Petra Collins-- The Teenage Gaze

I absolutely love these photos by Petra Collins. I'm definitely interested in exploring this style of photography, that is much more relevant to my life and based off of my experiences. A lot of what I've done this year and in the past is based more on the aesthetic of the photographs, which is obviously important, and less on the meaning or significance of the images. I want to capture things that matter to me; preserve a feeling or memory that is unique and genuine, not staged. I'm really interested in youth, and this strange middle ground we're in right now, almost perfectly balanced between child and adulthood. We're controlled, but expected to be independent. We should make our own decisions, but there are still authority figures watching us, ensuring we take the right path. We can't wait for the future but are nostalgic about the past. We care so little and are so uninterested in some things, but are so obsessed and passionate about others. There's an unavoidable tension in youth that I want to try and capture.