Into the Unknown by Bodhi Smith

Apr 23, 2021

"into the unknown" a brand new impression from me...
 
"you have to let go and lose yourself in order to know the unknown" ― bodhinku, into the unknown
     
"the way of the heart is the way of courage. it is to live in insecurity; it is to live in love, and trust; it is to move into the unknown. it is leaving the past and allowing the future to be. courage is to move on dangerous paths. a person who is alive, really alive, vitally alive, will always move into the unknown. courage is a love affair with the unknown" ― osho, the book of nothing
 
"in the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors of perception" ― jim morrison 
 
"i am a pilgrim of the unknown, that is my joy. it raises and resolves all my conflicts. no sooner has the known bound me fast in her net, than appears the unknown and it bewilders me!" ― rabindranath tagore, collected poems and plays
 
"really important meetings are planned by the souls long before the bodies see each other. these meetings are waiting for us, but more often than not, we avoid them happening. if we are desperate, though, if we have nothing to lose, or if we are full of enthusiasm for life, then the unknown reveals itself, and our universe changes direction" ― paulo coelho, eleven minutes 
 
"keep walking, though there's no place to get to. don't try to see through the distances. that's not for human beings. move within the unknown, but don't move the way fear makes you move" ― jalaluddin rumi, a year with rumi
 
"the unknown respect the unknown, creating a perfect circle of love, a peaceful harmony that only the ego can break" ― bodhinku, the unknown"
 
"what do you want? 'cause you've been keeping me awake. are you here to distract me so i make a big mistake? or are you someone out there who's a little bit like me? who knows deep down i'm not where i'm meant to be? every day's a little harder as i feel your power grow. don't you know there's part of me that longs to go into the unknown?...are you out there? do you know me? can you feel me? can you show me?...where are you going? don't leave me alone. how do i follow you into the unknown?" ― panic! at the disco, into the unknown 
 
"well, i can't fall asleep and i'm losin' my mind, because it's half-past three and my brain's on fire. i've been counting sheep, but the sheep all died. and i'm not dead yet, so i guess i'll be alright...don't you love it? no, i ain't happy yet, but i'm way less sad...don't you love it? no, i ain't happy yet, but i'm way less sad. i may be wrong, it's stupid, but it's all i have" ― ajr, way less sad 
 
"it’s nice to have space at the end of the night to be alone with my thoughts. somewhere to hang the happy face i force myself to wear even when i'm having a shitty day. i'm grateful. i'm exhausted, overworked, and stressed out, but i’m grateful. i force myself to say it, out loud: "i’m grateful..." i take a few moments to feel it. recognize it. i force myself to smile, to unclench the tightness in my face that would otherwise default too easily to anger. i whisper a quick thank you to the unknown, to the air, to the lonely ghosts eavesdropping on my private conversations with no one. i have a roof over my head and clothes on my back and food waiting for me every morning. i have friends, a makeshift family, i'm lonely, but i’m not alone" ― tahereh mafi, shadow me
 
"i'm gaping open and more unknown than the night, dragging more stars than shadow" ― pablo neruda
 
"leave the door open for the darkness, the door into the unknown. that's where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from, and where you will go..." ― rebecca solnit, a field guide to getting lost
 
"i'm a giant oxymoron, full of contradictions in my thoughts and actions, bordering on hypocrisy...i embrace being alone with open arms, yet i despise its loneliness too. i'm not happy, but i'm was less sad these days. i only find true wisdom within the solace of my dumbest of moments. i'm a good teacher, but i feel like i know nothing. i desperately want to protect beautiful wild places and keep them sacred, yet i expose them to the dangers of the masses with my photography. i'm unknown by others, and even more unknown to myself. i think the only beings who have truly known me for who i am have been my two doggies..." ― bodhinku, into the unknown
 
