In La Crosse, the Mississippi River usually doesn’t freeze over, but every March, chunks of ice – fleeting remnants of a harsher winter to the north – come floating downstream. Pro photographer Jason Stuempges loves capturing these harbingers of spring on the river that defines the Driftless Area city.
This shot paints La Crosse’s shoulder season with soft pastels and classic iconography of the region: the bluffs in the distance, the house boats on Barron Island and, of course, the bridges connecting downtown at the left side of the frame. The arched span was completed in 2004, while the westbound span dates to the 1930s.
“The two bridges pair so well with each other,” he says. “Whenever I am in a photo rut, I’ll come here or on a different side of the bridge to take some photos. It seems to help keep the creative juices flowing.”
