Lake Fayetteville at first light on an overcast day. Click here for a print of this photo.

I’ve been away for a time, but I’m back with new photographic observations. This one came from Lake Fayetteville, in Fayetteville Arkansas.

I’ve imagined this shot since I first saw the old structure jutting up from the lake—a sort of cold scene from a sci-fi novel like Hugh Howey’s Wool. I was never quite sure how to pull the photo off, though. What was the best angle, the best camera, the right lens, the proper editing technique? But this weekend, I finally set out with a simple setup (a Fujifilm X100s with a fixed lens and a tripod) and a simple objective. A dramatic sky over morning waters provided the look I wanted, and before the 8:00 hour struck, I snagged this photo. (And now, I want to write that novel.)

Observation: Sometimes the constraints of a simple setup—a fixed focal length, the limitations of an angle, the unchanging flat sky—unlock the art.

ANNOUNCEMENT: After a few requests for prints of these photos, I’ve opened a small online store. You can find it here.

*Photo taken with the Fujifilm X100S. For behind the scenes content join the inner circle.