this next tune is from the soundtrack of a new favorite movie of mine, starring harrison ford and a cgi animated dog, "the call of the wild" (2020)...this is a wonderfully done big-screen adaptation of the classic jack london novel of the same name, with the main character being buck the dog on the journey that transforms him from a spoiled house pet, into the esteemed leader of a wild pack of timber wolves in alaska...the relationship buck shares in the end with john thornton (harrison ford) is heartwarming and beautiful, as you see two lost souls bonding together to take them down the path they each must lead (reminding me of my journey with my pup)...it's a powerful and tear-jerking message of the love formed between a man and his dog...this song is at the end of the movie with the credits and is equally powerful and beautiful as the movie, reminding me of my own relationship with my doggie, besos, and all of the adventures we have when we are out in the call of the wild, such as we are in the impression you see before you today, he was right at my side as we climbed up to this spot to enjoy the stars and the sunrise in the eastern sierra together again...and with its lyrics, this song is the perfect accompaniment to connect music with the meaning of my impression and blog today: "great unknown" by x ambassadors ... (just click on any of the words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....

"i'll follow you anywhere, where you wanna go, yeah, i don't care. let the river drown all our fears. if the pouring rain washes you away, i'll go with you, babe 'cause if you fall, i will follow you into the great unknown where wild winds blow. if you lose it all, you know i'll be there when everybody's gone. you're not alone 'cause i'll follow you, oh, where the wild winds blow. so don't you disappear 'cause this road ain't so lonely when you're near. there's no going back from here. if your sky turns grey, and you're losing faith, i'm with you all the way. 'cause if you fall, i will follow you into the great unknown where wild winds blow. if you lose it all, you know i'll be there when everybody's gone. you're not alone 'cause i'll follow you, oh, where the wild winds blow, where the wild winds blow, where the wild winds blow, where the wild winds blow, yeah...'cause if you fall, i will follow you into the great unknown where wild winds blow. if you lose it all, you know i'll be there when everybody's gone. you're not alone, 'cause i'll follow you, oh, where the wild winds blow, where the wild winds blow, oh, where the wild winds blow, here the wild winds blow, yeah" ― x ambassadors, great unknown  
 
"let me think that there is one among those stars that guides my life through the dark unknown" ― rabindranath tagore, stray birds
 
"i have no answers, and i do not claim any insights, all i know is that i'm being simultaneously chased by the unknown while i'm pursuing its meaning at the same time. i innately seek the unknown truth, not fantasy or lies. the most harmless lie is more hurtful than the most painful truth...i need a reality of happiness that is not fake, just as much as i need my dreams to soothe me and give me hope" ― bodhinku, into the unknown
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MEANING
"i need to keep heading into the unknown without fear or purpose. for me, the true unknown is what lies in the reality of my heart, devoid of thoughts, between my instincts of where i'm headed and where i need to be in my life" ― bodhinku, into the unknown
 
on the surface, the meaning of this image is easy to ascertain...for in this photograph, you are looking into the eye of "unknown arch" in the alabama hills of the eastern sirra mountains close to lone pine, california. so that, combined with the vast milky way and all of the unknown of space above it, you can easily see the meaning of the title of this impression, "into the unknown"...of course, the true meaning of this impression and blog can be taken much deeper...
 
"unknown" is defined as: something that is not recognized, familiar, comfortable, or within the scope of knowledge...
 
sometimes it is nice to be unknown, or somewhere i do not recognize, or in a situation that i find myself uncomfortable, or learning about a topic i know nothing about...sometimes it's nice to just be, and "not know"...
 
sometimes not knowing where you are going is exciting, but sometimes it's terrifying to head into the unknown. sometimes we play it too safe and stay in our known comfort zones, and do not push ourselves to explore both the unknown around us, as well as the dark unknown inside us...we can sense the unknown we need to know, it's just beneath the surface, but we cannot quite focus on it clearly, visiting it only in lucid dreams, unable to retain its meaning after we awaken. but sometimes we need to be startled awake and scared absolutely shitless in order to find out our true self and fulfill our subconscious needs...
 
i have no answers, and i do not claim any insights, all i know is that i'm being simultaneously chased by the unknown while i'm pursuing its meaning at the same time. i innately seek the unknown truth, not fantasy or lies. the most harmless lie is more hurtful than the most painful truth...i need a reality of happiness that is not fake, just as much as i need my dreams to soothe me and give me hope. you have to let go and lose yourself in order to know the unknown...
 
