Springtime for Indianapolis photographers can be tricky. I would imagine this rings true for many places, but for Indiana springtime means inconsistent and unpredictable weather changes, lots of rain, and in photography… that means lots of rescheduling. So after a couple of rain-reschedules, I finally made it out to Eagle Creek Park with these guys. We had planned our meeting spot based on some flowering trees that were blooming when we were originally going to shoot, and I kept it even after our reschedule, not knowing that it was also the local goose hang out.

Now, about two months ago I went to go test ride a bike at an REI in Carmel. I hadn’t been on a bike in years and had sold my last one when I was still living in Cali. So as I set out on my test ride, decked out in a bright orange reflective REI vest and a helmet, you can bet that I was just enjoying the ride… ahhhh, to be on a bicycle again.

Until suddenly, I was attacked by a goose. The whole thing felt like a prank – first there was a goose standing in the road 30 feet in front of me, unmoving. Then at 20 feet he was running… at me… neck outstretched and mouth wide open (no sound!). And as I veered off over a curb and onto the grass, covering my face (which is exactly what he was flying at) with my right arm and yelling out loud, it hit me that I was actually being attacked by a goose.

He missed. By about 4 inches. And when I looked down at him sitting on the grass next to me he looked just as surprised by this miss as I was. I took off in the opposite direction, down off the curb and as fast as I could away from this monster, while he chased me on foot.

I didn’t get the bike – I supposed I was too distracted to make any buying decisions. What I learned, though, is that mating/laying season for geese is no joke. Be safe out there, folks.

So as we walked out to our starting location in the park, my heart rate rose a bit. We obviously had walked into the prime grazing spot for these guys and they were not giving it up anytime soon. Thankfully, laying season has just about passed and these guys shared the spot with us in complete peace. They even made an appearance in our shoot and curiously stretched their necks out to check out my camera bag.

More importantly, thanks to the Cordova family for braving the local wildlife with me. 😉

And my personal favorite from the whole session. <3

casey and her camera is an Indianapolis Photographers specializing in couple, lifestyle, senior, wedding and family photography for Indianapolis, Indiana and the surrounding areas.