Turkeys and cardinals and fish, oh my! Last week, I met Gage and his family at their home in the heart of Minter, Alabama. As we drove down the dusty road to our photo spot, a pair of turkeys strolled along the path. The sun, radiant and unobstructed by clouds, bathed the landscape in a golden glow and highlighted Gage’s truck.

Our next stop was at a quaint cabin nestled among towering trees. His parents and sister joined us for the session and we snapped a few family photos too. While we were taking Gage’s portraits, his dog Rhett proudly ran up to him with an unexpected guest – a dead cardinal in his mouth! Then we moved the mud boots that were by the door to find that a couple of rusty jennys were lurking inside. If you’re like me and you’ve never heard of a rusty jenny, it is a type of lizard. These lizards are huge too! Definitely not like the tiny green lizards you see outside your house.

Gage is on the Morgan Academy skeet shooting team and wanted to incorporate his passion into his session. We ventured to a 5-stand for a few photos of Gage doing what he loves. With precision and poise, Gage took aim, shattering every clay target in sight.

At the bottom of the hill was a tranquil pond, where Gage incorporated another favorite hobby – fishing. He cast his line into the shimmering waters and fish jumped to the surface to eat food from the automatic fish feeder. In a hilarious twist, Gage’s father was the one that caught a fish while Gage was changing into his final outfit!

Gage, thank you for being a good sport about taking pictures even though it’s not something you enjoy. It was so fun to have your family along for the session! Plus, it was helpful to get those natural laughs. I hope you have the best summer working at the beach! I’m so jealous!