This photographer has made it her mission to change people’s perception of pigeons – focusing on some of the most beautiful of the more than 300 species found globally. Rather than focus on the gray, nondescript birds people usually associate with the term “pigeon”, Leila Jeffreys has instead decided to snap the more vibrant varieties. Whether it be the wompoo pigeon, with its deep purple breast and green wings, or the rose-crowned fruit dove, with its pink head, Jeffreys, 46, gives the birds the same attention she would give a human model. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





Jeffreys felt “pigeons and doves were misunderstood”, and she “wanted to tell their story and reveal just how diverse they can be”. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





Focusing on some of the most beautiful of the more than 300 species found globally. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





Working in her simple studio, the photographer shoots the vibrant variations of pigeon and dove against a solid white background. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





“There’s a little paper roll, a perch instead of a stool to post on, a little catering – seeds and nuts, some water”. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





Explaining her setup, Jeffreys said: “I try to explain it like a photographer’s studio but bird size”. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





Photographing her subjects, be it a Luzon bleeding-heart dove or a crested pigeon, requires the same kinds of interaction as a photographer would need to undertake with humans, Jeffreys said. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





“(I let) them lead, and I’m there to hopefully capture something special”. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





The series, which was photographed between 2015 and 2017, is currently on display at the Purdy Hicks Gallery in London, running through August 24, 2018. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





Whether it be the wompoo pigeon, with its deep purple breast and green wings, or the rose-crowned fruit dove, with its pink head, Jeffreys, 46, gives the birds the same attention she would a model. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





Jeffreys added: “Pigeons have extraordinary mental and physical powers. They can be beautiful, and they have had a long history of helping humans deliver messages, saving even lives with their homing capabilities”. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





“Then it’s down to staying quiet, gently speaking to them, seeing if they connect with me”. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





During shoots, she is constantly talking to the birds, looking to get their attention and encouraging them to strike an interesting pose. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





Jeffreys worked predominantly with wildlife rescue birds, but she also went to Sydney’s famous Taronga Zoo to find some unusual subjects. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)





The idea for the series, named Ornithurae, came to Sydney-based Jeffreys three years ago, after she witnessed the amazing plumage of a wompoo pigeon firsthand. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)