Into by Bodhi Smith

Oct 11, 2019

"into" a new impression from bodhi smith...

"i ask you, what are you into? ...whatever it is, get into it, totally jump all the way into it, experience everything you can, learn and love...and then transcend through it, and find your other side in this life, don't wait" ― bodhinku, into

“every moment the taste of that beauty is in our mouths, another stashed into a pocket. impossible to say what: no cypress so handsome, no sunlight, into a tunnel in the fog, a lonely hidden nest. other pleasure gathers a crowd, starts a fight, lots of noise there. but soul beauty stays quiet..her amazing whereabouts unknown inside my heart” ― jalaluddin rumi, poems of ecstasy and longing

“there is no other space, no other time. this moment is all. into this moment the whole existence converges, in this moment, all is available”― osho, zen, the path of paradox

"when you are really into something, jump into it with all your heart, and it will find its way into your heart, forever" ― bodhinku, into your heart

btw, here is another old tune, , this is sort of soulful pop music from the late 1970s, and it is something to listen and play while you read these quotes, look and my impression, and contemplate my blog you see here before you..."so into you" by the atlanta rhythm section ...

"i am so into you, i can't think of nothing else...thinking how it's gonna be whenever i get you next to me. it's gonna be good, don't you know, from your head to toe...gonna love you all over, over and over...me into you, you into me, me into you...i'm so into you, i'm so into you...when you walked into the room, there was voodoo in the vibes. i was captured by your style, but i could not catch your eyes...and now i stand here helplessly, hoping you'll get into me" ― atlanta rhythm section, so into you

"love and understanding are one into the same. without love, there is no understanding, and without understanding, there can be no love" ― bodhinku, into understanding love

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MEANING

i love trees, they are always one of my most favorite subjects in which to create an impression...and this cypress tree tunnel is a clear metaphor for walking down my own path, into where i need to be...my path is taking me, leading and guiding me through the foggy unclear parts of my word...and so close to where i want to be, as i can see the light at the end, even through the fog, looking forward to passing to the other side where the light will find me, and the sun will shine clearly on me...my one day...

"i am simply into my life right now, until i can be into my light one day..." ― bodhinku, into my life

the word "into" is a combination of two prepositions, "in" and "to" made "into" one...used to suggest transition, insight, or movement towards...and in the english language, the word "into" has so many versatile meanings: when you are into something, you're really really interested...or it could mean you have movement and direction towards, away, or though something, often with the result that you become surrounded by something...and also "into" could have the meaning of transformation and becoming something new...

you can be getting into something by starting it, or be into something so deeply you cannot or don't want to get away...your day turns into night, and night into day and your winter turns into spring and summer into fall...you can walk into someone's life, or walk into a room or a restaurant...you can find your way into some one's heart...you can simply get into bed or into the shower...you can go into something and through it like a hallway, or tunnel, or a forest, or into the fog...you can be halfway into the chapter of a book or a movie or a conversation...you can jump into the ocean, or jump into anything...you can dive deeper into meditation and deeper into understanding...or dive into something like a project or art with enthusiasm, or just get into a car and drive and drive into the countryside...you can enter into a relationship, or into a contest...you can go into the blue and fly up, up, and away...

you can look into your heart and find that inner child who is so full of joy...you can dig deeper into your soul, or into your wallet to give to charity...you can put effort into being a better son, daughter or good friend...you can run into someone you have not seen in ages, or run into trouble or debt or come into good fortune..you can buy into a good idea or a flimsy excuse....you can make things into more of a mess and you can be carried into darkness, made into a person you don't want to be, or forced into something you do not want to do, but you can always turn your negatives into positive learning experiences...you can turn into a better person or a better listener, or transform into a wiser soul or into a beautiful butterfly...you can bring things out into the open or into the light...you can read into things and perceive a certain way, you can see into things and care for them, and look into things and explore and learn...you can climb into something all the way and discover fun and cool new stuff...you can divide things into parts better understood, or make something finally into a whole...

