Goose Crossing, Lake Hamilton

A single goose crossing the surface of Lake Hamilton, leaving its wake across otherwise still water — a quiet moment on the Arkansas lake, framed square so the bird and its trailing ripple sit at the center of an open field of water. Geese are a constant presence on the Ouachita lakes, and a lone bird on calm water is one of those scenes that rewards patience and a ready shutter.

Photographed at Lake Hamilton in 2023. The square crop strips the scene down to its essentials — water, bird, wake — and lets a small moment carry the whole frame.