The Kids Are Alright

Prom season has come and gone. We would be lying if we said that sometimes we shake our collective heads at how old we feel when we go to photograph high school social events! Maybe it is just the soft focus (clever photographic reference) through which we view our own young adulthood; but often heard are the words, "Man, proms have sure changed since my high school days!". In many ways that sentiment is probably true. But really, has it changed all that much?

If we remove our our prejudices about what has changed, proms today appear to be what they have always been: A celebration of the transition from childhood to adulthood. Both have their parties and celebrations, but a prom leans decidedly to the grown up side of things. And when you see it that way, you can really understand how it is a learning experience for how to behave in the world. The kids get all dressed up, go to a nice dinner, visit with friends, and then go dancing. The big difference is that they're better dancers and know how to work their cell phones better than most adults.

What is fun is how the in-between nature of the kids comes out in the candids we take. The pictures really show how these young adults waver between the kids they are and the adults they are becoming -- moving in milliseconds between one and the other. Their enthusiasm is infectious and fun to be around. And that makes us feel young, too.

Here are some of our favorite pictures from this season.