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Photographer David Zurick wants to take you on a tour of "The Third Coast"

Apostle Islands, Wisconsin, photographed in 2022 by David Zurick
Courtesy of David Zurick / Northwestern University Press
Apostle Islands, Wisconsin, photographed in 2022 by David Zurick

An interview with David Zurick

David Zurick has spent decades photographing the remote corners of the world—from the high Himalayas to the islands of Polynesia. But it was a return to his roots in Michigan that inspired his latest project: The Third Coast: America’s Great Lakes Shoreline, a fine art photographic book published by Northwestern University Press and set for release on July 15, 2025.

Photographer David Zurick
Courtesy of David Zurick
Photographer David Zurick

The book documents Zurick’s solo travels around all five Great Lakes, with images ranging from Petoskey to Saginaw, the Soo Locks to Saint Clair. Raised in Port Huron, Michigan, Zurick was grounded stateside during the pandemic and used the opportunity to reconnect with the lakes of his childhood.

“My internal compass pointed north,” he said. “I’ve always had a strong affinity for those waterways. The idea was simple: I could travel solo, with just my truck, kayak, bike, and camera, and let the landscape speak.”

Photographer David Zurick in India
Courtesy of David Zurick
Photographer David Zurick in India

Zurick’s work isn't traditional landscape photography. His focus lies in how people interact with the places they inhabit—what he calls the “human landscape.” In the book, the Great Lakes are not merely scenic backdrops but mirrors reflecting regional culture, memory, and identity.

Photographing the lakes across seasons, he endured frigid temperatures along Lake Superior in winter and captured the summer culture of Lake Erie and Ontario—where he stumbled upon roadside flamingos, metal palm trees, and other artifacts of “snowbird nostalgia” along the shorelines.

“I’m not really chasing pretty pictures,” Zurick noted. “I’m more interested in creating images that raise questions, that make people pause and reflect.”

Point Betsie Lighthouse in Frankfort, MI
Courtesy of David Zurick
Point Betsie Lighthouse in Frankfort, MI

The Third Coast aims to do just that—for both Great Lakes residents and those unfamiliar with the region. “For locals, I hope it encourages a new way of seeing their everyday surroundings. And for others, maybe it opens a window to a part of the country they’ve never thought much about.”

Kurt Hauswirth spoke with David by phone:

A conversation with David Zurick

Zurick continues to split his time between projects in Appalachia, India, and elsewhere, but this book marks a personal milestone—a visual homecoming decades in the making.

The Third Coast: America’s Great Lakes Shoreline is available starting July 15 from Northwestern University Press. To learn more about David Zurick’s work, visit davidzurick.com or follow him on Instagram @davidzurick.

Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Mears, MI
Courtesy of David Zurick
Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Mears, MI

Kurt lives in Marquette with his family and can’t imagine living anywhere else. He loves music, games, jogging, being near water, and a fine cold brew coffee.
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