Higher by Bodhi Smith

Nov 05, 2021

"higher" is my brand new impression and blog...
 
"best friends heaven sent, 
free-spirited feelings, 
free-flowing wine, 
releasing earthly worries, 
living free, 
higher than high, 
touching a higher love, 
under starry skies, 
feeling divinity all night long, 
floating higher than the milky way, 
grounded in warming 
thankfulness" ― bodhinku, higher
 
"there's a hunger, a longing to escape from the life i live when i'm awake, so let's go there. let's make our escape. come on, let's go there, let's ask: can we stay?...can you take me higher?" ― scott stapp (lead singer of creed), higher
 
"we will not always be here, you and i...these bodies are not forever, and yet we swallow the thinking that we have all the time in the world to do as we wish. we clutch our feelings close to us, trying to obscure them against the very skin that yearns for the touch of them. we have few precious breaths on this planet, a finite number of days in which to weave our beautiful stories through the tapestry of time. so let’s take a vow to plunge ourselves head first into the very world that we are here to experience. are you ready? will you make every moment count and live life to the fullest with me, rise higher and higher in love together with me? let's go" ― c. ara campbell, higher
 
"grace is what picks me up and lifts my wings high above, and i fly. higher and higher...grace always conquers. be graceful in everything; in anger, in sadness, in joy, in kindness, in unkindness, retain grace with you, and love will take you higher" ― c. joybell c
 
"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, 100 selected poems
 
"look up higher; notice how the stars shine. look in deeper; notice how the stars shine" ― laura jaworski 
 
"for the first time in longer than i can remember, i feel peaceful. not happy. not sad. not anxious. not horny. just all the higher parts of my brain closing up shop. the cerebral cortex. that's where my problem is. i'm now simplifying myself. somewhere balanced in the perfect middle between happiness and sadness. because sponges never have a bad day" ― chuck palahniuk, fight club 
 
"everything
turns,
rotates,
spins,
circles,
loops,
pulsates,
resonates,
and
repeats.
circles
of life,
born from
pulses
of light,
vibrate
higher, 
higher and higher,
to breathe,
while
spiraling
outwards
for
infinity
through
the lens
of time,
and into
a sea
of stars
and
lucid
dreams" ― suzy kassem, higher
 
"drink wine, talk to god, kiss the ground and be higher than the stars at the same time...and remember, your head does not always need to be higher than your heart" ― bodhinku, higher
 
there could not possibly be a better song to include in my blog with my impression today as this one, for not only does it have the same name "higher" as my image title, but it's a one-of-a-kind magically inspirational tune...a power ballad from 1999, one of my absolute favorites from the 90's that goes along absolutely perfectly with my impression and meaning today. it's a thought-provoking and eloquent tune with powerful instrumentals that spent a record-breaking 17 weeks on the top of the rock radio charts...the song's lyrics touch into lucid dreaming, about wanting to live in the hopes and dreams of a better world, while questioning the cruel reality we live in by asking, "can you take me higher?" this tune is sung so soulfully by lead singer and lyricist scott stapp (who is the stepson of a pentecostal minister), purposefully backed by a hard rock band from florida state university in tallahassee carving out it's own sound from the post-grunge 1990s. it's simply one of those songs that never gets old no matter how many times you play it, no matter how many years pass by... "higher" by creed ... (just click on any of words in the powder-blue links to listen to the song)...

"when dreaming, i'm guided to another world. time and time again at sunrise i fight to stay asleep because i don't want to leave the comfort of this place. because there's a hunger, a longing to escape from the life i live when i'm awake, so let's go there. let's make our escape. come on, let's go there, let's ask: can we stay?... can you take me higher, to the place where blind men see? can you take me higher, to the place with golden streets?...although i would like our world to change, it helps me to appreciate those nights and those dreams. but, my friend, i'd sacrifice all those nights if i could make the earth and my dreams the same. the only difference is to let love replace all our hate. so let's go there. let's make our escape. come on, let's go there. let's ask: can we stay?...can you take me higher. to the place where blind men see? can you take me higher, to the place with golden streets? so let's go there. so let's go there. come on, let's go there, let's ask: can we stay?...up high, i feel like i'm alive for the very first time. set up high i'm strong enough to take these dreams and make them mine. set up high, i'm strong enough to take these dreams and make them mine...can you take me higher, to the place where blind men see? can you take me higher, to the place with golden streets? can you take me higher?" ― creed, higher
   
