfer at the San Francisco Zoo. She never forgot his advice: “You can train anything with a little love, a little patience and a little food.” Indeed, Teri relates to her geckos as individuals with unique and distinct personalities. It’s fastinating to observe her call each gecko by name and see them come running. Her most amazing feat involves lining up a row of 10 geckos on her lanai, giving the command, “One, two, three, jump,” and in unison, they all jump as directed.
Teri became inspired to use props with her geckos when she noticed how the little plastic piece in the pizza carton looked just like a miniature table. Putting a bit of banana on the tip of a picnic knife, she then enticed a gecko to the “table,” where she shot her first photo of a gecko in pose. Indeed, a few favored “models” from her gecko group are adept at smiling, standing and posing without flinching. “Geckos do very well holding still for photos,” she says. Teri’s greeting card business started on a whim. At first, she only wanted to create fun images to send to friends and family back on the mainland. Using an Olympus SP-550 UZ and super macro lens, she kept shooting and shooting with amusing results. The idea took off and today she has a cottage business with accounts at gift shops, cafes and bookstores islandwide (geckogreetings.com). But Teri, who got her first gecko at age 16, also credits the geckos themselves for the successful and fun pictures. “It’s their patience that is so surprising,” she says. “They don’t get fed up with the photo shoots. They stick with it and want to please.” AH
Teri Gagnon shoots with an Olympus SP-550 UZ and super macro lens. She sells her gecko greeting cards at the monthly Kailua Village Stroll, as well as in local gift stores and online at GeckoGreetings.com
A certified “gecko wrangler” and photographer, Kona resident Teri Gagnon does not rely on Photoshop tricks to create her whimsical gecko scenes, rather, she trains her geckos to pose for shots, luring them with a bit of banana placed on the tip of a plastic picnic knife. at home in west hawaii/ may 2013 21
Teri Gagnon creates her own sets and props with handmade miniatures made of everyday objects like Benadryl bottle caps, erasers, buttons and more.
Gecko p ho
Photo by Gil Gagnon
tos by Te
ri Gagno
n
Extras
Teri creates gecko greeting cards for holidays and special occasions, including graduations and birthdays.
By Kristina Anderson
Photo by Gil Gagnon
The Gecko Whisperer
South Kona resident tames and trains geckos
South Kona resident Teri Gagnon studied under famed animal trainer, Ralph Helfer. She says geckos are as smart as dogs and can be taught to do tricks and respond to commands. 20 at home in west hawaii/ may 2013
T
heir names are Dolly, Octomom, Cassius, Sam, Mesa, Puka, Binky, Snowy, Biscuit and Kukio — and they’re just a few of more than two dozen Madagascar gold dust day geckos living freely in Teri Gagnon’s sunny South Kona atrium. From all appearances, the geckos love Teri as much as she loves them, and they wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. “They are surprisingly intelligent creatures, about as smart as a dog,” says Teri, who trains her perky pals to hold a paintbrush, use an iron, wear snorkels and hats or sit in a cantina sipping cocktails. Teri poses the friendly reptiles with handmade miniature props and photographs them for her line of greeting cards and calendars. No matter the holiday or occasion, Teri has created a gecko scene to match. A retired deputy sheriff from San Mateo County, Calif., Teri once interned for famed Hollywood animal trainer Ralph Helfer at the San Francisco Zoo. She never forgot his advice: “You can train anything with a little love, a little patience and a little food.” Indeed, Teri relates to her geckos as individuals with unique and distinct personalities. It’s fastinating to observe her call each gecko by name and see them come running. Her most amazing feat involves lining up a row of 10 geckos on her lanai, giving the command, “One, two, three, jump,” and in unison, they all jump as directed.
Teri became inspired to use props with her geckos when she noticed how the little plastic piece in the pizza carton looked just like a miniature table. Putting a bit of banana on the tip of a picnic knife, she then enticed a gecko to the “table,” where she shot her first photo of a gecko in pose. Indeed, a few favored “models” from her gecko group are adept at smiling, standing and posing without flinching. “Geckos do very well holding still for photos,” she says. Teri’s greeting card business started on a whim. At first, she only wanted to create fun images to send to friends and family back on the mainland. Using an Olympus SP-550 UZ and super macro lens, she kept shooting and shooting with amusing results. The idea took off and today she has a cottage business with accounts at gift shops, cafes and bookstores islandwide (geckogreetings.com). But Teri, who got her first gecko at age 16, also credits the geckos themselves for the successful and fun pictures. “It’s their patience that is so surprising,” she says. “They don’t get fed up with the photo shoots. They stick with it and want to please.” AH
Teri Gagnon shoots with an Olympus SP-550 UZ and super macro lens. She sells her gecko greeting cards at the monthly Kailua Village Stroll, as well as in local gift stores and online at GeckoGreetings.com
A certified “gecko wrangler” and photographer, Kona resident Teri Gagnon does not rely on Photoshop tricks to create her whimsical gecko scenes, rather, she trains her geckos to pose for shots, luring them with a bit of banana placed on the tip of a plastic picnic knife. at home in west hawaii/ may 2013 21
