Photography: Teenage years through the eyes of up and coming talent, Petra Collins

Teenage years are often glamourised as a time of exploration, passion, sex and discovery – which is true in some cases. But amidst the excitement brewing for a long life ahead, there’s often a lot of waiting around. Waiting for a lift, waiting for your friends to get ready, waiting to be legally allowed to buy alcohol, waiting for someone to have a crush on you…I mean, it’s long! That’s why these photos by Petra Collins are so great, they totally capture the sheer drawn-out nature of teenage years.

Entitled The Teenage Gaze, this series explores youth through the eyes of, well, youth. The photos hint at the good and bad parts of the glory years – spots, car journeys, lino, loafers and a vague haze surrounding it all, which is precisely the reason why Ryan McGinley is her number one fan. Check out the photos of a similar nature that Petra took for the Rookie Yearbook 2 over on her site.