"Gift of Namaste" by Bodhi Smith

Dec 24, 2022

merry christmas and happy holidays to all! this image of mine called "gift of namaste" embodies all of my own personal feeling of the holidays, feeling mixed of my background with christian and jewish bloodlines, plus feeling of buddhism, taoism, hinduism, islam, baha'i, and our native american religions...it's a favorite impression of mine and a re-release from over six years ago in october of 2016...
 
i hope you enjoy this beautiful impression of this colourful japanese maple tree, one of my most popular all-time, and this new blog today, with my thoughts, my words, and the music selections herein... i strive for my message today in its entirety to be hopeful, uplifting, cheering, relaxing, and endearing in mood and its layered simplicity...merry christmas and happy holidays to all!
 
"i know 
i've been 
blessed on 
this day...
and in humble 
awareness to
beauty before 
me, i place 
the palms of 
my hands together, with 
my thumbs tight to 
my chest and my fingers 
pointing upward toward 
my chin, and i bow 
my head in
thanks to 
honor the divinity 
i feel coming from 
this tree before 
me...truly a gift of 
namaste" 
 
"spread love everywhere you go...let no one ever come to you without leaving happier" ― mother teresa, a simple path
 
"you are immortal...because you are life, and life cannot die. you are in the trees, the butterflies, the fish, the air, the moon, the sun. wherever you go, you are there, waiting for yourself" ― don miguel ruiz, the four agreements  
 
"i thank you god for this most amazing day, being with you, and for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes" ― e.e. cummings
 
"nature's own masterpieces will never go away. if i am able to cast just a few of them in favorable light, and convince you, the viewer, to look at them again with greater appreciation and perhaps a fresh perspective, then i have succeeded as an artist" ― scott l. christensen, what about free will?  
 
“i felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, colours, trees...i thought, "this is what it is to be happy" ― sylvia plath, the bell jar  
 
"keep your spirits up in the branches of a tree and i do not peek out too far" ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi
 
"sometimes living is not such an easy task. being here or there, the spirit is the same, only changes the place where shows. here, the make-up is of meat...there is infinite light. in the flesh, or out of it, what makes balance is what thinks and what creates. each thought, a vibration, each action, a reaction...that doesn't change with the death of the body. because actually nobody dies. we are immortal divine existences, believing or not...so many lives, so many experiences. so many faces, so many dreams. to each life new opportunities, new learnings...the soul requests, thirsty to experiment, feel, develop, evolve, grow and so it goes...the spirit obeys. enters and exit the perishable bodies. gets right and misses, rehearses, conquers and proceeds...the spirit is a gift of the architect of the universe for the benefit of all. it's light. it's love. it's eternal. in the astral or in the earth, there is desire to educate the thought and to clean the energies around yourself...gives some work to do that spiritual maintenance, but it is worthwhile. it is light that cleans the light! so never forget you are imperishable consciousness...may a light circle involve and illuminate each soul...much light and love in each heart that pulses in the heart of the whole." ― dave zebian
 
and this is the perfect music to hear as you read through my blog today. what you will be listening to meditative music of the holiday seasons upon us now, the video is totally complete with lyrics even though it is all instrumental...it truly builds a seasonal serenity within, and fits my impression just as beautifully as it sounds... three hours of relaxing christmas music. ...it is wonderful flowing ambiance, as you continue to read the rest of my blog today...(just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the any song in this entire blog)... 
 
"i only have eyes for her, it's only onto her that i wish to focus all of my adoration. i'm amazed at her timeless soul, infiniteless heart, and her patience as so many people just walk past her and pay no attention to her beauty. can't they all see that they just missed one of the best things they could ever have gotten to know?"  ― bodhi, gift of namaste
----------------------    
 
MEANING
"layered simplicity is something i try to discover daily, and truly is what gives me a merry christmas and happy holidays...i want to be covered in comforting blankets of minimalism in my life, just as in my photos, with no distractions from my focus...i want to breathe in a purified sensation that fills my soul with peaceful serenity, a heart-warming beauty that lingers within me as i exhale and bow humbly, saying namaste to this magical world, a gift in which i get to live, and love"  ― bodhi, gift of namaste
 
the word "namaste" is not easy to translate or even define, as it has a meaning that is derived from multiple feelings combined with a gesture of humble awareness...directly translated, namaste means: "the light in me honors and bows the light in you"...

