FORT WORTH, TEXAS (AP) — Photographer Mat Otero has been working at the AP in the Dallas bureau for nearly 30 years. In that time, he’s covered an annular and partial solar eclipse, so he was prepared for the challenge of making a photo of the only total solar eclipse on this scale he will likely cover in his career (the next coast-to-coast eclipse in the U.S. is expected in 21 years). This is what he said about making this extraordinary image.

Photographer Mat Otero works for The Associated Press in Dallas, Texas, just inside the path of totality for this week’s solar eclipse.

Associated Press photographer Mat Otero shot the solar eclipse last week from the Fort Worth Zoo.