This assignment marked my second time photographing a prom night since I’ve been at the Press Herald. In 2017 I drove up to the Skowhegan area to photograph Carrabec High School’s prom, and had so much fun. I love photographing teenagers. I think the end of high school is such a strange and wonderful time. For 2018 I decided I wanted to see what prom at a larger Portland school was like. Luckily enough, the very nice principal of Casco Bay High agreed to let me photograph at the last minute, and told me that the kids usually took photos together at the Eastern Prom before the dance. The moment I arrived I was struck by how stylish the students were. I wanted to hop on a plane back home to Omaha and burn my 2009 prom photos. I didn’t go into the night thinking I would do portraits, but after seeing all of the different outfits, hairstyles and beautiful couples, I started asking kids if they would be willing to spare a minute or two for a portrait. I had to work quickly since they were all headed to their actual prom, so I was able to photograph only a fraction of the teens there. I still wish I’d had time for more portraits, but there is always next year.

The show opens January 4th, 2019, (during the First Friday artwalk), and it goes through Feb 23rd. Opening reception is from 5:30 to 7 p.m.