"as the wine make me higher than high, there's a higher number of stars in the sky than all the grapes in a winery, even as the chapel prays and reaches a higher power in those celestial heavens" ― bodhinku, higher    
----------------------
 
MEANING
"honestly, anything that's connecting the celestial to the terrestrial is going to capture my attention...i love the fact this chapel is sitting high on a hilltop of grapevines yet still rooted to the earth, it's reaching higher, and touching the heavens with a higher meaning of a higher love that gives me goosebumps" ― bodhinku, higher
 
the word "higher" is defined by merriam-webster as:
1. greater than normal, in quantity, size, or intensity
2. greater in rank, status, favorability, or importance
3. to a greater vertical extent
4. feeling extra euphoric with intense happiness and excitement
 
each of these definitions of "higher" can be held to the meaning of my impression today. some grapes are higher than others; the chapel is higher up; the stars are even higher; as the wine make me higher than high, there's a higher number of stars in the sky than all the grapes in a winery, even as the chapel prays and reaches a higher power in those celestial heavens; the impression is on a higher level; i have a higher standard with my photography; sharing this all with my doggie takes me higher and higher in love and joy...
 
who or what takes you "higher"?
 
the idea of "higher" can have so many different meanings for so many different people...for some its learning extra, grabbing for more knowledge and gaining an advanced degree through higher education...or it's all about doing things right or to the best of our ability, and not stooping down to other's lowly ways, holding ourself to a higher standard...or taking things to a higher level, making life extraordinary and not settling for the average mediocrity offered and given to us by too many others...
 
for others, it might be finding a higher power in a god or a faith in divinity, giving the hope of life after death, hope of continuing on eternally after we pass from this world. having faith in a higher power is giving yourself unconditionally to something bigger than yourself, a higher order, a higher law for no other reason, only that you believe...or it's finding a higher meaning of life, answering the question of "why am i here, why do i exist?" and the answers are found in the moments of life. like when we hold our own infant child in our arms, or see the northern lights or a total solar eclipse for the first time, or have our doggie greet us so enthusiastically after a long day at work, or that moment you look deep into some else's eyes and know your truly love them...
 
so "higher" might mean finding a higher love in another special person just the same as us, or a fur-baby who loves us back unconditionally. a higher love that transforms us physically and spiritually to experience feelings to the fullest, inspiring us to live richly on that loving high, to take nothing for granted, accept that love with open arms. making every moment count, no matter what, full of the only thing that matters in this world: love...
 
right now to take me to a higher love, i have the stars and my adventures exploring this earth combined with the 24/7 devotion of my doggie to help me feel needed, belonging, and deeply loved...but that happiness is missing something, i'm missing the touch of a woman. i know she is out there, somewhere. i desperately long for her. i miss her dearly though we have yet to meet. but i believe deeply in her as i walk my path under the stars. and i'll faithfully seek her out, knowing with certainty she's real. and somehow, someday i will finally meet her and discover i've always truly known her as she has known me...but until we meet, i'll continue to long for the touch of a lady. long for her soft fingertips touching my skin, her lips on my lips, her arms and legs embracing me, me touching deep inside her as her touch flows right into my heart and i ask her if she can take me higher, and she says: yes...
 
"i ask her, can you take me higher? she answers with a slow blink of her eyes, yes" ― bodhinku, higher
 
and still to others, "higher" could mean they're just as happy as they can be, they're higher than high, higher than a kite, higher than the tallest mountain, higher than the sky...as is with the meaning for me here on this night under the stars. i find myself so comfortably high and utterly content. i need nothing at this moment. my heart is full of love and my mind is at peace for once. i have everything i need, pure and simple. i am high on life, floating higher and higher up...
 
drink wine, talk to god, kiss the ground and be as high as the stars at the same time...and remember, your head does not always need to be higher than your heart...
 
my god, i'd have to be idiotic not to feel higher on this night...i'm under a starry milky way sky in the middle of a warm summer night, in the middle of central washington in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of cabernet sauvignon grapevines covering fields of rolling hills, with a quaint rock chapel topping the highest hill, in a private vineyard that my doggie and i have all to ourselves (with special permission from the owner)...moments all so breathtakingly beautiful, taking my breath away...
 
"life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away" ― vicki corona, tahitian choreographies 
 
honestly, anything that's connecting the celestial to the terrestrial is going to capture my attention and make me feel so high and happy when i see it and take pictures of it...i love the fact this chapel is sitting high on a hilltop of grapevines yet still rooted to the earth, it's reaching higher, and touching the heavens with a higher meaning of a higher love that gives me goosebumps, makes me high...
 
when i captured this image, the feeling of a being higher than high overcame me so strongly that i already knew exactly what its title would be...i'm dizzy in love, feeling so perfectly insignificant as i was filled with warming thoughts of how i so adore the stars and the milky way and the infinity on high above me...
 