you can put all your time and energy into your passions...you can be into doing the right thing, no matter what...you can be into signs from the universe and mythology...or you can be totally into a scene, or a genre, or a hobby, or a concept, or your favorite sports team...or the opposite, you can just not be into it, because it's just not your thing...you can be into adventure, or into taking care of your family, or into your privacy, or into puzzles, or into numbers, or into doggies, or into birds, or into butterflies, or into yoga, or into astrology, or into health food, or into health food, or into your favorite band, or into matching clothing, or into poetry, or into trees, or into nature, or into the stars, or into peace and solitude and quiet time away from all the noise, or into sunrises and sunsets, or into travel, or into photography, or merely into only simplicity, or into deep soulful love...or profoundly forever and always into another person, and thus be into living and loving fully...

so i ask,. what are you into?

"maybe it is only after great separation and longing that we are able to fully see and appreciate. maybe that’s why the lovers clay is divided. maybe in finding that individual perspective separate of the other, in becoming whole into one’s own truth and loving the very fabric of one’s own being we become what we need. we learn the lessons necessary to become the truest versions of ourselves. in that moment of seeing our own truth and brilliance, we are able to recognize at long last the clay form of the other and are able fully open to them in a powerful, soul deep homecoming. in this total love for our own clay, even into the depths of our loneliness, at long last we can clearly see. when we shine in our own light we draw to us the other. but how would we have ever known the path if not for the longing of loneliness deep within? nothing about twin souls is taking the easy journey but about a spirit deep song that pulls you from somewhere beyond the horizon; it’s the beacon you can’t explain or ignore." ― c. ara campbell

“into your light i learn how to love. into your beauty, how to make poems. you dance inside my chest, where no one sees you, but sometimes i do, and that light becomes this art” ― jalaluddin rumi, a year with rumi

"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

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STORY BEHIND THE PICTURE

"when you are there, be truly present, be into that moment, 100%, and that place, or person, or experience will forever become part of you" ― bodhinku, into forever

i love this location, i am drawn to it...and if i am ever close by in the area, i almost always have to visit it...such a beautiful deep tunnel of trees, and in the case of this image, i was extra lucky to have the fog roll in on a calm windless day (rare day here for both those to happen) while i was already there taking pictures (i have this exact image composition with no fog, really a cool contrast that i might one day release as well)...

this tunnel of cypress trees is a pretty well known site these days, it is a shame as it has become a very very popular place within the past 3-4 years for photographers to take pictures with the goal to share to their social media sites...ironically how before that, like just 4 years ago, you seldom saw many images of this spot, and most people had no clue where it was...now it has become less unique as it gets more and more coverage and exposure, becoming less and less mystical to the art-world... (i go on a small little negative rant here, letting go of some steam and frustrations, so if you wish not to read it, just skip now to the next section...)

it is also a further shame how many of these photographers only care about themselves and getting their picture at any cost, including the cost of damaging their natural surroundings with their ignorance, ruining the future for others to experience, or causing changes necessary to protect the spot from masses of people, too many people visiting...and my god, the stuff i have seen them do and leave behind in their wake is appalling...and more and more all the reason for why i will not disclose anymore the places where i go now that are unknown treasures which i have been discovering, so these new photo sites do not ever have to become overrun like so many other beautiful places have regrettably become (such as this place here), all due to inconsiderate and selfish people with their selfish cameras and cellphones, and selfish actions, those annoying people out there who are merely like pesky fleas to a very beautiful location, sucking the blood and life out of it slowly... (sorry, sigh...)

i feel partially to blame, as i used to always give people locations of my photo comps, so many of the places not many knew about and were rarely visited, let alone photographed...there were spots i photographed over 5 years ago, and now many of these sites are overrun with greed and stupidity, getting trashed, tagged, and overrun. i know i am not directly to blame, but i was part of the problem even though i was only trying to help out other courteous photographers, but in the process of doing just that, the door opened to the ugly people looking to use others and use places for their own greedy intentions...i would even give them the gps to within 5 feet of the spot if they asked me...i was always so open and as helpful as i could be...also gave out all my camera settings and told how i went about creating my impressions with my equipment and thoughts about the composition...

