Geckos are a common sight in Hawaii, although more often than not they're those drab gray ones clinging to the window screen, hunting for a meal.

Photographer Allen Hu, 22, has focused his attention on gold dust day geckos, which are plentiful at Kapiolani Community College, where he is a student.

“;I couldn't find anywhere better than KCC for the geckos,”; he says.

He was drawn to them for several reasons, but their strong colors were a big attraction.

“;Most colors in Hawaii are green and blue. The geckos have green, red and blue (in their hands), so it makes sense that they represent Hawaii,”; he says.

Hu has been shooting for only about a half a year but has made fast strides in improving his craft, using digital cameras and macro lenses to photograph the geckos.

It takes patience to get the shots he wants.

“;I have to be careful when I get close to them. Sometimes I scare them and they run off,”; Hu says. “;But some aren't scared so I can get very close. When they focus on something else, they forget about me.”;

Hu is trying to increase the size of his gecko photo portfolio, and sees a potential for his pictures.

“;When I search online, there are only a few nice pictures, so I think this is a potential project for me,”; he says.

For more of Hu's photography, visit www.pbase.com/yilinhu.