Pere Marquette River/Lake

The ice on Pere Marquette Lake is breaking up with the January thaw. While I would prefer a more severe winter to photograph, I can't complain about the view in front of me this morning.

I abruptly awoke one Sunday morning at 5 a.m. and could not get a haunting image of the Pere Marquette River out of my mind. I was positive that if I ventured out to our property and stood in the exact location I had envisioned, I would see a beautiful sunrise. I shot out of bed and was on my way. I guess you could say I got bit by the photo bug in my sleep.

Early this morning, my cousin Ryan and I met John Karakashian at Baldwin Bait and Tackle and then went salmon fishing with him on the Pere Marquette River. It was a beautiful day to float the National Wild & Scenic River.

A great blue heron remained motionless while waiting for his fish dinner to swim past his position along a bank of the Pere Marquette River. I have long admired the stealth and patience of these beautiful birds. As an outdoor photographer, I have learned to be more stealthy and more patient to increase my chances of capturing wildlife magic moments

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.

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!

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

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

As vivid as it is harmful to the other growth along the banks of the Pere Marquette River, loosestrife stands out shortly after sunrise in the flats south of Ludington.

Today looked like a fall day. We love days like this. When I first saw these great clouds, I knew I had to look for a shot with calm enough water that it would reflect the clouds and sky. I headed to the end of Ferry Street in downtown Ludington and shot towards the Badger. I like the triangle in the bottom of this photo.

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.

Sometimes the simplicity and contrast that winter brings to a particular scene turns it into a picture. That was how I felt when I saw this picture on the Lincoln River east of Jebavy Drive. I travel past this scene almost daily, but this was the first time I visualized it as a good picture. Timing is everything!

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.

Storm clouds loom over the Pere Marquette River on a summer morning. Storms usually bring the best clouds and the best light.

Pere Marquette Expeditions

Purple Rain

To the human eye, it was very dark outside at 6:29 A.M. when I made this photograph of the Pere Marquette River. However, with my digital camera and a 30 second time exposure, I could make it appear much brighter than it actually was. We teach our workshop students that you need to see how your camera sees. F4.5 at 30.0, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm