Before Joseph Szabo was a world renown photographer, he was a teacher at Malverne High School in Long Island. And on his first days at the job he figured that he's gonna need something special to catch the attention of his pupils. So he brought a camera into class...

"I never had any agenda with my photography – it was never a money-making thing, it was just about connecting with young people – and so I think my photographs have a sort of authentic or genuine quality that a lot of people seem able to relate to," Joseph told Huck Magazine. "I have always tried to capture these very personal moments, in an honest way, to show people doing exactly what they’re doing. They could just be sitting on the school steps smoking a cigarette or they could be hanging out of a car door waving their hands and saying, ‘This is the last day of school and I’ll never come back here again!’ They could be jumping in the air with excitement because of the music they’re listening to or they could be like one of my all-time favorites Priscilla – the little girl smoking at Jones Beach – who expresses something about girlhood as well as something about a certain kind of maturity and experience."

"All these subjects and moments mean so much to me. They helped me understand people and allowed me to connect with them over the years. I hope they mean something to other people too."

More info: Joseph Szabo

#1

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

Tiny Dynamine
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dinosaur Jr used this as the cover for their Green Mind album.

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#4

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

John L
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If he was hoping for peace and quiet reflection, he'll have to look elsewhere, or have patience. :D

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#8

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

John L
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Very good contrast between the outwardly happy 'Stones' follower, and the inwardly reflective 'Yes' fan.

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#9

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

xpurinx
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love how everyone looked so naturally beautiful.

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#10

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

John L
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Probably one of the teachers in the staff restroom, trying to psych herself into going at it one more time.

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#11

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

Janice Foster
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ironic that these shorts were acceptable in the 70s, but the next Bored Panda article is about a girl who recently got in trouble at school because her shorts were shorter than the length of her arms (when by her side.) Who is making these current rules? People who grew yoo in the 70s, maybe?@

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#15

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

Anna Thouvenin
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some of those fashion items are so vintage. It would be fun that those glasses came back into trendy :D

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#18

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

TMSullivan
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Umm, 1970's? Billy Idol didn't hit the airwaves until 1982.

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#19

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

John L
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The famous Plymouth "Bacaruda", jacked up and ready to Smokem.

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#21

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

#27

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

Fire Bird
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks just like Jennifer Jason Leigh from Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

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#29

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

John L
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just Hanging around, with nothing better to do. ;D

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#34

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

Joanna Huang
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait, I thought the photographer was just a teacher??!! How did he get into their rooms?

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#39

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

Carole
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was no conditioner- there was Breck. Nobody went to the "hair dresser" unless they couldnt see..

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#40

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

Skeledab
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Her friends are trying not to laugh, so am I.

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#48

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

See Also on Bored Panda
#51

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

Samie Lebastchi
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This girl is probably regretting this now! Her skin!!!

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#52

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

Willem Havenaar
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This guy wears a t-shirt of the German metal band Warlock. This band was formed in 1982.

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#53

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

Nikki Sutton
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers... and also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls. Not that we needed all that for the trip, but once you get locked into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can."

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#54

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

Fred Burrows
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was a troublemaker of sorts but Sister Christian in the center there would be getting anonymous poetry in her locker .

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#55

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

Wezbie
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Safe to say she probably didn't dip more than her toe in the water ;). Haha it looks like an album cover with the cool kid in the back

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#56

Nostalgic Portraits Of 1970s Rebel Youth Captured By High-school Teacher

Joseph Szabo Report

.gas.
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017