Martin Parr is a British photographer and photojournalist whose work is often defined by its depiction of people’s leisure activities, either as a family, among friends, or alone. He has made projects in many different locations over the decades, but he has said that “The beach is always going to be an integral part of what I do – it just goes on and on”.

His photobook “The Last Resort” is a prime example of this. Taken in Brighton in the 80s, it shows a typical British summer day out for the normal people of England at the time, without glorifying or demonising the situation or the people. His signature use of vibrant colours and photographic flash make these images seem as though they could be found in anyone’s old family photo album, making them feel distinctly human and candid.

This photo is a prime example of Parr’s photographic style and the type of subjects he had in his images. The two children in the centre look like siblings and so it is an example of the sort of family dynamics of the time, where people would often have larger families and the children would be expected to look after themselves and each other to a certain extent. The colours are saturated and it’s clear that flash has been used, even though it looks like a bright and sunny day.