"Delicately" by Bodhi Smith

Aug 12, 2022

"delicately" is my new blog and newest impression taken no too long ago in mid-july...
 
"you have to make each body motion "delicately" to shoot from this location. it's not for the faint-of-heart or anyone intimidated by heights and abrupt falloffs...being at this vantage point is a delicacy, especially at night as i've done here. you've got to be absolutely certain of each delicate movement, or the certainty of death and delicateness of your life will be exposed from dropping off a 750ft exposure" ― bodhi, delicately
 
"amazing 
is love, yet love's
amazingly delicate. 
love can give us extra strength, yet 
sometimes makes us weak...
we need to treat love delicately. 
it cannot be forced or coerced. 
we cannot hold on to it, but 
instead must let it flow 
freely without thought or reason....
whenever love is present, 
life is nothing short of 
amazing" 
 
"as delicate as flower, as tender as rose petals, choosing to be tender and kind in a harsh environment is not weakness, it's courage" ― luffina lourduraj 
 
"pure your gentle name, pure your fragile life, bees, shadows, fire, snow, silence and foam, combined with steel and wire and pollen to make up your firm and delicate being" ― pablo neruda
 
"eventually tides will be the only calendar you believe in…
and someone’s face, whom you love, will be as a star
both intimate and ultimate,
and you will be heart-shaken and respectful.

and you will hear the air itself, like a beloved, whisper
oh let me, for a while longer, enter the two
beautiful bodies of your lungs...

look, and look again.
this world is not just a little thrill for your eyes.

it’s more than bones.
it’s more than the delicate wrist with its personal pulse.
it’s more than the beating of a single heart.
it’s praising.
it’s giving until the giving feels like receiving.
you have a life- just imagine that!
you have this day, and maybe another, and maybe
still another…

and i have become the child of the clouds, and of hope.
i have become the friend of the enemy, whoever that is.
i have become older and, cherishing what i have learned,
i have become younger.

and what do i risk to tell you this, which is all i know?
love yourself. then forget it. then, love the world"
 
"behold how delicate the heart is, that a morsel of dust clouded its moon in obscurity" ― jalaluddin rumi, hush don't say anything to god
 
"the true essence of life exists in the in-between. it is in the striving, that your excellence is exposed to the world. it is in the setbacks, that the strength of your spirit is learned. there lies a delicate balance, because in the unfinished dream lies the full and burning heart of life" ― beau taplin (with some additions by bodhinku), the ascent
 
"a new beginning is the most delicate time to be sure that balances exist. be genuine, truthful, and compassionate. be open to both the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. have no expectations or preconceptions. live delicately and strongly. love will flow into and through you freely and you will discover life is good, so good" ― bodhi, delicately
"sometimes we gain the most strength from those things in our life that are the most delicate " ― bodhi, delicately
 
pictured here is a delicate place...it is delicate arch from a vantage point that must be tread upon delicately...this song by a favorite alternative band of mine fits so wonderfully with my blog and impression today, both in title as well as in the message of the lyrics ..."delicate place" by spoon ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...
 
"i got nothing, you got something. i feel out of place looking through your window into the delicate place. reflections stating obvious mating holds...i'll own up to you if you own up to me. i'll picture for you if you picture for me...have you got the answer? have i yet won the part? is this just your way of breaking my heart? everyone denies it but they just want to be told: i'll hold if for you if you hold it for me. i'll picture for you if you picture for me. the delicate place...the questions it raises, the delicate place. i got nothing, you got something. i feel out of place looking through that window into the delicate place. i'll own up to you if you own up to me. i'll picture for you if you picture for me. the delicate place. the questions it raise the delicate place. the delicate place the delicate place..." ― spoon, delicate place
 
"my thoughts about "delicately" revolve around the strength we find in all the things seen as delicate in our life. its from the things perceived as fragile that we truly find our resolve more often than not" ― bodhi, delicately
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MEANING
"although love is eternal, it's amazingly delicate, needing to be treated delicately...but the strength we receive from love is nothing short of amazing" ― bodhi, delicately

"delicately" is defined by merriam-webster as:
1.  in a very careful or finely judged manner
2. gently; using finesse with something fragile
 
there are of course multiple meanings behind my naming this impression "delicately"....
 
most obviously is the fact that the arch pictured here is named "delicate" arch...
 
but you have to make each body motion "delicately" to shoot from this location. it's not for the faint-of-heart or anyone intimidated by heights and abrupt falloffs...being at this vantage point is a delicacy, especially at night as i've done here. you've got to be absolutely certain of each delicate movement, or the certainty of death and delicateness of your life will be exposed from dropping off a 750ft exposure...
 
