‘A day at the beach is such a universal pastime’: Mariel and Katherine Tyler’s best phone picture

For the twin photographers, this spontaneous shot captures the timeless pleasures of a day by the sea

‘Coney Island beach and boardwalk is such an iconic fixture in so many people’s New York summers,” Mariel Tyler says of the location of this iPhone photograph. She and her twin sister, Katherine, make up the Tyler Twins, professional photographers who specialise in celebrity portraits, events and concerts. Past subjects include Jay-Z, Whoopi Goldberg and Lady Gaga.

Mariel took this image in 2015. “Normally when we shoot professionally, we pass the camera back and forth. Whoever is not shooting is directing. We rarely remember, or care, who took what shot. It’s always a joint effort,” Mariel says. “This shot was entirely spontaneous. The work I do with my sister often has to be more thought out, so it’s nice to shoot without expectations sometimes. On this occasion, Katherine was on a work trip in LA but, ironically, had taken photos of Santa Monica pier earlier that day.”