now look what has happened, in the state of affairs that we now find ourselves today...again, although i know i am not solely to blame, i do carry much of the responsibility as word got out to the masses on how and where to access these previously secluded photogenic places, information published by myself and other photographers disclosing their locations and insights...so now, i want no part of it anymore. and even-though now i often get called selfish and mean for not disclosing my locations, i must do what i feel is necessary to protect what i love and the places i love...

and truly the problem came out to the forefront with how fast a hidden location becomes popular, and over photographed, and then even trampled and damaged with negligence and uncaring...i have seen it with my own eyes, and it is appalling...this is not the only example i know, and this is only one example, i have at least 20 others...

my close friend and i were the first to professionally photograph scorpius arch in the far eastern remote back country of joshua tree national park...we were the actual ones who named the arch, scorpius arch and were photographing it for close to a year without disclosing its location...one notable photographer used information we gave in our social media to find the arch on her own without asking us, and then we let a couple people know about its location, and then i did the first astrophotography workshop there with 10 clients...after the workshop, there were numerous notable photographers asking my clients for the location...and they found out, and told two people, and then those two people told two people, and they told two people, and so on and so on...plus my clients told their friends, and so on and so on...

just over three years later now, more than 5,000 images have been taken of this location, mostly night time shots under the stars, if you google it, you will get over 2700 entries and there is now an exact gps location geotagged in google maps (ugh)...and we went back a few months ago to find brushes up rooted, trampled ground, damage to the arch from people climbing on it, trash not packed out, cans, batteries, gun shells, and even human waste and toilet paper that was clearly not buried well enough and was found be the animals in the area...awful, and we inadvertently brought this on this beautiful location...and this is just one example...

there are so many more...to name a mere few here...the pier ruins at davenport, ca, is another example being tagged now with graffiti and a swing rope added to the beach frame...and the beautiful horseshoe bend south of page, az on the colorado river having a wall erected now at the edge, permanently changing the whole mood and scene...and then there is an idiot photographer burning down the entire stern of the famous ss point reyes shipwreck in inverness, ca because he wanted pictures of glowing steel wool spinning around, forever ruining the spot for the town and future visitors..and there is the infamous smoke damage done to delicate arch in moab, ut, from a photog lighting a fire under it for an effect in an image...and now the solitude of the hospital's reef surf break at sunset in la jolla gone forever because it is now constantly being so overrun with tripods that non-photogs cannot even enjoy the beauty anymore without being hassled by someone wanting to "get their shot"...and the crazy fights happening at joshua tree in jumbo rocks campground with people trying to take picture of monolith rock and the juniper tree behind one of the campsites, a spot that accommodates maybe 3-4 people at the most...to specifically name a few more...uhg...

...and to add insult to injury, not only are people rampaging places i love, but they are also stealing images legally...i firsthand watched a local san diego photographer using my image from a specific spot, on location, right in front of me, even talked about "bodhi smith" (me) and how "bodhi" (me) discloses his camera settings for people like him to use as they please, but clearly had no clue he was speaking to "bodhi' (me) who was right in front of him (and i never let him know i was me, never told him who i was, just let him go on as karma will do what is necessary--if he is reading this, he now knows who he is)...using my downloaded image from his smartphone to line up his camera and take his picture from the exact same perspective, focal length, point of view, and even framing, with his camera settings the same as mine, using the same lens, and using the same neutral density filters and graduated neutral density filters as i used, and at about the same time of day...which although all of this is very unethical, it is all still very legal...

so call me selfish and mean, as people will...but i am not disclosing my camera settings or locations to anyone, unless they are a client paying for my photographic services and i am taking them to the location with a private lesson or workshop...sorry to be negative, as it is in my personality to be as positive and as helpful with others as i always can be, but it is now unfortunately necessary to be more closed off...

but still all the same, i stay as positive as i can, and protect the places i love as best i can...and i simply love this spot, that will never change...so i go here 2-3 times a year, almost always with my pup, discovering times when i can be selfish and we have the entire tunnel to our self, such as on this morning, so peaceful...

