Alex Hodor-Lee missed his own prom (he went to a football game instead). Maybe that’s what drew the photographer to the hallowed night at the beginning of the summer, capturing teenagers in their suits and gowns. But after documenting New York’s graduating high schoolers, something just stuck: he ended up documenting their first summer of certified adulthood in the city.
Being young today is notoriously hard. Talking to Hordor-Lee’s crew of subjects, this much is obvious. Some are worried about the country’s political future, others are concerned about the effect of big tech. Grappling with an ever-changing world is not easy. “The class of 2024 got off to a rocky start,” the photographer explains, “these kids came of age during the thrall of Covid, Trumpism and Black Lives Matter, and they’ve grown up online.” Yet, as these photos show, even in an ever-changing, mutating city, adolescence is just like anywhere else: fast, bright and over before you know it. Just like the summertime.
”If I was invisible for a day I’d raid Chloë Sevigny’s closet.”
Colette, 18
”New York is already nostalgic. Idealistic in my memory, unrecognisable in reality.”
sasha, 17
“When I would walk to middle school by myself my parents would say ‘send me a hamburger emoji when you get to school!’”
darby, 17
“My biggest hope for the future is to be so successful that my mother never has to work again”
Tauhidur, 19
“I will be voting to keep my rights as a young Black woman in this deeply misogynist and racist country. But I think the future of this country is so unknown that only time will tell”
soraya, 18
“New York is loud and fast – and you stay up late!”
darnell, 17
“You know you are in love when seeing them makes all your worries and fears feel small.“
JENNY, 18
“Does anything last forever? Sure. Change lasts forever.“
Masha, 18
Text: Eilidh Duffy
Photography and Casting: Alex Hodor-Lee
Production: Sara McDowell, Louise Akani at SEE ME Creative
Casting Assistants: Sophia Bergere, Rachel Filler
Photo Assistants: Jackson Chihuly, Samantha Jensen
Cast (in order of appearance):
Maddy, Coco, Karla, Ara, Ever, Darnell, Colette, Delling, Zen, Ayla, Sasha, Martin, Darby, Coco, Jo, Autumn, Stella, Tauhidur, Mars, Solar, Seven, Axel, Quinn, Kat, Zoe, Lola, Lia, Taylore, Rory, Leila, Vivien, Jenny, Millie, Warren, Sadie, Soraya, Reylí, Sonia, Zay, Rayanna, Satya, Lucas, Eve, Cat, Louise, Anabel, George, JD, Izzy, Kobi, Grace, Mimi, Sam, Masha, Winter, Jameson, Kayo, Louise