Search

I have never been good at painting, but if I were, this is the kind of art I would try to create with a paintbrush. I thank God my dad helped me discover my inner artist with a camera. I also thank God for creating the Pere Marquette River. My family has spent our lives on or near the internationally-known water system.

Tuesdays With Todd and Brad Reed

I could see the makings of a colorful sunrise as my kids got on the bus. I drove quickly to “The Point”, one of my favorite spots on our family farm. Hesitating slightly at the thought of getting my minivan stuck in the snow, I decided it was worth the risk. The Pere Marquette River glowed pink, just as I had envisioned.

Tuesdays With Todd and Brad Reed

Tuesdays With Todd and Brad Reed

It never gets old photographing the sunrise at the north bridge on Old US31 over the Pere Marquette River flats. This morning, my dad and I are greeted with a unique cloud pattern and a powerful sunrise.

Today was a difficult day. When my tasks at work are very systematic and methodical, it is hard to shut that off and let my creative eyes SEE possible compositions. It is past sunset and I have not clicked the shutter yet. I stop at the Custer bridge, grab my camera and tripod, and hope that I can make an image I would be proud of. I carefully took several shots, and then sat there in the silence.

 

It was a colorful and dramatic sunrise over the Pere Marquette River Flats at the North Bridge on Old US-31 this morning. The light kept changing and I was able to make several very different looking images for over a half an hour. This was my favorite image that I made.

A well-known fishing hole in front of our family cabin on a large bend in the Pere Marquette River looks tranquil in the sunshine this morning. We often try to put leading lines in the exact lower corners of our compositions. It is not an accident that the water and ice meet in the bottom left corner of this image.

Fears of a gray day are quickly dispelled by the dawn's early light and color as I look eastward across Ludington harbor toward the Occidental Chemical Corporation plant. This beats the strongest coffee for waking up an outdoor photographer.

After the Super Bowl last night, I decided to stay the night in Silver Lake at the hotel with Julia, Ethan, and the gang. On my drive back to Ludington this morning, I had to pull off the road and climb the observation tower near the corner of Conrad and Old US-31 in order to photograph the awesome clouds and colorful sunrise.

I have appreciated these grasses for several years in the Pere Marquette River Flats near the former city dump site. They look splendid to me tonight rising above the marsh, backlit by the setting sun. I am glad I took this route home after a long day teaching photography at West Shore Community College. F11.0 at 1/200, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 86 mm

Driving towards Ludington this morning, I knew that I had missed the color that the sunrise brought, but the clouds in the sky were superb! With the calm morning, they would reflect in the water. I headed towards the Pere Marquette River Flats to quickly compose my shot. I didn’t know that Brad had shot near here almost an hour earlier. Such beauty in God’s work!

The shrill sound of coyotes howling on the opposite side of the river breaks the silence as my oldest son Tad and I appreciate the winter beauty of the Pere Marquette River in the twilight. This view of the meandering river is our reward for trekking by foot and ski to our family cabin, "Daylight In The Swamp," to enjoy a winter getaway. F6.3 at 30.0, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

Our friend, Larry VonDrasek, took my dad and me in his new drift boat down the fly-only zone of the Pere Marquette River today so we could photograph the fall color. Larry also let me try my hand at fly-fishing for the first time. I proved to be a professional log catcher.

The Riverside Park in Scottville, Michigan, is a popular spot for many. I love that stretch of the river. On this particular day, I climbed down the bank right next to the bridge. The twists and turns of the shrubbery along with the calm river were a fun pairing

I used to cross Indian Bridge every day on the bus going to and from school. Now, I rarely visit it. I decided to take a drive and recall some favorite memories singing with friends over that bridge on our hour-long ride home. The Pere Marquette River was especially peaceful this evening.

Chris Quick is an avid fisherman of the Pere Marquette River. This afternoon he was the picture-perfect subject for my photo of the day.

Pere Marquette Expeditions