Left out of prom photos by ‘friends,’ she got an unexpected surprise from a professional photographer

Sariah Sinay (@sariahsinay) bought a shimmering dark-blue dress to wear to her high-school prom. In an April 27 Instagram video, she expressed what going to the prom meant to her. She wanted the whole experience, from getting ready with the girls, carpooling, to snapping photos en route. However, her friends shunted her by claiming they didn't have room in the car for her, but added that she could join them at the dance. Feeling left out, she decided to skip the prom and use her prom dress for the cover of one of her music albums. After her video went viral, photographer Leah Clancy (@leahclancyphotography) reached out and offered to do a photoshoot wearing the very same dress. In just two days, the video scored nearly 3 million views. “Girl, you didn’t get to go to the prom, but you’re going to get a killer photo shoot,” said Clancy.

“I reached out right away and told her if she lived closer, I’d love to photograph her. Turns out she’s only a few hours away… so this Sunday she’s coming down for a shoot,” Clancy wrote in the caption, confirming that she offered her a gorgeous photo shoot to make up for the bad experience. “What we are giving energy to is what happened next,” she added. Clancy plans to create photos to feature on the album cover for Sinay’s upcoming song release. 

In response to her video, the high-school teen responded in a comment, “Ahhh! So excited! You have truly put a lasting smile on my face. And I’m so grateful for your kindness.” Research indicates that social exclusion can have diminishing effects on a young mind.

Based on a study of 1,041 Chinese high school students, research published in the Psychology Research & Behavior Management journal, social exclusion is a primary factor that can lead to depression in 95% of cases, acting as a primary mediator, and cognitive reappraisal acts as a buffer. A student’s sense of belonging is directly disrupted, which triggers the feeling of being “left out” and escalates dissonance in mental health. 

Meanwhile, thousands of viewers jumped into the comments section, discussing the issue. “Love that you did this. Teens can be so mean,” commented @mondes_threads. @iamchriskemmer remarked, “Those girls are not your friends. Go to your photo shoot and have a good time. Things get easier once you’re out of high school.”

@ivey_l_telfer said they wished that they had someone like Clancy at their 2024 wedding. Their husband’s ex-wife’s mother took their pictures and promised to send them to her, but never did. As Clancy said, “Sometimes people exclude you. Sometimes life reroutes you toward something better.”

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