Fierce, straightforward and talented are all adjectives that describe Danielle Levitt. The LA-born and bred photographer has gained a sterling reputation in the art and fashion world for her exceptional eye and inimitable style. Having cut her photographic teeth at the likes of The New York Times Magazine, GQ and Rolling Stone, Levitt has stood, camera in hand, in front of some of the biggest names in entertainment and fashion. Yet her subject-of-choice is teenagers.

Levitt is fascinated by youths in contemporary America. Intrigued by the country’s ever-evolving cultural landscape, not to mention the increasing permeation of the Internet and celebrity culture, Levitt has in recent years focused her lens on the faces of a demographic seated somewhere between adolescence and innocence lost. The fruits of this photographic labor are encapsulated in a new tome, We Are Experienced, which launches on powerHouse Books tomorrow. We caught up with the effervescent blond fresh off a stint at Miami Art Basel to discuss tattoos, Hot Topic and photographing Malia and Sasha Obama:

What surprised you the most while shooting We Are Experienced?
Finding out that archetypes still exist today as they always have was really interesting. There are still jocks and fringe kids, but, at the same time, it’s a little different. There’s more intermingling, so archetypes have modified a bit.

You got your start in New York documenting street fashion. What did you think of the overall style of your subjects
They have Hot Topic in the mall now, so they can go and become alternative or cool a lot faster. You can buy more savvy street fashion much more easily. It’s also interesting… not that I’ve ever been that shy, that’s something that precedes me… but [through shooting street fashion] I learned to let down certain barriers. I’d have 3 seconds to get their attention. You’re a sales person; you have only a few first moments to gain their trust and continue.

What was your most formative experience as a teen?
I don’t know if this was the most formative, but one pivotal moment was when I got my hideous tattoo. I really wanted it because I understood by watching MTV that cool kids had tattoos. And, I got it and I hated it. There were times where I was more experimental, when I thought I was being adult. The tattoo was just after high school, before college, and I really was like, ‘I know who I am.’ And I totally didn’t. I remember thinking, ‘I’ve been so confused’ and I thought I had the answers. But I didn’t. I love the idea that I thought I did. And maybe these kids have all the answers, but I don’t know. That’s what I wanted to find out.

If you could relive your teenage years, what would you do differently?
I don’t feel like I was into music enough. But I’m making up for lost time now.

What are you listening to?
I’ve been doing a hybrid. I grew up with a lot of hip-hop. I mix my hip-hop with hipster-y type things… Cold War Kids and Black Kids. The Virgins. And you’ve gotta love pop music.

Are you excited to see two soon-to-be teens entering the White House?
I’m so excited for them. It’s a landmark situation. I am thrilled. Those kids seem to have really good heads on their shoulders; I welcome watching them grow up. And, please, I’d love to take pictures of their slumber parties.

Project-wise, what’s next?
I want to continue shooting more teenagers for my next book for sure. It’ll be different… but, how is a secret. I’ve got to have one secret in my life. I’d like to find new things to explore—to figure out what parts I really like, things to continue with, and how to modify.

What number one on your wish list this year?
I want Ed Templeton’s Teenage Smokers a bunch of Deborah Turbeville books, and Larry Sultan’s Pictures From Home that I lost a million years ago. I’ve got art books on the mind. And expensive, delicious shoes. Marni, YSL…

Are you comfortable with six-inch-plus stilettos?
Hell yeah.

Is there a secret to walking in them?
You just pretend it doesn’t hurt until you believe it. Fake it until you make it.

~Alisa Gould-Simon