Teenagers are often limited by social stereotypes. But photographer Dawoud Bey sees them as misunderstood.

In the eyes of photographer Dawoud Bey, kids don’t hit the social radar until talk turns to problems with drugs, drinking and pregnancy. In seeking out teens and their personal back stories, Bey, who has spent the last 15 years imaging this misrepresented set, hopes to transcend these typecasts. He wants to present them as the unique individuals that they actually are.

Bey’s book and exhibit, Class Pictures, provide a glimpse into the real, complicated and intricate lives of teenagers. His images—in which each subject is staring intensely into the camera, arms folded in their own way—are accompanied by the teens’ own words.

They write about death, dancing, chemotherapy, nail polish, Alkaline Trio and everything else today’s teens deal with. Bey’s lens captures a world fraught with emotional tension—a world we all experienced at one point, whether we choose to remember it or not.

Listen to photographer Dawoud Bey as he speaks about the process and difficulties of presenting the “real” teenager through his lens. In our interactive feature, see a select group of Dawoud Bey’s photographs alongside their own words about how they want to be presented.

USHA

I can speak four languages. I am an actress, and when I was about 30 seconds old, I reached up and took my dad’s glasses off of his face.

When I was 8 years old, I visited my cousin’s school in India. They didn’t have a roof, so during the monsoon they got rained on. When I went home, I raised enough money to build them a roof and buy some school supplies.

CHARLES

I think about everything I do...I try to be conscientious.

One time in the seventh grade a kid hit me, but I didn’t fight back...Some kids probably thought I was a wuss. I guess you can’t have everyone like you.

I kind of see that as a defining moment, I guess. I’m generally kind, and I don’t like being pushy or competitive, but I think that doesn’t get you far...

There are no prizes for letting other people win, but maybe success just isn’t worth it.

OMAR

I know that I shouldn’t, but sometimes I wonder how other people look at me. What do they see first? My brown-ness? My beard? My cap? My clothes? The color of my eyes? The design of my T-shirt?

I think that people see my skin color first. They probably see me as a brown guy.

Then, they might see my black beard and my white kufi [prayer cap] and figure out I am Muslim.

They see my most earthly qualities first. Brown: That’s the very color of the earth, the mud from which God created us.

Sometimes I wonder what color my soul is. I hope that it’s the color of heaven. 

ODALYS

My name is Odalys, and I’m a good person, and I like to play with my baby. It’s real fun to play with he (sic), and I hope this baby comes out, you know, healthy.

And I hope that I can get out of school and study. I want to be a professional doctor, ‘cause that’s what I want to do.

I hope everybody remembers me, because I just started in this school, and everybody knows me, “the little pregnant girl.” I hope they remember me.

GERARD

I’m a hardworking man and I am black. I have a nice smile and nice long hair.