Teens' Superhero Prom Pose Photo Travels at Light Speed Across Internet
The creative photo has more than 350,000 likes on Facebook.
— -- It’s a bird … it’s a plane … no, it’s prom!
These creative high school students from Subiaco Academy in Arkansas have soared into viral stardom with their epic superhero prom pose photo.
In less than 24 hours of Johnny Bolinger, of BN Focus Photography, posting this photo to his Facebook page, the perfectly color-coordinated pose had garnered thousands of likes and shares.
“I called Johnny and said, ‘Hey, will you come take pictures?” the student dressed as Superman’s mom, Laura Phillips, told ABC News of the chance circumstance.
Bolinger is a police officer by day and only just recently took up photography as a second profession. He also happens to be Phillips’ husband’s cousin.
“It was a very ‘shoot from the hip’ photo,” said Bolinger, who can’t believe how much attention his quick snap has gotten. “They all got together on the steps of the school and started posing with the superhero shirts open and all the parents and other photographers were there crowding in front, so I snapped from the back just holding my camera over the crowd.”
Thankfully he nailed it, and the Internet took notice. His original photo, which he posted on their prom night, April 30, now has more than 350,000 Facebook likes and nearly 275,000 shares.
Bolinger isn’t taking credit for the photo’s success, though.
“These kids executed this flawlessly,” he said. “I’ve seen photos like this before from weddings and things ... but they’ve never taken off like this. The color coordination and pose was exceptional.”
When it came to choosing which boy would be which superhero, Phillips has a theory.
“I honestly think this is where it started,” she said of her son, Caleb. “Last summer getting ready for football, Ryan King, the boy who was Batman, bought a pair of Batman cleats and my son saw those [and] thought, 'Those are cool.' So he found Superman cleats and that started the whole thing with their little group at school. It was a whole little funny thing. That’s how those two characters came about.”
The fact that prom was superhero-themed this year was the perfect fit. And it’s safe to say these boys found the perfect dates to accompany them to their all-boys academy’s dance.
“I don’t know how some of those girls did that. The matching colors were incredible,” said Phillips. “The girls were just really great about it and they had a really great time.”
Now for the question on everyone’s minds: How will they top this at next year’s senior prom?
“They’ll just have to wait on the theme I guess,” Phillips added. “It’s just been surreal. We never imagined this would happen.”