this impression is named "gift of namaste" and it is a composition of one of the lesser known japanese maple trees that grow in portland, oregon. and this glowing impression instantly became one of my own personal favorites: i love trees, i love color, i love magic, i love romance, i love hidden beauty...and i love to love lov trees...this image has all of that and more. i found romance and magic in the color and hidden beauty of this little tree set off from the beaten path. for me, this tree pulls in the resonance of a woman, so i'll personify her as just that: a japanese lady in a shinto garden.

i know now that i was destined to find this tree long before i entered the shinto garden on this day in october three and a half years ago. i've had visions of this tree in my subconscious...in dreams and deja vu. i knew i'd love this tree long before i ever met her. she was placed in the middle of my path which i walk in life on purpose to remind me. it was her fate as well to encounter me and engage me in a lovely romance with my camera, and then thus become part of my life forever.

this tree stands alone, yet is part of a bigger grove of trees different from her, but protecting her from other elements, showing a wisdom for her growth in her world. this tree is both delicate and majestic at the same time...having a commanding presence but still being able to blend in with the less noticed background, mingle in, devoid from all the noise of motion and movement elsewhere in washington park. she is a splendid duality of being both assertive and meek...both real and transcendent...how could i not fall in love with her light instantly?

"her love shined into me, just as as the sun shines through the leaves in colorful silence"― bodhi, gift of namaste

this tree, this wonderful gift to me, is in the middle of her own life's journey, yet more beautiful to my eyes than all of the other much younger trees in the nearby japanese garden. i only have eyes for this tree, for her...it's only onto her that i wish to focus all of my adoration. i'm amazed at her timeless soul, infiniteless heart, and her patience as so many people just walk past her and pay no attention to her beauty. can't they all see that they just missed one of the best things they could ever have gotten to know?? and somehow she knows that only i know this truth....

honestly, i've never seen anything so lovely as this tree. this beautiful tree is a gift for whoever meets her, as she is unassuming and humble, yet receptive to spend time with anyone who will just show her honor and respect her light, in other words, "namaste"... i'm truly the lucky one to have stopped and noticed; to have been graced by her presence. i'm humbled and honored to have been given the gift of her beauty and soul in this simple photographic composition. now, she has forever become a permanent part of me through my photography. all i can say to sum it all up is: namaste...
 
"and i hope to one day share the gift of namaste with her...she knows who she is, she is out there today and tomorrow somewhere, enjoying the holidays, but still looking and longing to find me...this tree is, and always will be a metaphor of personified in her..."  ― bodhi, gift of namaste
 
and this tune is splendidly perfect for my mood, impression and blog today for the holidays...it's all about the idea that best gift we can ever receive (or give) is by no means any material thing that makes us happy. it's only in the loving arms and embrace of that significant another that truly matters, it's in those arms that we find the greatest gift of all, the gift of namaste, the gift of real joy... "greatest gift of all" by kenny rogers and dolly parton. ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"dawn is slowly breaking. our friends have all gone home. you and i are waiting for santa clause to come. there's a present by the tree, stockings on the wall, and knowing you're in love with me is the greatest gift of all...the fire is slowly fading. chill is in the air. all the gifts are waiting for children everywhere. through the window i can see snow begin to fall. knowing you're in love with me is the greatest gift of all. just before i go to sleep, i hear a church bell ring. merry christmas everyone! is the song it sings. so i say a silent prayer for creatures great and small: peace on earth, good will to men is the greatest gift of all. peace on earth, good will to men is the greatest gift of all" ― kenny rogers and dolly parton, greatest gift of all.
 
"a tree cannot move much, but oh my god, how they move me so much" ― bodhi, a tree   
---------------------- 
 
MORE BODHI QUOTES
and now here are a few more quotes from bodhi (a.k.a.bodhinku). from past blogs to help bring a little deeper meaning to this image and my deeper thoughts...
 