"my biggest problem is that i'm still me, but my biggest gift is that i'm still me" ― bodhinku, i'm always me
 
i'm a giant oxymoron, full of contradictions in my thoughts and actions, bordering on hypocrisy...i embrace being alone with open arms, yet i despise its loneliness too. i'm not happy, but i'm way less sad these days. i only find true wisdom within the solace of my dumbest moments. i'm a good teacher, but i feel like i know nothing. i desperately want to protect beautiful wild places and keep them sacred, yet i expose them to the dangers of the masses with my photography. i'm unknown by others, and even more unknown to myself, i think the only beings who have truly known me for who i am have been my two doggies: the dude (2003-2018) and besos (2018 to now)...i don't have much luck with other humans, and they do not seem to have much need for me lately either...
 
so i instead find myself welcomely isolated more and more often these days, yet still longing for the feel of another human being, especially the soft touch of a loving woman...
 
so with each passing day, i instead find myself all alone with my doggie. and maybe being with the furry little guy is all i need right now. maybe just like in the call of the wild, it's in moments with him that i find my path, a true love, my calling, my happiness. finding the truth of besos and i together in our adventures wherever we go, in the wilderness under the stars ducking coyotes and chollas, or hiking across an alpine snow field, or being giddy together in a pristine redwood forest, or in the yard playing catch with his frisbee...or in our ordinary down times, falling asleep together on my bed, then waking up next to him as he stretches and licks me in the face...i need to appreciate what i have and not seek out that which i'm lacking...
 
i need to keep heading into the unknown without fear or purpose. for me, the true unknown is what lies in the reality of my heart, devoid of thoughts, between my instincts of where i'm headed and where i need to be in my life. happiness becomes a fluid situation, as the path i walk feels like it's unknown to me at the same time it's clear...but that's not a bad thing, to know some things and be clueless of others, to just be and "not know"...
 
"you have to let go and lose yourself in order to know the unknown" ― bodhinku, know the unknown
 
this next song is just about as close to perfect as you can find in any tune to the deeper meaning of this blog...this song is from the disney animated cartoon, "frozen 2" and it also has the same title as my impression here today, an esoteric song with powerfully emotionally charged lyrics: "into the unknown" by panic! at the disco ...(just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the song)...  

"into the unknown, into the unknown, into the unknown..i can hear you but i won't. some look for trouble while others don't. there's a thousand reasons i should go about my day, and ignore your whispers which i wish would go away...you're not a voice, you're just a ringing in my ear. and if i heard you, which i don't, i'm spoken for i fear. everyone i've ever loved is here within these walls. i'm sorry, secret siren, but i'm blocking out your calls. i've had my adventure, i don't need something new. i'm afraid of what i'm risking if i follow you into the unknown, into the unknown, into the unknown...what do you want? 'cause you've been keeping me awake. are you here to distract me so i make a big mistake? or are you someone out there who's a little bit like me? who knows deep down i'm not where i'm meant to be? every day's a little harder as i feel your power grow. don't you know there's part of me that longs to go into the unknown? into the unknown, into the unknown...whoa, are you out there? do you know me? can you feel me? can you show me? where are you going? don't leave me alone. how do i follow you into the unknown?" ― panic! at the disco, into the unknown
 
"happiness becomes a fluid situation, as the path i walk feels like it's unknown to me at the same time it's clear...but that's not a bad thing" ― bodhinku, into the unknown
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STORY BEHIND THIS IMPRESSION
"sometimes not knowing where you are going is exciting, but sometimes it's terrifying to head into the unknown. sometimes we play it too safe and stay in our known comfort zones, and do not push ourselves to explore both the unknown around us, as well as the dark unknown inside us" ― bodhinku, into the unknown   
  
lately, one of my obsessions has been seeking out new places to photograph.  i have been scouting out new locations, trying to find unique subjects for my impressions. on a recent trip to lone pine, ca with my doggie besos, i was able to drive and hike around to find six new arches in the nearby alabama hills. as far as i know, each arch has not been photographed much and are all still very fresh and new (probably not for long, as instagram seems to find and ravage everything these days)...
 
