---
title: The Kids are Alright: High Schoolers by Danielle Levitt
description: Danielle Levitt speaks with LightBox about her fascination photographing kids and her new project, Street Casted.
canonical: https://time.com/3778433/the-kids-are-alright-high-schoolers-by-danielle-levitt/
author: TIME
article:opinion: false
article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2011-06-24T17:46:13.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:41:28.785Z
article:section: World
og:title: The Kids are Alright: High Schoolers by Danielle Levitt
og:description: Danielle Levitt speaks with LightBox about her fascination photographing kids and her new project, Street Casted.
og:url: https://time.com/3778433/the-kids-are-alright-high-schoolers-by-danielle-levitt/
og:site_name: TIME
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og:image:width: 1200
og:image:height: 675
og:image:alt: Rachel Trachtenburg, 17
og:type: article
twitter:card: summary_large_image
twitter:title: The Kids are Alright: High Schoolers by Danielle Levitt
twitter:description: Danielle Levitt speaks with LightBox about her fascination photographing kids and her new project, Street Casted.
twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3baa2f6dc26f3340/69879784cd1bba5e406f64ce/2456_050711_time_mag_group_8_517.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9
---
# The Kids are Alright: High Schoolers by Danielle Levitt
by
[TIME Photo Department](/author/time-photo-department/)
## TIME Photo Department
Jun 24, 2011 5:46 PM CUT
Rachel Trachtenburg, 17 "I would identify myself with artsy weirdos." May 2011.
Rachel Trachtenburg, 17 "I would identify myself with artsy weirdos." May 2011.Danielle Levitt for TIME
by
[TIME Photo Department](/author/time-photo-department/)
## TIME Photo Department
Jun 24, 2011 5:46 PM CUT
[_Danielle Levitt_](http://www.daniellelevitt.com/ "undefined") _began her career as a photographer documenting street fashion for the New York Post, producing a photo column for the paper. Levitt has since shot for The New York Times Magazine, GQ, Dazed and Confused, Harper’s Bazaar and Rolling Stone, and has worked on ad campaigns for Microsoft, Nike, Penguin, and Old Spice._
_Levitt published her first monograph in 2008,_ [_We Are Experienced_](http://www.weareexperienced.com/index.html "undefined")_, focusing on teenagers and the experience of growing up in America. Photographing football stars, anorexics, wiccans, punks, prom dates, snowboarders, and baton twirlers, Levitt’s book serves as an archive of portraits that record the formative years of American youth._
_Levitt, born in Los Angeles and based in New York, photographed American teenagers for the_ [_June 20, 2011 issue of TIME_](http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2076739,00.html "undefined")_. She spoke with LightBox about her fascination with kids and her new project, Street Casted._
**_When did you start photographing kids?_**
I started when I was ten. After being given my first camera for my birthday, I photographed me and my friends. I was shooting with a drug store camera, but it sparked an interest that never waned.
I was very serious about becoming a photographer, and at 28, I found myself freelancing and traveling quite a bit. In each new city, I would observe the local kids—my interest grew, so eventually I asked to photograph them.
**_What sparked your interest in youth culture?_**
It was spring break and I was in an airport in Chicago. I noticed that quite a few kids en route to their holiday vacations were holding pillows from their homes. I don’t know when this trend began but did the same thing ten years prior on my own spring break vacation—I wanted to know more. Ten years had passed since my 18th birthday and I was curious about what else I could ascertain, the similarities as well as the changes.
Years later, it comforts me to know that teens are infinitely fascinating, constantly evolving, finding extraordinary ways to identify, are raw and very expressive.
**_What is your new project? How has it evolved from your past work?_**
My new project, _Street Casted_, started after publication of my first monograph, _We Are Experienced_ ([PowerHouse, 2008](http://www.powerhousearena.com/products-page-2/?category=11&product%5Fid=35 "undefined")). _We Are Experienced_ is a stylized archive of contemporary youth culture. This is reflected by both the characters chosen and the spaces they inhabit. With _Street Casted_, I replaced the environment with a studio and learned to illicit the same honest and intimate interactions without personal signifiers. I intend to shoot this project for years to come, allowing for a more comprehensive exploration to emerge.
From left: Emma Orlow,16; Marty Viola, 16; Ravyn Oliveras, 17; Tyra Nicole Booker, 15; Angel Castro, 15; Alexandra Griffin, 15; Nick Rubin, 18\. May 2011. Danielle Levitt for TIME
Ravyn Oliveras, 17 "People classify me as goth, emo, scene, a freak, a weirdo. It doesn't bother me because I know I'm myself." May 2011. Danielle Levitt for TIME
From Street Casted, an ongoing project Danielle Levitt
From Street Casted, an ongoing project Danielle Levitt
From Street Casted, an ongoing project Danielle Levitt
From Street Casted, an ongoing project Danielle Levitt
Julia Cumming, 15 "I think it's important to have at least a few close friends." May 2011. Danielle Levitt for TIME
From Street Casted, an ongoing project Danielle Levitt
From Street Casted, an ongoing project Danielle Levitt
From Street Casted, an ongoing project Danielle Levitt
From Street Casted, an ongoing project Danielle Levitt
From Street Casted, an ongoing project Danielle Levitt
Bryan Reynoso, 14 "Me and my friends consider ourselves the cool kids because we're just very chill and love making music and performing and dancing." May 2011. Danielle Levitt for TIME
From Street Casted, an ongoing project Danielle Levitt
From Street Casted, an ongoing project Danielle Levitt
Rachel Trachtenburg, 17 "I would identify myself with artsy weirdos." May 2011. Danielle Levitt for TIME
From Street Casted, an ongoing project Danielle Levitt
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