"he loved her, she was his true art. and he loved all of her colors, she was his favorite color, the most beautiful color in the world...but trying to explain the beautiful color of her to someone else, would be as impossible as trying to explain the beauty of an exploding rainbow" ― bodhi, exploding rainbow 
 
"a tree cannot move much, but oh my god, how they move me so much" ― bodhi, a tree 
  
"she danced with 
her own reflection, 
absorbed in a trance 
of morning light, 
a glowing impression, 
whose sheer beauty 
was pure and simply, 
her timeless simplicity" 
 
"our life is a coloring book...together we color our world onto the vibrant pages with our radiant hues, saturating and warming our lives with a beauty that's so filled with colorful luminosity, just like sparkling sunbeams shining through a thousand colorful leaves ablaze on autumn trees" ― bodhi, h-s-l 
 
"have the courage to embrace life, before it is too late, make every moment count no matter what, especially at times when everything seems to be falling down around you, reach out and hold on simultaneously, to your rock with all your strength, wrap a smile around a giggle, persevere through, and you feel more alive than ever, trust me...” ― bodhi, strength and courage  
  
"be the lone tree standing in the misty rain, branches outstretched upward tasting the fog, waiting for the air to clear, waiting for clouds to break and give way to blue skies...waiting for the sunbeams to sing down and warm your soul all the way down to your wet roots" ― bodhi, sound of sunshine 
 
"the most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen in a photograph. they must be felt with the heart"  ― bodhi, perception
 
"falling into the mist
through colorful trees
on wings of love

becoming a part
of colors ablaze
in autumn's leaves

holding each color
with floating kisses
on sighs of feathers" 
 
"if i were the trees, i would have my leaves transform to yellow and let them light up the sky with golden shade at sunset, and then they would circle about your head as they float down, falling in piles at your feet, so that you might know this wonder of falling in love" ― bodhi, trees 
 
"just as a autumn transforms a beautiful tree, fully ablaze in only its best colors, and blooming in full wisdom from all the seasons, so will the words well spoken bring out the best in the one who puts them into practice" ― bodhi, ablaze in practice
   
"the tree tops whisper your name when i'm missing you the most. your shadow is observing me... it all reminds me how much more my life glows in your presence" ― bodhi, glows 
 
"passion's colorings
butterflies with spirit wings
as love's voice sings" ― bodhi, color sings (a haiku)  
----------------------   
 
STORY BEHIND THE IMAGE
"this tree is both delicate and majestic at the same time...having a commanding presence but still being able to blend in with the less noticed background, mingle in, devoid from all the noise of motion and movement elsewhere. she is a splendid duality of being both assertive and meek, both real and transcendent...how could i not fall in love with her light instantly?"  ― bodhi, a gift of namaste
 
i had ventured past this sport so many times in washington park (portland, oregon) on walks my pup the dude, but this shinto garden was always closed off with a gated fence because it was on private access land..then one day, a gentleman was there doing some gardening and i approached him asking him if i could shoot this tree of his...you could see in his eyes and body language that he was very apprehensive of my approach, so i did not pressure him, only gave him my business card and asked him to look at my work, think about it, and give me a response later on whether i could take images of his beautiful japanese maple tree...
 
he only replied that he would need to ask his parents' permission (out of respect for them) to allow me to photograph the tree, and then he'd let me know the following day...oddly, i saw no parents around, so part of me thinks maybe he was asking his parents who had probably planted this tree years ago and had since passed...but he gave me his word he would respond to my request asap...
 
the following day, he remained true to his word and called me, he said that he and his parents would be honored for me to shoot the tree, as long as i respected it...so i did that next day in the afternoon, and they got the first print of this image you see here as my thanks for allowing me the privilege to capture such a wonderful soul, this colorful and delicate japanese maple tree...namaste to them (the gentleman asked me to respect the privacy of the family and did not want their names used in my publications or social media releases)...
 