this arch is on the list of "unknown" arches in the area, over 25 of them in all, and is the first of this new group that i will be releasing for other to see..."unknown arch" a beautiful arch, with a perfect aspect to the milky way core early in the mw season...hope you enjoy it as much as i loved shooting it and spending time all alone with my doggie under the stars, and then for a beautiful eastern sierra sunrise...
 
very rare these days to find any great star location that does not have another 3 or 5 photographers trying to capture the same scene...very pleasant and peaceful, but as soon as this arch gets "discovered" by the masses on social media, that will all change and never be possible again, tranquility and beauty destroyed forever...
 
obviously and consequently, i will not be releasing the location of this photogenic arch, but all it takes is one big photographer with a big following on social media to do a workshop here, and this spot will be forever ruined and lose its beautiful innocence...
 
​"h​ow did we end up here​, s​ifting through our own ashes?​ o​ur fires burned brighter​, w​e were a beautiful disaster​ t​raveling at speeds​ w​here we couldn't see​ a​nything that passed us​. b​ut no one can survive​ a​t the speed of life forever​. w​e are miles from where we were​, l​ost in a wanderlust​. b​ut time moves on and carries us​ i​nto the wild of the great unknown​...f​ar beyond the horizons​, w​e'll leave what's left of our ashes​ w​here we can free these faded memories​ ​forever (ever, ever, ever)​...w​e are miles from where we were​ l​ost in a wanderlust​, b​ut time moves on and carries us​ i​nto the wild of the great unknown​, o​f the great unknown​...​"​ ​ ― 10 years, the unknown​
 
"i long for the moment our silence is broken. it's alright, it's alright, it's alright. another place, another time. we toed the same side of the line. yeah we saw eye to eye, even then the saddest sounds were nothing laughter could not drown. but we are not laughing now. i see your face in my sights. i hesitate and then look for a sign somewhere in the sky, these whereabouts unknown...please know you can come home, i long for the moment our silence is broken. it's alright, it's alright, it's alright...even together, we stand apart. swallow the sun, erase the sky. an invitation has been declined. where did you go? where did you go? these whereabouts unknown...please know you can come home, it's alright now because all is forgiven, if you could just listen. it's alright, it's alright" ― rise against, whereabouts unknown   
 
"other pleasures gather a crowd, start a fight, lots of noise there. but soul beauty stays quiet..its amazing whereabouts unknown inside my heart" ― jalaluddin rumi, the soul of rumi
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MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
and here is another deeply meaningful tune: "the great unknown" by rob thomas ... (just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection) ...

"people are talking what you can not know. and what you wanted wasn't me at all. so many people never cross that road, staring out the window of a combat zone. so just hold on driving through the valley of a great unknown open up the headlight. shine on, everyone around you has a heart of stone. but you just roll on, just roll on...people are talkin' but you can't be sure so many whispers at your own front door. and when you open up, you lose that hope. now you start to wonder if you're all alone. so just hold on, driving through the valley of a great unknown. open up the headlight, shine on. everyone around you has a heart of stone, but you just roll on. remember walking when you thought you couldn't stand. remember what it feels like. i know you think that they could never understand. oh but you don't wanna be right, and now you only wanna make it out alive. so just hold on, driving through the valley of a great unknown. open up the headlight, shine on. everyone around you has a heart of stone, but you just roll on, just roll on, just roll on..." ― rob thomas, the great unknown
 
"long is the night to him who is awake; long is a mile to him who is tired; long is life to the foolish who do not know the true law of the unknown" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha   
 