"be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. then life seems almost enchanted after all" ― vincent van gogh
 
you will have the right impression about how this picture makes you feel with this being an  impression of a christian chapel high on a hilltop overlooking a field of heavenly grapevines reaching higher for the beautiful heavens filled with endless stars, the milky way, jupiter, saturn and mars...
 
however, you probably will get the wrong impression for what it means to me, because my definition of being "higher" is elusive to me, so hard to define and describe for me, and so much different than most other people...
 
obviously the cross on top of the chapel is the symbol and meaning of christianity...and although i'm a buddhist and not of the christian faith, i still respect and honor the values and universal life lessons of christianity...some ideals are just good suggestions on how to live a peaceful, giving, and loving life with others that transcends all religions...
 
even if you don't believe in something, it doesn't mean that you still cannot find beauty and wonder in spite of it all...and this chapel symbolizes worshiping something in which i just don't believe...however, it does stand for universal values of love and kindness, and teaches ethics which i hold true....and further, i find beauty in, and respect those true practitioners of what this chapel truly represents...
 
so, i see this field of future wine with it's chapel centered higher up in the middle of it all, it's reaching higher, sprinkled with stardust, glowing with rays of love from the milky way, while still grounded to the earth, but touching the sky at the same time...the feeling of letting go, going higher, feeling higher, drinking in wine and releasing myself of all the noise, giving in to the higher powers of the universe, feeling even higher, breathing one breath at a time. soaking in the meaning of my life, exhaling all that's meaningless...
 
no other title came to mind except the name, "higher" as i heard the chords of the song and lyrics by creed echo through my brain while i was capturing this image under the starry night..."there's a hunger, a longing to escape from the life i live when i'm awake, so let's go there. let's make our escape. come on, let's go there, let's ask: can we stay?...can you take me higher?"
 
and i'm answering that question for myself. just me, living for me to find my higher ground. to go higher, and higher. finding the happiness inside while absorbing the magic of the universe. i've learned the hard way that i can't letting anyone else help me, happiness must come from inside me. living high, life on higher ground. just me and my doggie besos, we're thoroughly enjoying every moment we get, making each and every single possible moment count...

"i'm so glad that i know more than i knew then. gonna keep trying and gonna keep sailing on to higher ground, till i reach the highest ground" ― red hot chili peppers, higher ground (stevie wonder cover)   
 
and just as beautiful, aside from all of the other meanings to me, the pure beauty mixed with the deep symbolism of this image is elevating to my soul...clearly this impression yields yet another universal sign, one for me to follow in life while i discover new and lovely sights, combined with beautiful souls, all sprinkled with stardust and magically unexplainable things along my path these days ...sometimes you just have to have faith in something bigger than yourself, and believe unconditionally in something higher, and a beautiful magic will find you no matter what...
 
when you believe in something and know beyond any doubt that it's real, it goes beyond faith and becomes the most beautiful truth, it's a higher high you can embrace and never let go, for always and forever...
 
"i hope this to be a higher inspiration for everyone" ― bodhinku, higher
 
and here is another inspirational song, full of deeper meaning to help you build a more profound understanding of what i was feeling when i captured this impression...and it is also another tune which carries the same name as the title of my image and blog here before you "higher" by the score ... (just click on any of words in the powder blue links to listen to the musical selection) ...
 
"i've been up, i've been down, seen the world from the ground. but i hear the drumming, now my veins are pumping. scraped my knees, bruised my heart. it's where you end, not where you start. t see them running because they see me coming. i'm done with the noise that life seems to bring. but i'll use my voice, it's my turn to sing. wooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh...you know that all my life, i have been waiting, i have been waiting for this. all my life i have been fighting, i have been fighting for this dream in my soul and i won't let it go. you know that all my life they try to keep me down, but i just get higher. they try to keep me down, but i just get higher...broke my bones, tasted blood. burned my wings close to the sun, but i'll keep on flying. i'm too young for dying because there's a dream i can taste. think it's time i break my chains and run with the giants. like smoke, i'm rising. i'm done with the noise that life seems to bring. but i'll use my voice, it's my turn to sing. you know that all my life i have been waiting, i have been waiting for this. all my life, i have been fighting, i have been fighting for this dream in my soul and i won't let it go. you know that all my life they try to keep me down, but i just get higher. they try to keep me down, but i just get higher. they try to keep me down, but i just get higher. all my life, all my life, there's a dream in my soul and i won't let it go. you know that all my life, they try to keep me down but i just get higher, they try to keep me down, but i just get higher...they try to keep me down, but i just get higher" ― the score, higher
 