and also...you needn't believe something as weak because it appears delicate, just because something looks fragile, doesn't mean it's not inherently strong. so many things we perceive as delicate are very tough things--contemplate the delicate appearance of silk...fibers coming from silk worms create the fabric we know as silk...and when spun, silk it is 5 times stronger by weight than high grades steel, and 10 times tougher than kevlar thanks to its elasticity and ability to stretch and not break. and the silky webs from some spiders is even stronger than this--so literally, a silk handkerchief could help save you from a gunshot...
 
and in my impression pictured here today, there's this arch appearing to be so delicate, hence its name of "delicate" arch, as it's so delicately perched on the edge of a cliff, seemingly so fragile, yet so strong and durable to continue withstanding all the ravages of father time and all the extreme elements of mother nature over millions of years so far...
 
now think about how delicate each of our bodies are, and how fragile our psyche can be...yet how strong we can be when rising to an occasion. 
 
and compared to our delicate bodies, our strong minds have created technologies to help us live longer, and do things that we could not otherwise do...protect ourselves from the elements and other animals, lift and carry things weighing tons, travel overnight to far away locations, fly where there is no oxygen, go to the bottom of oceans, visit the moon, stars, and deep space...
 
plus, think about the strength in numbers we all have together when united ...each of us are stronger when we know we are not alone. we gain strength from being part of a group and part of something bigger than the individual...we are delicate, but so strong as humans united...
 
not only are our minds and bodies fragile, but so too can be love. and romantic love can be especially delicately perched in our hearts...
 
love is amazing, yet amazingly delicate. love can give us extra strength, yet sometimes makes us weak...we need to treat love delicately. it cannot be forced or coerced. we cannot hold on to it, but instead must let it flow freely without thought or reason....whenever love is present, life is nothing short of amazing.
 
and it's amazing how strong each of us can be when we know we are loved by a significant other, or family, or friends, or a fur baby...and think about how our fragile bodies gain strength from love, with belief in something bigger than we are, a universal love, an unprovable faith in the divinity and things beautifully unexplained...
 
"life is a delicate gift sent from the power at the center of the universe. call this force what you may: god, allah, jehovah, jesus, yahweh, divinity, jah, lord, almighty, love...but it's definitely a sacred entity we should not disappoint and be thankful unto each day we get a new sunrise" ― bodhi, love is my religion
 
this tune is perfect for my impression and blog today, delicately sung with verve and meaning by a pop icon...and it simply has an ethereal sound that flows with the feeling of daydreaming while standing under the stars at night, contemplating life, the universe, and everything...a beautiful and profound song, close to my heart and thoughts today... "delicate" by taylor swift ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...
 
"this ain't for the best. my reputation's never been worse, so you must like me for me. we can't make any promises now can we, babe? but you can make me a drink. dive bar on the east side, where you at? phone lights up my nightstand in the black. come here; you can meet me in the back. dark jeans and your nikes, look at you. oh, damn, never seen that color blue. just think of the fun things we could do. 'cause i like you. this ain't for the best. my reputation's never been worse, so you must like me for me. yeah, i want you. we can't make any promises now can we, babe? but you can make me a drink. is it cool that i said all that? is it chill that you're in my head? 'cause i know that it's delicate (delicate). is it cool that i said all that? is it too soon to do this yet? 'cause i know that it's delicate. isn't it, isn't it, isn't it? isn't it? isn't it, isn't it, isn't it? isn't it delicate?...third floor on the west side, me and you. handsome, you're a mansion with a view. do the girls back home touch you like i do? long night with your hands up in my hair. echoes of your footsteps on the stairs. stay here, honey, i don't want to share. 'cause i like you. this ain't for the best, my reputation's never been worse, so you must like me for me. yeah, i want you. we can't make any promises now can we, babe? but you can make me a drink. is it cool that i said all that? is it chill that you're in my head? 'cause i know that it's delicate (delicate). is it cool that i said all that? is it too soon to do this yet? 'cause i know that it's delicate. isn't it, isn't it, isn't it? isn't it? isn't it, isn't it, isn't it? isn't it delicate?...sometimes i wonder; when you sleep are you ever dreaming of me? sometimes when i look into your eyes, i pretend you're mine, all the damn time. 'cause i like you. is it cool that i said all that? is it chill that you're in my head? 'cause i know that it's delicate (delicate). yeah, i want you. is it cool that i said all that? is it too soon to do this yet? 'cause i know that it's delicate (delicate). 'cause i like you. is it cool that i said all that? (isn't it?). is it chill that you're in my head? (isn't it, isn't it?). 'cause i know that it's delicate. isn't it delicate? yeah, i want you. is it cool that i said all that (isn't it?). is it too soon to do this yet? (isn't it, isn't it?)...'cause i know that it's delicate, isn't it delicate?" ― taylor swift, delicate
 