"know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha
 
"any good person who is motivated to attain awareness of the whole truth should follow the universal way to calm his mind and harmonize into the unknown." ― lao tzu, tao te ching     
 
"quantum physics itself is a kind of spirituality...insofar as it's always looking farther into the unknown to see what is beyond the known. it is a search for ultimate reality" ― albert einstein  
 
“whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. making your unknown known is the important thing--and keeping the unknown always beyond you" ― georgia o'keefe

"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
 
"night air, good conversation, and a sky full of stars can heal almost any wound" ― beau taplin, remedy
 
"to feel the intimacy of brothers is a marvelous thing in life. to feel the love of people whom we love is a fire that feeds our life. but to feel affection that comes from those whom we do not know, from the unknown to us, who are watching over our sleep and solitude, over our dangers and our weaknesses-that is something still greater and more beautiful because it widens out the boundaries of our being and unites all living things." ― pablo neruda 
 
"a man sets out on a journey, dreaming of a beautiful or magical place, in pursuit of some unknown treasure. at the end of his journey, the man realizes the treasure was with him the entire time" ― paulo coelho, the alchemist   
 
"life takes us by surprise and orders us to move toward the unknown, even when we don't want to and when we think we don't need to" ― paulo coelho, by the river piedra i sat down and wept  
  
"accept the challenge of the unknown, of the beyond. let it become a great dream in your being" ― osho, the secret of secrets    
 
"how can i know you, how can i know anyone if i myself am unknown to me? if i am myself unclear, how can i begin when i do not know who i am?" ― osho, the responsibility of being oneself
 
"never miss the unknown. always choose the unknown and go headlong. even if you suffer, it is worth it–as it always pays off. you always come out of it more grown up, more mature, more intelligent" ― osho, awareness: the key to living in balance
 
"reason is an effort to know the unknown and intuition is the happening of the unknowable. to penetrate the unknowable is possible, but to explain it is not. the feeling is possible, the explanation is not." ― osho, the hidden splendor 
  
"you can be enlightened if you simply live your life authentically, spontaneously, if you have the courage to go into the unknown on your own, as an individual, not leaning on anybody" ― osho, the pathless path
 
"his destiny was entering upon the unknown" ― victor hugo, les miserables  
 
"he was there alone with himself, collected, tranquil, adoring, comparing the serenity of his heart with the serenity of the skies, moved in the darkness by the visible splendors of the constellations, opening his soul to the thoughts which fall from the unknown...lighted like a lamp in the center of the starry night, he felt something depart from him, and something descend upon him, mysterious interchanges of the depths of his soul with the depths of the universe" ― victor hugo, les miserables  
 
"when you walk to the edge of all the light you have, and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown, you must believe that one of two things will happen. there will be something solid for you to stand upon, or you will be taught to fly" ― richard bach, jonathan livingston seagull 
 
"a single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. to live is to be slowly born" ― antoine de saint-exupery, the little prince
 
"the ego relies on the familiar. it is reluctant to experience the unknown, which is they very essence of life" ― deepak chopra, buddha  
 
"art is one step from the visibly known towards the unknown" ― khalil gibran, the prophet  
 
"before you can go inward and meet your supreme power, you have to go outward and meet your 4 invisible minds that control you. each one of them will give you their introduction through a different type of pain: (1) your beautiful future plans will collapse so that it will feel like end of the world. (2) your lover from heaven will turn out to be the devil from hell. (3) circumstances will make you break the morals and values that are integral part of who you are. (4) you will chase the mysteries and the unknown only to painfully realize that this universe is endless" ― shunya  
 
"if you are so unique that you don't fit in any category, you are an unknown mystery to people. and people fear the unknown. as a distraction from fear, they laugh or talk nonsense about you" ― shunya    
 
"your path is wide and straight before you, but my call comes up by ways from the unknown. i shall follow wind and cloud; i shall follow the stars to where day breaks behind the hills; i shall follow lovers who, as they walk, twine their days into a wreath on a single thread of song"― rabindranath tagore, the fugitive
 