"it is not selfish to be into loving yourself, and be into doing what you love, nor is it selfish to protect those things your love flows into...if anyone questions and doesn't support your methods and reasons for protecting your loves, then they are seriously the true selfish ones..." ― bodhinku, into love

“the universe is not outside of you. look inside yourself; everything that you want, you already are” ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi

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MORE MEANINGFUL QUOTES

“no one saves us but ourselves. no one can and no one may. we ourselves must walk the path into love" ― gautama buddha, sayings of buddha

“if you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading" ― gautama buddha

"i don’t feel very into me. i don't feel very together...i have none of the super energetic spark that normally fuels me. the creative urges and brilliant insight that usually burns seems to be replaced with a fire of a different kind, a consuming flame that rises into gnawing uncertainty...my get-up-and-go got up and left leaving in its place a deep inquiry that has me restless and unsettled...you reach a point in some situations where you just want to blurt out what’s on your mind already no matter the consequence. you move past the quiet politeness of caring the outcome and just need to unburden your spirit with the unspoken threads of a thousand unfinished conversations left frayed and blowing in the breeze...that’s the energy that rises upon this weary soul, that’s the song that plays on my nerves. the wild call of deep, direct inquiry that feeds the need for blunt interaction like a truth-seeking missile...i can feel the energy pulling at the skin that covers these bones...it begs me to untie the laces and shatter into the unknown, breaking open in complete surrender to all that begs to come. it chips away at the walls once built and demands that i rebel against what existed only as a facade before making way for the flow of authentic truth, no matter the cost...the rawness of a thousand half-truths slip from me into the darkness leaving me fumbling past the illusion searching for the reality left behind. sifting through the remnants and fragments of sentences, i feel lost...what to speak? what to leave in the stillness of the shadow? what to bury in the snow until the thaw of spring?...words. what good are they anyways?...all this clutter trying to describe things loved, imagined, unknown or unseen; the dreams, the fears, the desires. how do you properly wrap it all up in syllables?...better to speak them rooted in deep feeling than to never speak them at all...and i wonder if you can seek asylum somewhere from the conspiring energies of the sun and moon?...i give up....dropping my guard i give in; i don’t need the shields anymore, not where i’m going....where i tread forward, to the place of dancing openly with the unspoken as it makes its way into the light, i just don’t need all the masks. they would be unwelcome in the glaring brilliance of truth. the dress code for this party is bare, raw and naked...come what may, this is when i shall come undone" ― c. ara campbell, into the unknown

"into what are we so afraid of? vulnerability. surrender. longing. letting go of control. believing. change. being unworthy. being real. trusting. being seen. releasing old beliefs. hope. rejection. all the components we fight against while desiring to open up completely and let someone into our heart...we are so afraid of rejection, we swallow our actions. we are so blind to our worthiness and deserving, we swallow our truth. we are so deaf to the call of our heart, we swallow our deepest feelings, needs and desires. oh weary warrior, lay down the heavy armor that covers your heart. the time to fight against the tides of love is over." ― c. ara campbell

“self love is an ocean
and your heart is a vessel. make it full,
and any excess will spill over
into the lives of the people
you hold dear. but you must come first" ― beau tapin

“one day, you will stumble upon someone who will start a fire in you that cannot die. however, the saddest, most awful truth you will ever come to find––is they are not always with whom we spend our lives”― beau taplin, hunting season

“i love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. i love you simply, without problems or pride: i love you in this way because i do not know any other way of loving but this, into which there is no i or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when i fall asleep your eyes close" ― pablo neruda, 100 love sonnets

"ah, vastness of cypress, murmur of waves breaking,
slow play of lights, solitary bell,
twilight falling into your eyes, toy doll,
earth-shell, in whom the earth sings!

