About the Image(s)

I took this photo on June 12, 2026, in Edgartown, Massachusetts. After a long walk from the parking lot, I found a spot where Black Skimmers seemed to be flying by somewhat regularly, about two-to-three times per hour. I stood in place for about ninety minutes waiting for an opportunity and then saw this Skimmer flying towards me parallel to the shoreline. That gave me more time than usual to get set up for an action shot and I was just lucky that the Skimmer grabbed a fish out of the water while I was focussed on it. For those not familiar with Black Skimmers, the "original" shows a more typical view of their skimming-feeding technique. I took the "original" a few weeks earlier.

I took the photo with my Sony Alpha 1, Mark II, with a 300 mm prime lens and 2x extender for a focal length of 600 mm. Settings were 1/1,600 s, f/11, and ISO of 1250.