Favorites, 2009 (Part 3, Animals)

I’ve come to the conclusion that there are two particularly photogenic types of animals that I love to snap photos of: camels and dogs. Dogs are an obvious choice but camels—well, who knew they were so obliging and had so much character?

A beer-drinking camel from Petra in Jordan (February 2009)

My favorite camel of all time, from Wadi Rum in Jordan—look at that smile! (February 2009)

Little paw prints from the salt ponds in Kauai (July 2009)

A pooped pup in front of a pub in Cologne, Germany (August 2009)

My second-favorite camel of all time. I met him outside of a pit stop while we made our way from Tiberias to Masada in Israel. (September 2009)

A happy dog in Tel Aviv (September 2009)

Another happy dog from Costa Rica (October 2009)

And finally, a Costa Rican monkey just hanging out on a telephone line (November 2009)

(All photos © Deanna Ting)

‘Does Your Dog Have Aloha?’

When I travel, I love taking photos of strange or funny signs and souvenirs as much—or maybe even more—than nabbing that “money shot,” or that photo of that really famous landmark that everyone else has already shot thousands of times before. There’s just something about finding humor in places where you might least expect it and I’ve found that, no matter where you go, you’re bound to encounter it.

Here are just a few of my favorite recent shots from Hawaii…

I would like to think that my boyfriend’s dog, Odie, has aloha, but I’m just not so sure. I know Bo Obama does, though.

The gold medallion necklace, the Fabio-like hair, the twin dolphins in the backdrop of a beautiful sunset—this poster is like priceless art.

My other dream man—he wears loincloth and spears octopus.

Of course, they’d sell Spam-flavored macadamia nuts in Hawaii. I wish I had sampled a few.

A shooting club poster in Waikiki. Live fire and women and children welcome? Sign me up!

For some reason, a lot of tourist stores seem to have a fascination with accessorizing statues of mini bull dogs. But one thing’s for sure—they all have aloha.

An antiques shop on the North Shore of Oahu was a treasure trove of strange objects and displays.

And yes—if I had survived a three-foot tsunami, I would proudly wear this T-shirt, too.

All photos © Deanna Ting