"i know you, i've always known you...i believe that. i've known your eyes whenever i looked high above, up into the heavens and saw the stars twinkle and glow, missing you and wondering when i will finally meet you...realizing all these nights of years spent obsessing with the celestial bodies all through the night, feeling higher than high, i'm already looking at you, photographing you, knowing you" ― bodhinku, higher
----------------------
 
MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
here is another extremely meaningful and poignant song with inspirational and apropos lyrics to give listen... "higher love" by red hot chili peppers (stevie wonder cover) ... (just click on any of words in the powder blue links to listen to the song)...  

"people keep on learnin'. soldiers keep on warrin'. world keep on turnin'. cause it won't be too long...powers keep on lyin'. while your people keep on dyin'. world keep on turnin'. cause it won't be too long...i'm so darn glad he let me try it again, cause my last time on earth i lived a whole world of sin. i'm so glad that i know more than i knew then. gonna keep on tryin' till i reach the highest ground...teachers keep on teachin'. preachers keep on preachin'. world keep on turnin'. cause it won't be too long, oh no...lovers keep on lovin'. while believers keep on believin'. sleepers just stop sleepin'. cause it won't be too long, oh no...i'm so darn glad he let me try it again, cause my last time on earth i lived a whole world of sin. i'm so glad that i know more than i knew then. gonna keep on tryin' till i reach the highest ground...and stevie knows that, uh, nobody's gonna bring me down till i reach the highest ground. cause me 'n' stevie, see, we're gonna be a sailin' on the funky funky sound till i reach the highest ground. bustin' out, and i'll break you out, cause i'm sailin' on till i reach the highest ground. just, uh, sailin' on, sailin' on the higher ground till i reach the highest ground" ― red hot chili peppers, higher ground (stevie wonder cover)  
 
"i will not live without a higher love" ― vincent van gogh 
 
"a higher love is born from understanding" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha 
 
"the spirit flies higher in the absence of judgment" ― dalai lama xiv, the art of happiness
 
"you don't need to justify your love, you don't need to explain your love, you just need to practice your love. practice takes you higher" ― don miguel ruiz, the four agreements
 
"you will discover, just as the ballads and novels promise, that a higher love really is forever. it is only the time you have together that is not" ― beau taplin
 
“love does not award itself to the cowardly or indecisive. love is beholden only to the brave and the bold. those who come willing to break bone and bleed for it, to tirelessly climb higher and higher, to go on fighting without reason or hope” ― beau taplin
 
"i crave your mouth, your voice, your hair.
silent and starving, i prowl through the streets.
bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day
i hunt for the liquid measure of your steps.
i hunger for your sleek laugh,
your hands the color of a savage harvest,
hunger for the pale stones of your fingernails,
i want to eat your skin like a whole almond.
i want to eat the starlight flaring in your lovely body,
the sovereign nose of your arrogant face,
i want to eat the fleeting shade of your lashes,
and i pace around hungry, sniffing the twilight,
hunting for you, for your hot heart,
like a puma in the barrens of the night" ― pablo neruda
 
"love makes you rebellious, revolutionary. love gives you wings to soar higher. love gives you insight into things, so that nobody can deceive you, exploit you, oppress you" ― osho, the secret of secrets
 
"love has to be of the quality that gives freedom, not new chains for you; a love that gives you wings and supports you to fly higher than possible" ― osho, book of wisdom
 
"we are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. life is eternal. we have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. this is a precious moment. it is a little parenthesis in eternity" ― paulo coelho, the alchemist   
 
"i will not talk to my own darkness anymore, i promised myself, closing the door on the other...if i must fall, may it be from a higher place" ― paulo coelho, warrior of the light
 
"love is thicker than forget
more thinner than recall
more seldom than a wave is wet
more frequent than to fail

it is most mad and moonly
and less it shall unbe
than all the sea which only
is deeper than the sea

love is less always than to win
less never than alive
less bigger than the least begin
less littler than forgive

it is most sane and sunly
and more it cannot die
than all the sky which only
is higher than the sky" ― e. e. cummings, 100 selected poems
 
"music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy" ― ludwig van beethoven
 