btw, this is not that "famous" tree that has been captured close by at the japanese garden in portland by peter lik and thousands of other followers and photographers. as far as i know, this is a unique composition of a japanese maple tree that quite possibly has never been captured professionally before. this tree is located in one of the private shinto temples located in portland, oregon, and, one that happened to be open on the date (october 3, 2016) i was visiting portland...
 
and...these japanese maples are very delicate and with being at a northern latitude in portland, oregon they are more susceptible to extreme weather changes...and as such, a little bit of sadness to report, when i revisited here in the spring of 2019, i was saddened to see that frost damage had destroyed the branches off the right hand side from the main fork at the bottom of the tree trunk...pretty much half of this beautiful tree has now broken away...but my image here is very much a documented record of just how glamorous and beautiful this tree used to be, and will always be beautiful to me no matter what...
 
"i love trees, i love color, i love magic, i love romance, i love hidden beauty...and i love to love loving trees"― bodhi, i love trees
----------------------
 
THE MEANING OF NAMASTE
"she's unassuming and humble, yet receptive to spend time with anyone who will just show her honor and respect her light, in other words, 'namaste'... i'm truly the lucky one to have stopped and noticed; to have been graced by her presence. i'm humbled and honored to have been given the gift of her beauty and soul in this simple photographic composition. now, she's forever become a permanent part of me through my photography" ― bodhi, namaste

"namaste is the equivalent of hello, but with an element of respect," writes author and journalist deepak singh...in fact, namaste is not solely a yoga word, according to the spiritual science resource foundation. the word can be broken down: nama means "bow." this gesture is seen as one bows forward with both hands together. holding both hands together closest to the heart chakra indicates the prayer position. moving hands to the center facing the teacher (or yogi) acknowledges and thanks the teacher for the practice.

when a person greets another with the feeling that "i am paying obeisance to the soul in the other," then a ring of spiritual emotion is created within him. namaste creates vibrations to the one receiving the gesture. namaste creates a loop of bliss to pass positive energy on to the one receiving the gesture. heart centers and chakras are said to connect during the divine saying.

"when your mind is fully withdrawn in superconsciousness, it becomes centered in the bliss of the spine," paramahansa yogananda, author of autobiography of a yogi, says. "you are then in your ideational, or causal, body. that is the level of the soul."

namaste is the common greeting in yoga. it is a gesture to send a message of peaceful spirituality to the universe in the hopes of receiving a positive message back. most say namaste as a means to thank the teacher or use as an expression of relief upon the ending of the class. in modern cultures, however, namaste is taken to a new level of meaning. it goes beyond a spiritual chant and a divine greeting. some yogis in india do not utter the word namaste. however, in western cultures, it is very well received as a greeting of endearment...

"in essence, namaste is recognizing we're all equal," says miami-based yogi sara quiriconi. "during the class, we're working hard on figuring out our own ticks, tendencies, and inner work, but as we end the class and before we go on with our day facing the rest of the world doing the 'out work,' the namaste is like a baton pass to take what you've learned on the mat with you off the mat to share."

in india, it is appropriate to use the namaste gesture when greeting colleagues. bring both hands together and center in front of the chest. make a small motion to bow while saying namaste. eyes should be closed, and no objects should be placed in the hands while gesturing. namaste is used to seek forgiveness and is polite to use when accepting wrongdoing.  

it's important to create a ring of spiritual connection while saying namaste. the positive energy exuded creates the auric field of positive spiritual power. only say namaste when meant in a positive manner...second, the lack of physical contact is what creates a more positive aura. if contact is made, the chances of passing negativity increase. when a lack of physical contact is made, the chance of negativity minimizes...last but not least, remember to place your fingertips softly together and simply graze the fingertip pattern, shape, and texture....namaste is a thank you to the world created and around us. the "divine in me honors the divine in you" references the spiritual transfer of the word. honor the individual you are is graced by their presence.
 
