JONATHAN CHERRY: What did you have for breakfast today?

CHELSEA PFOHL: Today I had coffee, oatmeal, and a banana.  I have a banana for breakfast almost every day.

JC: Any emerging photographers inspiring your practice at the moment?

CP: Dana Goldstein, a friend of mine who I’ve done some assisting and retouching for.  I saw her work and had to reach out to meet her and see her process. She’s so conscious of everything that she does and all her work is cohesive and well thought out. Plus most of her work is just formally beautiful.

JC: What is your current project all about?

CP: I am focusing on light, and how light ties everything together. SIght is light, and sight is the main way we perceive the world around us. There is no well thought out “project,” but light is the one thing that I am always focused on when taking a shot.

JC: Any exciting plans for the rest of 2010?

CP: I will be starting my senior year in the studio art program at NYU. I’ll be getting a studio in the art building which is exciting. Hopefully I’ll produce a lot. I also will be turning 21 in less than a week, so thats something exciting, in America at least.

JC: In your opinion what makes a successful portrait?

CP: In my opinion, an interesting subect makes a successful portrait. Many portraits are interesting soley because the subject is interesting. I think thats a more journalistic type portraiture. I think truly successful portraiture shows a moment between both the subject and the photographer. And good lighting of course.

JC: Why do you shoot black and white?

CP: I started shooting black and white because I was taking a black and white photo course at school. I continue to shoot black and white because I feel like its a little bit more of challenge. You have to think about composition and lighting more or else you get flat images.

JC: What does photography mean to you?

CP: Photography for me is a means of showing the world the way that I see it. It sounds corny or weird but I always think of how my photos would look to my children in the future. Like how they would think of me through my photographs. I guess thats an interesting thought with strangers too. It also means expensive film and equipment and fees and a cooky old greek film process man named george (maybe) and his mean wife.

JC: Any other thoughts?

CP: Im from Northern California so the first thing that comes to mind with “any last thoughts?” is PEACE AND LOVE.