"love is a delicately distributed feeling, its like daydreaming as you're standing under the stars all night long, contemplating life, the universe and everything, while at the same time just letting love be, devoid of thought, just letting love become" ― bodhi, delicately
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MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
"our heart and our emotions bring us key information in how we are feeling about our life, our relationships and our world. if we’re not in touch with how we are feeling, we are missing out on some vital keys to living our life in happiness. if you are being called to love, love deeper than you ever have before. if you are being called to time alone to think, honor that. our heart knows what we need. listen to your heart's delicate guidance and see what unfolds, see how things shift instead of just letting the rigidity of your mind make all the calls" ― c. ara campbell
 
"rest with your dream in my dream.
love and pain and work should all sleep, now.
the night turns on its invisible wheels,
and you are pure beside me as a sleeping ember.

no one else, love, will sleep in my dreams. you will go,
we will go together, over the waters of time.
no one else will travel through the shadows with me,
only you, evergreen, ever sun, ever moon.

your hands have already opened their delicate fists
and let their soft drifting signs drop away;
your eyes closed like two gray wings, and i move

after, following the folding water you carry, that carries
me away. the night, the world, the wind spin out their destiny.
without you, i am your dream, only that, and that is all" 
 
"i have never been in the body really; just a delicate thread joins me with the body. and i am continuously surprised that somehow the whole must be willing me to be here—because i am no longer here with my own strength, i am no longer here on my own. it must be the will of the whole to keep me here, to allow me to linger a little more on this shore. maybe the whole wants to share something with you through me" ― osho, the book of nothing
 
"standing in the most fragile place of her life, she turned to the only net she knew—herself" ― delia owens, where the crawdads sing
 
"the pleasure of the true dreamer does not lie in the substance of the dream, but in this: that there things happen without any interference from his side, and altogether outside his control. great landscapes create themselves, long splendid views, rich and delicate colours, roads, trees, which he has never seen or heard of..." ― isak dinesen, out of africa
 
"the unifying theme is resilience and faith. the unifying theme is being a warrior and a motherfucker. it is not fragility. it’s strength. it’s nerve" ― cheryl strayed, wild: from lost to found on the pacific crest trail
 
"anything that is happy and at peace people mistake for weakness. it's not your job to change these people, but it's your job to show them that your peace and gentleness do not equate to weakness. i have always appeared to be fragile and delicate but the thing is, i am not fragile and i am not delicate. i am very gentle but i can show you that the gentle also possess a poison. i compare myself to silk. people mistake silk to be weak but a silk handkerchief can protect the wearer from a gunshot. there are many people who will want to befriend you if you fit the description of what they think is weak. the truth is that it is you who are strong, and it is you who has courage. i have lost many a friend over the fact that when they attempt to rip me, they can't. they accuse me of being deceiving; i am not deceiving, i am just made of silk. it is they who are stupid and wrongly take gentleness and fairness for weakness. there are many more predators in this world, so i want you to be made of silk. you are silk" ― c. joybell c.   
 
"everyone should consider his body as a priceless gift from one whom he loves above all, a marvelous work of art, of indescribable beauty, and mystery beyond human conception, and so delicate that a word, a breath, a look, nay, a thought may injure it" ― nikola tesla
 
"it isn't ever delicate to live" ― kay ryan
 
"dreams, the most delicate and intangible of things, can prove remarkably difficult to kill" ― neil gaiman. fragile things
 
"the greatest mania of all is passion: and i am a natural slave to passion: the balance between my brain and my soul and my body is as wild and delicate as the skin of a ming vase" ― hunter s. thompson, the curse of lono
 
"an honorable human relationship–that is, one in which two people have the right to use the word "love"–is a process, delicate, violent, often terrifying to both persons involved, a process of refining the truths they can tell each other...it is important to do this because it breaks down human self-delusion and isolation...it is important to do this because in doing so we do justice to our own complexity...it is important to do this because we can count on so few people to go that hard way with us" ― adrienne rich, on lies secrets and silence
 
"roses have both petals and thorns, my dark flower. you needn’t believe something weak because it appears delicate. show the world your bravery" ― kerri maniscalco, stalking jack the ripper
 
"the more you worry, the more you throw off the delicate balance of hormones required for health" ― andrew j. bernstein
 
"the voice of love is so delicate that it is easy to stifle it, but it is also so clear that it is impossible to mistake it" ― madame de stael
 
"true strength is delicate" ― louise berliawsky nevelson
 
"when you see how fragile and delicate life can be, all else fades into the background" ― jenna morasca
 
"the reactions of the human heart are not mechanical and predictable, but infinitely subtle and delicate" ― daisaku ikeda
 
"one of the core organizing principles of my life is that success comes through a delicate balance between making things happen and letting things happen" ― robin s. sharma 

"hearts that are delicate and kind and tongues that are neither--these make the finest company in the world" ― logan pearsall smith
 
"love and kisses on all your delicate pink parts!" ― (george kuffs (hristian slater), kuffs motion picture
 