“namaste means that my soul acknowledges yours...not just your light, but your wisdom, your goodness, but also your darkness, your suffering, your imperfections. it is a recognition and acceptance of the inexplicable divine absurdity, the miraculous woven into the ordinary, light and darkness intimately entwined in magical, messy humanity. it means that i honor all that you are with all that i am. so, namaste, my fellow travelers. i'm so glad we're on this trek through the universe together" ― l.r. knost, 2000 kisses a day
 
“namaste means that whatever is precious and beautiful in me honors whatever is precious and beautiful in you" ― debasish mridha  
----------------------   
 
MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
more music you can listen to as you read on with my blog. this is another favorite song of mine, one most people might have never heard before, "peace" by oar....this song is very poignant to this image, as well as very soothing to the soul about getting past things and forgiving, finding peace...and easy on the ears as you read along... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...
 
"i don't wanna fight no more. i only wanna get to shore. baby don't slam the door tonight, we ran another off the tracks, that's time we can't get back...we can save tomorrow if we try, oh oh oh oh until we make this right. oh oh oh oh i won't say good night. i just wanna make you laugh. i just wanna see that smile...babe we're only here, oh for a little while. i just wanna hold you till we fall asleep. i want love, i want us, i want you, i want me, i want peace...everybody needs a place, somewhere that's warm and safe for shelter from this crazy world we're in. but tonight i let the rain inside, i took away your place to hide. i'm sorry that i made you cry again. oh oh oh oh we can make this right. oh oh oh oh kiss me good night. i just wanna make you laugh. i just wanna see that smile...babe we're only here, oh, for a little while. i just wanna hold you till we fall asleep. i want love, i want us, i want you, i want me, i want peace..." ― oar, peace. 
 
"the gift of truth excels all other gifts"  ― siddhartha gautama buddha, the dhammapada   
 
“praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. to be happy, rest like a giant tree in the midst of them all" ― gautama buddha, sayings of buddha  
 
"love is of all the passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart, and the senses" ― lao tzu, lao te ching  
 
"no matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that's our real disaster" ― dalai lama xiv, the art of happiness
 
"your body is a forest—thick canopies of trees and sweet scented wildflowers sprouting in the underwood. you will grow back, over and over, no matter how badly you are devastated" ― beau taplin, the blueprint
 
"you are all the places you have been, the sights you have seen, the marvels you have achieved, and every soul you have touched. each passing moment is another brushstroke on the canvas. so rise, live always with passion and heart, and someday you will look back on your life and see a work of art" ― beau taplin
  
"thank you for teaching me where to draw the line between what i can forgive and what i know i deserve" ― beau taplin, the boundary line
 
"there are no half measures in love, only all or nothing, and if it doesn’t make you tremble or go mad at the very thought of its absence, it is not love" ― beau taplin
 
"when you create a piece of art, you can stop at any time. you can reach a point where it starts to look all right, where the canvas starts to take shape and begins to look like something. you can put down the brush and you can step away from the easel any time you want. you could keep going. you could keep playing with it, keep layering the paint and seeing where it takes you. maybe into a rainbow love and of what your dreams are made, pure joy. "but what if i wreck it", the cautious little voice inside says. "maybe i should stay where it is and not mess it up. i mean it’s all right, right?" art is sort of like life. sometimes we don’t move for fear that what we have is good enough and if we make a false step we’re going to wreck it. sometimes we have a hard time imagining anything other than what we see in front of us. sometimes our experiences have taught us not to hope for anything other than the basic whitewash on canvas. life is always going to make your horizons stretch. with every breath you are expanding. with every day you are being called to pick up the brush and touch up what it is you are wanting to see on your canvas. there’s nothing wrong with it. that’s life. but you aren’t going to wreck anything. this is all your path. the stuck bits, the busy parts. the decisions, the contrast, the change and all the stuff in between. it’s all our road. on the easel of life, you can put the brush down at any time. you can step back and take a long hard look at your canvas. you can sit there and stare at it as long as you need. it’s not going anywhere. and you are always able to pick that palette back up, put the bristles to the canvas and recolor the surface at any time. that’s the beauty of art and life. there really is no end, only blending from one hue to the next, like with the colors in a rainbow. it’s always a work in progress. and life can be a rainbow if you take the chance and let it." ― c. ara campbell
 
