Teenage kicks by way of young US photographer Alec Castillo

Groups of teenagers tend to gravitate towards big expanses of open parkland and grassy knolls. I used to, even when my hay fever was so bad I used to wear swimming goggles to protect my eyes from the pollen. Maybe it’s the adventurous feeling you get when you’re out in the wild, and how totally different it is to life in the small box containing your parents that is your home. Alec Castillo emailed a few days ago with these black and white medium format photographs of him and his friends seemingly doing whatever possible to not veg around in a house.

They’re sprinting through fields, jumping into rivers, clambering on rooftops and yelling down to each other from halfway up a tree. Remember that quote from Stand By Me: “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?” The kids in Alec’s photos certainly aren’t 12 anymore, but I think the adolescent spirit of togetherness and feeling like you’d die for your friends is still rife within them.