"there are only two symptoms of enlightenment, just two indications that a transformation is taking place within you toward a higher consciousness. the first symptom is that you stop worrying. things don't bother you anymore. you become light-hearted and full of joy. the second symptom is that you encounter more and more meaningful coincidences in your life, more and more synchronicities. and this accelerates to the point where you actually experience the miraculous" ― deepak chopra, synchrodestiny
 
"the higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly" ― friedrich nietzsche
 
"ah, women. they make the highs higher and the lows more frequent" ― friedrich nietzsche
 
"i have drunken deep of joy, and i will taste no other wine tonight" ― percy bysshe shelley
 
"wine comes in at the mouth
and love comes in at the eye;
that's all we shall know for truth
before we grow old and die.
i lift the glass to my mouth,
i look at you, and sigh" ― w.b. yeats, the wind among the reeds
 
"always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. do not bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. try to be better than yourself" ― william faulkner  
 
"mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself; but talent instantly recognizes genius" ― arthur conan doyle, the valley of fear
 
"i know not if this earth on which i stand is the core of the universe, or if it is but a speck of dust lost in eternity. i know not and i care not. for i know what happiness is possible to me on earth. and my happiness needs no higher aim to vindicate it. my happiness is not the means to any end. it is the end. it is its own goal. it is its own purpose" ― ayn rand, anthem
 
"if we surrendered to earth's intelligence, we could rise higher and higher up, but rooted, like trees" ― rainer maria rilke, love poems to god
 
"the perception you need something only creates a fear of losing this something. you are supported by the spirit of the universe, and the light. when we gain a perception where there are no exceptions or needs then there is no perception of lack or created fear when we no longer have it. operate through spirit at all times and let go of the things you perceive you need. and then you are truly operating through full faith, hope and grace that the universe is supporting your life path and soul mission for your highest good, and therefore the highest love of the collective consciousness. live and let go of all which no longer serves as a being of unconditional love which is your birthright" ― natalie jones, awaken the higher self
 
"if we do not believe within ourselves this deeply rooted feeling that there is something higher than ourselves, we shall never find the strength to evolve into something higher" ― rudolf steiner
 
"who would give a law to lovers? love is unto itself a higher law" ― boethius, the consolation of philosophy  
 
"with humble beginnings in swamplands, the lotus flower exquisitely blooms, pure and untainted, from this murky world it thrives in. the lotus flower represents a higher state of mind, a strong spirit cultivated far from the suffering and temptations of this muddied world that personifies beauty through the present moment" ― forrest curran, purple buddha project
 
"surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher" ― oprah winfrey

"you can't heal me.
i can't heal you.
let's not put that pressure on ourselves.
there's still so much we can do for us.
we can love each other hard
as we learn to love ourselves harder.
we can be kind as we stumble through our darkness,
and be patient as we rediscover our light.
we can be as forgiving as the journey demands,
and as accepting as our awareness allows.
we can stand committed through it all,
to our healing and to each other
to rise higher and higher
we can do all that.
and that's enough.
that's plenty" ― scott stapp, creed lead singer  
 
"under my skin, under my skin. got me strugglin' and know where you end and where i begin. and we feel incredible, we feel no pain. you got me feelin' insane, got me strugglin'. and know where you end and where i begin. had my head underwater. had my mind under covers. had my faith in the gutter. underwater, water, water, water, water, oh. but when you look at me, i'm higher, higher, higher. eyes on me, i'm higher, higher, higher. nothing matters at all when i see you with your eyes on me, i'm higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher. huh (i love you). i'ma pop out with her, no lie. i'ma get away, oh baby, we slide head in the clouds when i look in your eyes. i don't got a doubt on the back of my mind that you got it, got it, got it all (got it, got it, got it all). and you know it's you that drives me crazy (know it's you that drives me crazy). had my head (had my head) underwater (underwater). had my mind (had my mind) under covers (undercover). had my faith (my faith) in the gutter (in the gutter). underwater, water, water, water, water, oh (water, water). but when you look at me, i'm higher, higher, higher. eyes on me i'm higher, higher, higher. nothing matters at all when i see you with your eyes on me. i'm higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher. had my head underwater. had my mind undercover. had my faith in the gutter. underwater, water, water, water, water. but when you look (you look) at me (at me), i'm higher, higher, higher. eyes (your eyes) on me (on me), i'm higher, higher, higher. nothing matters at all when i see you with your eyes on me. i'm higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher. i love you" ― clean bandit (with iann dior), higher 
 