"she was at once a mystical journey into the heart of the earth and the calm found in the fading light of sunset. she was like a moonless sky; dark, deep and eternal. upon her skin a blanket of stars was scattered to be traced by knowing fingers..." ― c. ara campbell, into the unknown
 
"what did the trees learn from the earth, to be able to talk with the sky? ...and why do the tress conceal the splendor of their roots?" ― pablo neruda, the book of questions
 
“even the tallest trees are able to grow from tiny seeds, like the redwoods. remember this, and try not to rush time" ― paulo coelho, the spy
 
“he especially liked to look at the trees and their reflections in the river. trees are beautiful in deep autumn: greens, yellows, reds, oranges, every shade in between, their dazzling colours glowing with the sun” ― nicholas sparks, the notebook    
 
“look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars… and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. everything is simply happy. trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. look at the flowers - for no reason. it is simply unbelievable how happy trees are.” ― osho
 
"take hold of your own life.
see that the whole existence is celebrating.
these trees are not serious, these birds are not serious.
the rivers and the oceans are wild,
and everywhere there is fun,
everywhere there is joy and delight.
watch existence,
listen to the existence and become part of it"
 
"here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart...i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)” ― e.e. cummings  
 
“the sun shines not on us but in us. the trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love"  ― john muir, the yosemite
 
“and into the forest i go, to lose my mind and find my soul” ― john muir
 
“a great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense and is thereby a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety”  ― ansel adams

“great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds” ― albert einstein

“beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart” ― kahlil gibran, le prophete  

“trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky, we fell them down and turn them into paper, that we may record our emptiness” ― kahlil gibran, le prophete  

“love is like a tree: it grows by itself, roots itself deeply in our being and continues to flourish over a heart in ruin. the inexplicable fact is that the blinder it is, the more tenacious it is. it is never stronger than when it is completely unreasonable" ― victor hugo, the hunchback of notre-dame  

"a tree that longs to reach the heights of heaven must sink its roots to the bottom of the earth" ― friedrich nietzsche, beyond good and evil
 
“to love. to be loved. to never forget your own insignificance. to never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. to seek joy in the saddest places. to pursue beauty to its lair. to never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. to respect strength, never power. above all, to watch. to try and understand. to never look away. and never, never to forget.” ― arundhati roy, the cost of living
 
“i think that i shall never see
a poem lovely as a tree.

a tree whose hungry mouth is pressed
against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

a tree that looks at god all day
and lifts her leafy arms to pray;

a tree that may in summer wear
a nest of robins in her hair;

upon whose bosom snow has lain;
who intimately lives with rain.

poems are made by fools like me,
but only god can make a tree.” 
― joyce kilmer 
 
“why had such a promising world been crucified on the tree of obligation, thorned by duties, hanged by hypocrisy, smothered by customs?” ― richard bach, the bridge across forever
 
"what you will see is love coming out of the trees, love coming out of the sky, love coming out of the light. you will perceive love from everything around you. this is the state of bliss" ― don miguel ruiz, the four agreements
 
"there are going to be truckloads of people who will see the light in you before you see it. they are going to see the tree inside of your seed before you even realize that it's going to be a beautiful tree one day. but they're not going to bend over and reach down towards the flame to say "i see you, keep glowing." they're not going to kneel down and tap the ground and say to the seed "i see you, keep reaching." instead, they're going to try and snuff out the flame, they're going to try and drown the seed. lest you see your brightness; lest you realize you will one day bear fruit! it's tragic, because, how do you protect what you can't even see? put your hand to your chest and feel the warmth of your light; press your hand to the earth and feel the throbbing of the seed that is you; close your eyes, child, and never leave you!" ― c. joybell c.
 