"remember: a woman is like a delicate rose, if you treat her with care and respect, she will bloom" ― jalaluddin rumi, in the arms of the beloved
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ABOUT THIS IMPRESSION
"love is amazing, yet amazingly delicate. love can give us extra strength, yet sometimes makes us weak...we need to treat love delicately. it cannot be forced or coerced. we cannot hold on to it, but instead must let it flow freely without thought or reason....whenever love is present, life is nothing short of amazing" ― bodhi, delicately
 
pictured here is an alternative point of view and perspective of the famous delicate arch located in arches national park close to moab, utah...seen here is a vantage point located directly across the gorge from the arch, one that i've seldom ever seen any other photographer capture other than myself over the years...it's high up on a cliff's edge of a spire. such a peaceful view point, as you are all alone, with none of the crowds, cameras, and noise that happens over under the arch...
 
however, it's a place only for the daring, as it's a sight considerably treacherous to climb out onto, and then again back off of (especially in the dark!), and it's directly exposed to over 270 degrees of a nasty and deadly 750ft dropoff...i'm not scared of heights, but when i'm perched at this spot, it has all of my attention and respect. still, i thrive off the adrenaline rush filled with danger and nervous excitement...
 
here i'm always cautious and overly mindful of my movements. i'm extremely cognizant of each move i make, because a misplaced piece of equipment could cause it to fall to its demise, and worse yet, any mistaken step or slip of mine would be fatal for me...it's quite the exciting site none-the-less, and i've often sat at this aerie and chilled out away from all the crowds, without taking any pictures while clients of mine explored all the more familiar and traditional shots delicate arch across the way...
 
but on this night this past july i was all alone, just me with no clients, no friends, and no besos...doggies are not permitted on any of the trails in arches national park...and i captured something quite special i believe...hope you love this one as much as i do, because this one totally takes my breath away figuratively and literally...
 
now for some camera specifics...
 
this impression is comprised of two separate exposures taken a couple hours apart...one was captured a few mins after sunset at 8:08pm mst (f/11@24mm for 11 secs, iso-64), and the other was captured at 10:35pm mst (f/1.4@24mm for 11 secs, iso-4000) as the moon was beginning to rise on july 15th, 2022...
 
in my photography, i always use filters to create longer exposure effects, saturate colors naturally, and balance the light in my composition in-camera...i often use as many as four filters at time, and i always use at least one filter in my completed impressions...
 
to get the effects and balance i was looking for in the delicate arch exposure of this composition (f/11@24mm for 11 secs, iso-64), i used two progreyusa filters along with the progrey g-120z antarctic magnetic holder to secure these filters to my nikon d850 with a nikon nikkor 24mm f/1.4 prime lens ... 
 
first, a 3.0 nd progrey antarctica filter to bring the light in the image down 10 stops and permit for the longer 11 second exposure in brighter light which also naturally saturates all the red and blue (rgb) hues in the image...
 
combined with the second filter, a 0.9 gnd progrey aurora filter to help balance in-camera overall the image the way i envisioned it...in this case, to stop down the much brighter light in the sky, the post-sunsetting light, an extra three stops and help permit details in the shadows of the rocks and cliff band in the lower right hand parts of the image to come out better in the exposure... 
 
for the separate exposure of the stars and clouds and jupiter and the moonrise (f/1.4@24mm for 11 secs, iso-4000), no filters were necessary, so none were used...
 
wish to openly thank my sponsors who have always supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this long exposure impression would not be possible without the use of my induro phq3 series 5-way panhead with an induro (now benro) stealth carbon fiber tripod in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use with every photo i take...
 
"you were blessed with 84,600 seconds today, have you used one of them to say thank you?" ― bodhi, blessed 
 
"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i hope, if i cry, if i think, if i sigh, if i giggle, if i dance, if i love, if i breathe, then i have lived a full days worth of life...nothing is wasted, nothing" ― bodhi, if 
 
"i do not want you to just be into my photography, instead, i'd much rather you take a journey into my pictures, and feel the impression i have created, feel it with all your senses" ― bodhi, into my photo
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary " ― bodhi, my diary
 
"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty, content to be completely incomplete. stop the rush. slow down time. breathe and notice. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. hush. relax. seize this higher moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colours of light whisper as they envelope you. see the melody and harmony that float about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence. now discover your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith with all your senses. this is my world. awaken!" ― bodhi, my world
 
leave you today wishing that bright joy 
and spiritual peace fill your life...
imploring you to make every moment count, 
no matter what, always and forever, 
for that is the only thing that truly matters... 
  
and above all else,
i hope this message and impression find you well.
 
namaste,
bodhi
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please visit me at:

http://www.bodhismith.com
http://www.instagram.com/bodhismith
http://www.facebook.com/Bodhi.Impressions

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