"think about it, there must be higher love, down in the heart, or hidden in the stars above. without it, life is wasted time, look inside your heart, i'll look inside mine...things look so bad everywhere. in this whole world, what is fair? we walk blind and we try to see, falling behind in what could be. bring me a higher love, bring me a higher love, bring me a higher love, where's that higher love i keep thinking of?...worlds are turning and we're just hanging on, facing our fear and standing out there alone. a yearning, and it's real to me, there must be someone who's feeling for me...things look so bad everywhere, in this whole world, what is fair? we walk blind and we try to see, falling behind in what could be. bring me a higher love, bring me a higher love, bring me a higher love, where's that higher love i keep thinking of?...bring me a higher love...i could rise above on a higher love. i will wait for it. i'm not too late for it, until then, i'll sing my song to cheer the night along (bring it)...i could light the night up with my soul on fire. i could make the sun shine from pure desire. let me feel that love come over me. let me feel how strong it could be...bring me a higher love, bring me a higher love, bring me a higher love, where's that higher love i keep thinking of?...bring me a higher love...there's that love, bring me higher love, bring me a higher love (higher, high, higher), bring me a higher love..." ― steve winwood, higher love  
 
"every object, every being is a jar full of delight. be a connoisseur, and taste with caution. any wine will get you high. judge like a king, and choose the purest, the ones unadulterated with fear or some urgency about what's needed. drink the wine that moves you, as a camel moves when it's been untied, and is just ambling about" ― jalaluddin rumi, poems of ecstasy and longing
 
"whatever picture you paint, or poem you write, she is beyond that. whatever height you can reach, she is higher than your highest. get rid of your talking and your books...it is far better to let her be your book" ― jalaluddin rumi, hush don't say anything to god 
----------------------
 
ABOUT THE IMPRESSION
"clearly this impression yields yet another universal sign, one for me to follow in life while i discover new and lovely sights, combined with beautiful souls, all sprinkled with stardust and magically unexplainable things along my path these days ...sometimes you just have to have faith in something bigger than yourself, and believe unconditionally in something higher, and a beautiful magic will find you no matter what" ― bodhinku, dawn after the darkness 
   
this impression is comprised of two separate exposures taken in central washington state during the same overnight period and then merged together...the foreground of the chapel and the grapevines was a long exposure and was captured a few minutes before sunset at 8:44pm on june 6th (f/8@170mm for 111 secs, iso-64), and then the exposure of the stars over the grapevines (f/2.8@55mm for 10secs, iso-6400) 5.5hrs later at in the wee hours of the morning at 2:22am on june 7th, 2021...
 
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...
 
and to get the effects and balance i was looking for in the chapel/grapevines exposure of this composition (f/8@170mm for 111 secs, iso-64), i used two progreyusa filters...
 
first, a 3.0 nd progrey antarctica filter to bring the light in the image down 10 stops and permit for the long 1 minute and 51 second exposure which creates the dreamy effect by slightly allowing motion blur of the grapevines in the calm breeze in the foreground, and also to naturally saturating all the red, green, and blue colors (rgb's) in the image...
 
combined with the second filter, a 0.9 reverse 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 at the horizon level of the image an extra three stops and help permit details to be exposed better in the shadows amongst the grapevines... 
 
i also used the progrey g-120z magnetic holder to hold the filters and secure the filters to my nikon d850 with a nikon nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens ... 
 
in order to get the stars and jupiter in the frame with the chapel, i changed the lens for the star exposure to a nikon nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and shot at 55mm. no filters were necessary in the star exposure, so none were used...
 
and with this being a long exposure of 111 seconds, merged later with another exposure of 10 seconds taken 5.5hrs later, a stable and sturdy tripod is an absolute necessity in order to keep the images sharp and keep the two separate images in as close a frame to each other as i possibly could...i 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 induro carbon fiber stealth tripod in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use with every photo i take...
 
"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" ― bodhinku, if nothing else
 
"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" ― bodhinku, into my photography
 
"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty. stop the world. 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 colors 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!" ― bodhinku, my world
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary" ― bodhinku, my diary  
 
i 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
-------------------------------------------------
 
please visit me at:
 
#higher #inspiration #wine #washington #progreyusa #induro #dolica #nikon #d850 #lowepro #columbia #rock #chapel #grapevines #winery #vineyard #stars #glowing #night #milkyway #jupiter #believe #dream #namaste #impressionist #expressionist #surrealist #bodhinku #rumi #coelho