On the Fourth of July, I set about shooting aerial images of various beaches in Marblehead as the hot, humid weather seemed to bring out the largest crowds I had witnessed in those spots. I had actually started my day scouting out shots from the ground and hit upon this scene in Little Harbor just after noon.

I have seen Little Harbor fill with boats in the summer but never to this extent. I shot several frames including varying compositions but favored this one with the American flag flying from atop a crane while people walked between boats in the waist-high water.