"the trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven” ― rabindranath tagore, stray birds 
 
"the more slowly trees grow at first, the sounder they are at the core, and i think the same is true of human beings" ― henry david thoreau, the journal of henry david thoreau 
 
"the real wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more" ― ralph waldo emerson 
 
“the world is full of magic and colorful things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” ― w.b. yeats  

"the tree which moves one person to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way...but to the eyes of the man of imagination, a tree is imagination itself" ― william blake, auguries of innocence  

"every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree" ― emily bronte, wuthering heights  
 
"she burned too bright for this world" ― emily bronte, wuthering heights  
 
“you know what autumn looks like...the trees go all red and blazing orange and gold, and wood fires burn at night so everything smells of crisp branches. the world rolls about delightedly in a heap of cider and candy and apples and pumpkins and cold stars rush by through wispy, ragged clouds, past a moon like a bony knee...to feel the mellow, golden sun on your skin, more gentle and cozier and more golden than even the light of your favorite reading nook at the close of the day.” ― catherynne m. valente, the girl who circumnavigated fairyland
 
“fall colors are funny. they’re so bright and intense and beautiful. it’s like nature is trying to fill you up with color, to saturate you so you can stockpile it before winter turns everything muted and dreary" ― siobhan vivian, same difference
 
“in october, the sun filled the world with mellow warmth...the maple tree in front of the doorstep burned like a gigantic red torch. the oaks along the roadway glowed yellow and bronze. the fields stretched like a carpet of jewels, emerald and topaz and garnet. everywhere she walked the color shouted and sang around her...in october, any wonderful unexpected thing might be possible” ― elizabeth george speare, the witch of blackbird pond
 
"i think the tree is an element of regeneration which in itself is a concept of time" ― joseph beuys, what is art?

"knowing trees, i understand the meaning of patience..." ― hal borland, seasons  

"how beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days" ― george burns  

"for me, trees have always been the most penetrating preachers. i revere them when they live in tribes and families, in forests and groves. and even more i revere them when they stand alone. they are like lonely persons. not like hermits who have stolen away out of some weakness, but like great, solitary men, like beethoven and nietzsche" ― hermann hesse, siddhartha  
 
“if we surrendered
to earth's intelligence
we could rise up rooted, like trees" 
 
“peace begins with a kind gesture and namaste" ― debasish mridha  
 
"whoever sees you with the eyes of the heart goes ecstatic, but hundreds of branches from the secret worlds are dropping roses at your feet, why do you cut down the tree of contentment?” ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul
 
“be a helpful friend, and you will become a green tree with always new leaves, and always deeper journeys into love" ― jalaluddin rumi, hush don't say anything to god 
 
“don’t ask what love can make or do! look at the colors of the world" ― jalaluddin rumi, in the arms of the beloved  
 
“be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop” ― jalaluddin rumi, a year with rumi  
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ABOUT THE IMPRESSION 
"in dreams and deja vu, i knew i would love this tree long before i ever met her. she was placed in the middle of my path on purpose to remind me. it was her fate as well to encounter me and engage me in a lovely romance with my camera, and then thus become part of my life forever" ― bodhi, fate
 
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 tree exposure (f/8@44mm for .5 sec, iso-64), i used two progreyusa filters along with the progrey g-120z antarctic magnetic holder to secure these filters to my nikon d810 with a nikon nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.... 
 
to create a balance in-camera overall for the image in the exclusive way i envisioned it in my mind's eye before even clicking the shutter release, i chose the 0.9gnd progrey g120 aurora filter, to balance down the brighter upper part of the composition 3 stops wit the 0.6gnd progrey g120 aurora filter, placed inverted to the 0.9gnd to balance down the brighter lower part of the composition 2 stops. placement of the filters in the filter holder this way also allowed me to better pick up the extra glow happening from the sun on the leaves and moss at the center of the tree. to capture this image, i shot upward into the tree's canopy by being positioned at a very low point of view along the truck of the tree. this tree was just starting to get its fall foliage so i was able to capture a mixture of green along with the myriad of red and soft gray/purple tones of the outer leaves...and these colors were just bursting like fireworks as the sun back-lit the leaves. the image was taken at 2:37pm in the low light of a pacific northwest late-afternoon on 10-03-2016...
 
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/bodhi.impressions
http://www.facebook.com/Bodhi.Impressions

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