Top 5 with Jena Ardell

This week we have photographer, Jena Ardell! I don't even know where to begin. I stumbled upon her work last summer, at which point I immediately did a post on her dreamy summer series. And now, almost a year later, I am still thinking about it. Maybe it's the warm weather that has been slowly trickling in that has got me dreaming of the lazy hot days of summer to come. When looking through her photos, I almost feel like I was there, as though she captured actual moments in my own life. The summertime shots in particular instantly reminded me of a summer vacation our family took to Old Orchard Beach, Maine back in the early 80's.

"For me, it’s all about transporting people back in time," she says.

Here are Jena's Top 5....

Top 5 Favorite Films:

1. Amelie - Unique storyline + dreamy cinematography. I like to think of myself as a bit of an Amelie. She is incredibly selfless and imaginative and I love her bedroom. I also enjoy all of the obscure details you learn about the characters' personalities throughout the film.

2. What About Bob? - There isn't a dull scene in the entire movie!! My best friend and I are obsessed with this comedy. We can (and will) quote scenes on a regular basis.

3. Shopgirl - I wish Steve Martin's voice narrated the thoughts in my head. The transitions and music in this movie are hypnotic. I just want to watch it over and over again... and I do.

4. Sunset Blvd. - Classic. Gloria Swanson's portrayal of Norma Desmond is unforgettable. I had the opportunity to see this film at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood last winter... made my year complete!! (And oddly enough, Mickey Rourke was there, but left shortly after Nancy Olson introduced the film. Strange).

 5. Ghost World - It only took five minutes for me to know this movie was to become one of my favorites. It's a dark comedy that doesn't amuse everyone, but it surely amuses me. The acting feels so real, I forget I'm even watching a movie.

Top 5 Favorite Books:
1. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - I'm an advocate of defying the norm/society and I fully support the belief that one person can make a difference... so it's no surprise my top three favorite books all share this theme.
2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - Unarguably brilliant. Bradbury predicted large, flat screen televisions and ear buds in the 1950s!! His story is as poignant today as it was back then.
3. Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee - This is probably tied with 12 Angry Men by Reginald Roses. I love how both protagonists are open-minded thinkers who are able to change the way the jurors perceive the trial at hand.
4. Shopgirl by Steve Martin - Technically, it's a novella... but it's amazing. Steve Martin is a man of many talents. After you read his autobiography Born Standing Up, you love him even more.
5. The White Album by Joan Didion - I WISH I could write as well as Joan Didion. Every sentence is so well-worded and precise. This quotation [of Didion describing herself] always sticks with me: “My only advantage as a reporter is that I am so physically small, so temperamentally unobtrusive, and so neurotically inarticulate that people tend to forget that my presence runs counter to their best interests. And it always does. That is one last thing to remember: writers are always selling some body out.” I LOVE THAT!!

Top 5 Favorite Artists:
(they are all photographers)

1. George Hurrell - I am in awe of his glamorous old Hollywood portraits. He was the master of beauty lighting.

2. John Rawlings - His work was always glamorous, yet unpretentious. And of course, I love looking at 60s and 70s fashions.

3. David Hockney - I share his fascination with water and I love his collage pieces and paintings.

4. Bill Owens - His "Suburbia" series is brilliant. He captured all of the right moments.

5. Guy Bourdin - Sexy and eccentric portraiture. I love the strangeness of his shots.

Top 5 Crushes of All Time:

1. Dave Grohl - Crazy talented. I'm convinced he never sleeps... he's in every band. He's the reason why I carry a digital camera with me at all times. (We live in the same neighborhood and I am bound to run into him, I know it!!)
2. Mark Ruffalo - He's the perfect combination of hot and adorable.
3. Steve Martin - He's my old-man crush. He's hilarious and talented and I've raved about him enough already.
4. Paul Rudd - Cuter than a basket full of puppies, that's what I always say.
5. Mark Wahlberg - The quintessential bad ass... and he's fantastic in The Departed.

Top 5 Words To Describe Falling In Love...
1. Giddy
2. Giggly
3. Flirty
4. Lovely
5. Kissy

And now here are a few of my favorites by Jena Ardell....

For more of Jena:

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