in you the rivers sing and my soul flees into them
as you desire, and you send it where you will.
aim my road on your bow of hope
and in a frenzy i will free my flock of arrows.

on all sides i see your waist of fog,
and your silence hunts my afflicted hours;
my kisses anchor, and my moist desire nests
into you with your arms of transparent stone.

ah, your mysterious voice that love tolls and darkens
in the resonant and dying evening!
thus into deep hours i have seen, over the fields,
the ears of wheat tolling in the mouth of the wind.” ― pablo neruda, 20 love poems and a song of despair

“we are formed by what we are into doing. it is our actions that ultimately make us. what we do slowly, slowly becomes the creator of our lives and our souls. what we are doing in life decides how we are creating ourselves. what our behavior is in life decides the directions our soul will travel, the paths it will move on, the new worlds it will explore.”― osho, from sex to superconsciousness

“then love knew it was called love.
and when i lifted my eyes into your name,
suddenly your heart showed me my way" ― pablo neruda, 100 love sonnets

“in order to have faith in his own path, he does not need to prove that someone else's path is wrong" ― paulo coelho, warrior of the light

“pain, loss, and separation are inevitable on the path of love, and the only way of avoiding them is by deciding not to take that path at all. in order not to suffer, you have to renounce love. that is like putting out your own eyes in order not to see the bad things in life”― paulo coelho, brida

“in a forest of a hundred thousand trees, no two leaves are alike. and no two journeys along the same path are alike" ― paulo coelho, aleph

"there is no path into peace. peace is the path. there is no path into love. love is the path. there is no path into happiness. happiness is the path...the journey is what brings us peace, love and happiness, not the destination” ― dan millman, way of the peaceful warrior

“those who are near me do not know that you are nearer to me than they are. those who crowd in my path do not know that i am walking alone with you. those who love me do not know that their love brings you to my heart” ― rabindranath tagore, stray birds

“pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, into which you can walk with love and reverence" ― henry david thoreau, life in the woods

“it's funny how, in this journey of life, even though we may begin at different times and places, our paths cross with others so that we may share our love, compassion, observations, and hope”― steve maraboli, unapologetically you

“sometimes in life, from out of a myriad of prosaic decisions like what to eat and where to sleep and how to dress, a true crossroads is revealed. in these moments, when the fog of relative irrelevancy lifts and fate rolls out a demand for free will, there is only left or right – no option of 4x4ing into the underbrush between two paths, no negotiating with the choice that has been presented. you must answer the call and pick your way. and there is no reverse" ― j.r. ward, lover avenged

“into the fog was where i wanted to be. halfway down the path you can’t see this house. you’d never know it was here. or any of the other places down the avenue. i couldn’t see but a few feet ahead. i didn’t meet a soul. everything looked and sounded unreal. nothing was what it is. that’s what i wanted—to be alone with myself in another world where truth is untrue and life can hide from itself. out beyond the harbor, where the road runs along the beach, i even lost the feeling of being on land. the fog and the sea seemed part of each other. it was like walking on the bottom of the sea. as if i had drowned long ago. as if i was the ghost belonging to the fog, and the fog was the ghost of the sea. it felt damned peaceful to be nothing more than a ghost within a ghost" ― eugene o'neill, long day's journey into night

“and so, into and onwards along a path of wisdom, with a hearty tread, a hearty confidence.. however you may be, be your own source of experience. throw off your discontent about your nature. forgive yourself your own self. you have it in your power to merge everything you have lived through...false starts, errors, delusions, passions, your loves and your hopes...into your goal, with nothing left over" ― friedrich nietzche, human all too human

“you’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. dance as though everybody is watching. march to the beat of your own drummer. and stubbornly refuse to fit in.”― mandy hale, life, love, and a dash of sass

“finding oneself and one's path is like waking up on a foggy day. be patient, and presently the fog will clear and that which has always been there can be seen. the path is already there to follow" ― rasheed ogunlaru, soul trader

