“The pinnacle of the school year for many high school seniors is their prom. In preparation, some bought their outfits months in advance just waiting for the opportunity to wear them to the highly anticipated event. Due to COVID-19 concerns, classmates of 2020 won’t be able to take part in proms, and this photo project aims to highlight them.

 

“After speaking with my cousin, I discovered that she wouldn’t be able to take part in prom as well. I then realized that there were seniors in my own community in Central Texas who also did not have an opportunity to attend. I knew at that moment I had to do something to shed a light on them, because I felt that their special moment was being eclipsed as we focused much of our attention on death rates and business closures caused by the coronavirus.

 

“I wanted to photograph them in a way that included their families because they were the support system for the high school seniors during this time. I ultimately decided to use a white sheet as a backdrop for the students — to highlight the families as well and to show them presenting their seniors and reclaiming their moment.” —Christian K. Lee