Greetings from Palm Springs...

My mother and I found a *new* favorite piece of California. :)
More photos from our trip can be seen in my flickr stream.

Poems I wrote somewhere in New Mexico

While I was in college, I took a few poetry classes. I created what I consider my best work ever (which amounts to three poems) and ever since, have not been able to complete a poem I am as proud of. I think my problem is I learned too much about writing poetry intended for other poets. I used to be able to write poems and short stories with such ease--and now I over-think, over-analyze and focus too much on creating intellectual syntax and deeper meaning. So fast-forward to a week or so ago... I was on day two of my three-day cross-country train ride back to L.A. when I finally was able to write and complete two poems. Here they are:

Need vs. Desire

The American Dream was left for dead
cleverly disguised as a weathered Cadillac
next to a stack of used tires
between two terracotta towns

(Someone told you you wanted it)
(Someone told you you needed them)

Signs point toward towns too small to map
as tractor trailers & pickups speed past
backyards full of scrap metal & dry riverbeds
en route to destinations unseen

(Someone told you you bought it)
(Someone told you you owned them)

All Dreams will end the same--
sunbleached by time,
abandoned by technology,
until we differentiate need vs. desire.

Scarecrows

You & I
are scarecrows
between dry watering holes
& dead telephone poles

It's here we question:
how they can afford so many miles of fence
how the cattle are fed and watered
where the dirt road leads
where the nearest general store is located

Is there more to life?
we wonder, alone
unable to wander
far from home.

Tah dah, lemme know what you think. Would love to know your interpretations...

AN IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT :(

First, let me start by saying I LOVE The Impossible Project, their employees, their mission, the stickers, promotions and the buzz they've created--I appreciate it all. They've even taken the boring, black cardboard slides (that first shoot out before the film is ready to use) and turned them into collectible items, by adding a series of witty phrases. They've given me hope and resurrected my favorite films, but I lately have been a little disappointed. Trying to use their 600 series Silver Shade film has been... an Impossible Project. :(

Here's what I was trying to photograph:

Here were the results... seven completely ruined, blank shots. I've tried everything: allowing them to develop outside; running inside where it was warmer; allowing one to develop in the shade, another in the sun; and NOTHING. The last shot was the only shot to develop 1/2 inch of the image... and that was because I left the photo hanging from the camera.

Is anyone else having this problem?? I know it's not my camera, because the camera is fairly new and I recently used it with color film and had great results. Here is the back of the film, in case it is a bad batch:

MORAL DILEMMA

You go out to dinner with four of your friends. At the end of the meal, the check arrives. It gets passed around the table for about 10 minutes before it even reaches you. When you look at the bill, you notice the tab next to your meal says "0.00". This is clearly a misprint, a mistake made by your waitress. Everyone at the table says "Nice, free meal!!" "Their error!!" and suggests you simply accept the mishap as good luck, and leave a generous tip. What would you do??

A. Follow your friends' advice and leave a generous tip.
B. Alert the waitress and ask her to correct the mistake so you can pay your share.
C. Think "Sweet, free meal!!" and don't leave any money. (Afterall, you can't calculate a tip for something that cost $0.00).

(Be sure to select an answer before reading on...)

What made you select your plan of action?? Generally, people are predictable creatures. Based on your answer, I bet I can determine your rationale. Does your selection (A, B or C) match up with the following...

A. The mistake was clearly the incompetence of the waitress. She is repsonsible for the mistake, not me. I'm just benefiting from a glitch in the system. Everyone else at the table would do the same.
B. The basic principles of Karma. It was the right thing to do. I would feel badly about accepting a free meal that wasn't intended for me.
C. The restaurant made a lot of money that night--one free meal isn't going to ruin them. I bet no one would even notice. Plus, I could use the extra cash.

Was I right?? And why am I asking you all of this?? Good question.

This scenario I described happened to me last night. I weighed all of the options I listed but, almost immediately, I chose B and was proud of myself for doing what I felt was the right thing. I strive to be a good person, but ultimately my rationale was based on guilt and Karma. If you chose A or C, it doen't necessarily mean you are a bad person, but if I were you, I'd examine the rationale behind your choice. You obviously felt the free meal was owed to you because you deserve it; but what makes a person deserving??

After I did "the right thing" by notifying the waitress of her mistake, the majority of the table changed their answer. "Yeah, that's probably what I would have done too", my friend said. "You would felt bad if you didn't tell her", another friend said after the waitress left to modify the check. Then why did he suggest I do the very opposite?? Only one of the four said "Your loss!! What does doing the right thing get you?? Now you're leaving with less money". The whole situation was pretty enlightening, considering I was the only person at the table who originally wanted to tell the waitress.

I was reminded of the importantance of leading by example and practicing what you believe. If you do the right thing, others will follow. Remember: big realizations often occur during small moments in life. Are you keeping your mind open to these small moments??

The Impossible Project Film Giveaway

Want to win a FREE pack of the ever-so-artsy PX 600 Silver Shade film from The Impossible Project?! Then head over to Rachel B. Blog. There are five ways to win, but unfortunately only one winner... so good luck!!

(Images shot by me, Jena Ardell, All rights reserved). To see more of my Silver Shade images, please visit my flickr stream.

My Three-Bean Salad Recipe

Jena's Tres Frijoles Salad

In a large bowl mix the following:
-TWO 14.5-16 oz cans of string beans
-ONE 16 oz can of garbonzo beans
-ONE 16 oz can of light red kidney beans
Next, add as much of the following as you prefer:
-onion flakes-celery seed (I add A LOT!!)
-sugar
-red wine vinegar
-(olive oil optional)
-(oregano optional)
Place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before serving.

A Wake Up Call to ALL Photographers and Artists

I want to share a email that I received recently:

Hi :)

I work for an Advertising Agency in London and were looking to do a fun “happy” campaign in and around the UK – It will be to launch a range of DVD`s and could be used on posters, in store and press ads.We really love your “The whole story” image – how would you feel about us possibly using this image to inject ‘happiness’ to the public! I completely understand if you don’t want to and I hope you don’t mind me asking,

Kind Regards, (Their name)

And here was my response:

Hi (Their name),

Thank you so much for contacting me. I am very flattered you would like to use my "The Whole Story" image. I would love to sell the rights to your advertising agency for print campaign usage. I rely on my photography to earn a living and I hope you understand why I can't give the image away for free. If you would like to negotiate a usage fee, I would love to move forward with this project!!

Hope to hear back from you,

~Jena~

Now here's the lesson: Yes, I am flattered and yes, I would LOVE to see my work used in an international campaign where it will potentially be seen by millions of people but let's get real. If you haven't already, you NEED to stop giving your work away for free. Not only does undermine your work, but it undermines ALL artists' works if ad agencies and companies can find photography and artwork for free. I know this ad agency may never respond to my email (they haven't yet and it's been four days since I sent it), but it's a matter of self-worth and principle. The sad part is I already know what they're going to do next: get back on flickr and search for someone who is willing to give their photography/artwork away for free in exchange for the excitement of seeing their work in print. Don't let this person be you. Start charging for ALL usage of your work (and if it's really creative/unique/one-of-a-kind, charge A LOT). If all photographers/artists do this, then more people will be able to earn a living as photographers/artists. By helping yourself, you will be helping an entire industry of struggling creatives. As for the ad agency, they should know better.

Published in Elle Girl Korea July 2010

My work is featured in the July 2010 issue of Elle Girl Korea on page 176!! :) More photos here: http://tinyurl.com/29hd5fn