A barnswallow returning to its nest to feed its chicks is caught in mid-flight just as it is about to arrive to its nest where its chicks are waiting. On its way to the nest the bird passed through a laser bean triggering a synchronizer that activated a 35mm camera for 1/60 second which in turn fired a 1/10,000 second duration electronic flash before the shutter closed. The short duration flash accounts for the fact the bird's wingtips are quite sharp in spite of the speed at which they were moving.