Twins in a spin at the great British seaside: Sophie Green’s best photograph

The British seaside has a distinctive look: bingo halls, buckets and spades, pinwheels and the vivid colours of funfairs. Sophie Green calls these places visually super‑charged and maximalist, and links them to childhood memory—her grandpa lived in Pembrokeshire, and visits as a child gave the beach a sense of wonder.

The seaside feels open to everyone, unlocking a connection to nature and offering a playful space with few rules. The photograph, taken in 2021 at a funfair in Weston‑super‑Mare, distils that colour and joy. Dominant reds, blues and yellows frame twins in matching white T‑shirts; the ride was moving so fast Green worried she might not get it in focus.

She began shooting the seaside during the Covid lockdown, when beaches became places to congregate, and has returned every summer since. With thousands of miles of coastline, the project became a way of seeing Britain—people from all walks of life sitting side by side and sharing the same experience.

United Kingdom, Weston-super-Mare

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