"sleep until you awaken
when you wake you'll see the world
if i'm not mistaken...
kiss a lover
dance a measure,
find your name
and buried treasure...
face your life
its pain, its pleasure,
leave no path untaken”― neil gaiman, the graveyard book

“i think joy and sweetness and affection are a spiritual path. we're here to know faith, to love and serve into a higher purpose, and to be blown away by the beauty and miracle of nature. you just have to get rid of so much baggage to be light enough to dance, to sing, to play. you don't have time to carry grudges; you don't have time to cling to the need to be right”― anne lamott, bird by bird

“the greatest disease in the western world today is not tb, polio, or cancer; it is being unwanted, unloved, unneeded, and uncared for. we can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. there are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love. the poverty in the west is a different kind of poverty... it is not only a poverty of loneliness, but also of spirituality. there's a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for faith”― mother teresa, a simple path

“when the future is fogged, and ahead lays opportunity clouded with much risk, it is better to tread a careful path through the uncertainty than to wait for the mist to clear, if it ever does.”― anonymous

“this silence, this moment, every moment, if it’s genuinely inside you, brings what you need. there’s nothing to believe. only when i stopped believing in myself did i come into this beauty. sit quietly, and listen for a voice that will say, ‘be more silent and be quiet.' quietness is the surest sign that you’ve arrived. your old life was a frantic running from silence. move outside the tangle of fear-thinking. live in silence.”― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi

"there is a sun-star rising outside its form...i am lost in that other. it's sweet not to look at two worlds, to melt in meaning as honey melts in milk. no one tires of following the soul" ― jalaluddin rumi, poems of ecstasy and longing

"the fog clears and new energy makes you run up the steps in front of you. be emptier, and cry like reed instruments cry. emptier, write secrets with the reed pen" ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi

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ABOUT THE IMPRESSION
"be true to yourself, only you know your own real truth...so follow your heart down your path through the fog, muting all the noise, and walk out into the meaningful light of the silent truth" ― bodhinku, into truth

this is single frame image composition ...and since it is an ultra long exposure, a stable and sturdy tripod was an absolute necessity in order to keep the image sharp in the places i wanted sharpness (i use selective focus on most of my images, similar to the way our eyes see things)...for this i used a dolica 70" carbon fiber tripod, because it is sturdy, tall, and perfectly compact....for me, this shot would never have been possible without my friends daniel and april at dolica tripods.

in my photography i always use filters to create longer exposure effects and to 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 the case with this composition, i used three filters to get the effects and balance i was looking for...so, i used the 1.8nd progrey genesis filter (and holder) to slow down the exposure 6 stops and naturally saturate all the blues and greens more....plus in combination with the 0.6gnd progrey genesis filter to stop down the brighter light 2 stops for the right side of the image (west towards the ocean) and the 1.2gnd progrey genesis filter to bring down the brighter left side (east towards the sunrise) of the image 4 stop and balance in-camera overall the image the way i envisioned it, as the sky on the outside was considerably brighter than the shadows under the tree tunnel...

i wish to openly thank my sponsors who have always supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this ultra long exposure would not be possible without the use of my trusty dolica tripod in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use with every photo i take...

“be into your own happiness...so that's how it is... if you are happy, that's enough...at your age, stay on the path of discovery into what makes you happy...the path into yourself, discover a path that's only for you. it does not have to be crystal clear, so even if there is fog that makes it impossible to see, even a step ahead of you, don't be afraid, and just slowly take it one step at a time, into it all....don't give into the fear of the unknown or unseen. move into and towards it, and cherish that excitement. because when the fog clears up, who knows, you might just end up where you dearly wanted to be...” ― bodhinku, the path into

"contemplate without thinking. stop the world. slow down everything. shut off the noise. breathe in. breathe out. relax. seize this moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colors of light that envelope you. see the melody and harmony that floats about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence within your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith. this is my world. awaken." ― bodhinku, my world

above all else as always, i hope this message and image find you well.

namaste,
bodhi

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