"enrich your life. dream, explore and discover the unknown lands with new eyes, new lights and new truths" ― amit ray, world peace  
 
"this heart yearns...
for the salt of unsmelt air
unswept thunderstorms...
unknown adventures" ― sanober khan, turquoise silence  
 
"i have realized; it is during the times i am far outside my element that i experience myself the most. that i see and feel who i really am, the most! i think that's what a comet is like, you see, a comet is born in the outer realms of the universe! but it's only when it ventures too close to our sun or to other stars that it releases the blazing "tail" behind it and shoots brazen through the heavens! and meteors become sucked into our atmosphere before they burst like firecrackers and realize that they're shooting stars! that's why i enjoy taking myself out of my own element, my own comfort zone, and hurling myself out into the unknown. because it's during those scary moments, those unsure steps taken, that i am able to see that i'm like a comet hitting a new atmosphere: suddenly i illuminate magnificently and fire dusts begin to fall off of me! i discover a smile i didn't know i had, i uncover a feeling that i didn't know existed in me...i see myself. i'm a shooting star. a meteor shower. but i'm not going to die out. i guess i'm more like a comet then. i'm just going to keep on coming back" ― c. joybell c.
    
"when you have the courage to follow your talents into the dark unknown places they lead, often the universe will send angels to light your way" ― shannon l. alder  
 
"until you step into the unknown, you don’t know what you’re made of" ― roy t. bennett, the light in the heart 
    
here is another beautifully poignant song with beautiful lyrics: "otra noche sin ti" by j. balvin and khalid ... (just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the song)...  

"me despierto y lo primero que hago es ver si me escribiste (escribiste). anoche te dejé un mensaje, pero no lo leíste (ah, yah). yo comprendo que tú no quieras saber más de mí, dicen que te perdí (te perdí). y yo no aguanto otra noche sin ti, otra noche sin ti. me duele tanto otra noche sin ti, otra noche sin ti, yeah-yеah...otro día que me despierto y en mi cama no estás dime de qué me sirve el cash (cash, cash). si lo que yo quiero no se compra (hey). de noche mi sombra te nombra. bájale al orgullo, quiero verte, detente (ah), loco, tú me tienes impaciente (yeah). de mis errores yo soy consciente (yeah), pero los cobardes también sienten (sienten). tengo que aceptar la realidad de no tenerte. nunca pensé que me llegara un oponente. el que menos pensé fue el que a ti te robó el corazón, y es posible que ahora estés con él bailando esta canción. y mi nombre se ha vuelto prohibido en esa habitación (come on). en tu cama hay un party, y en ese party no tengo invitación (invítame). en tu cama hay un party, y en ese party no tengo invitación, y yo no aguanto otra noche sin ti (nah, nah, nah)...otra noche sin ti, me duele tanto otra noche sin ti (come on). otra noche sin ti, yeah-yeah...been a while since i've seen your face. when you know it gets lonely in l.a. thinkin' of you every day. say the word, i'm on a one way. first i gotta follow your lead, listen to whatever you say, and act like i'm okay. why you want to cause my pain when you know i'm sorry? (you know) used to shed tears in the rrari. there i was wishin' you would stop me. here i am wishin' you would call me (oh). i'm outside and the rain is pouring hoping we'd be good at the morning (morning). you know i don't do it on purpose. you know i can't go another night without you (night, umm). no more nights without you (no more, no more). another night without you (night, night), no more nights without you...y yo no aguanto, otra noche sin ti (yeah). otra noche sin ti (yeah). me duele tanto, otra noche sin ti, otra noche sin ti. oh-oh (otro día que no sigue), así más tiempo sigue, tu cama le hace falta la mía" ― j. balvin & khalid, otra noche sin ti 
 
"it is a sad fate for a man to die too well known to everybody else, and still unknown to himself" ― voltaire 
 
"how does it feel, how does it feel to be without a home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone" ― bob dylan
 
"you have no idea how marvelous you are, but i am not only here to protect what you are now, i am here to protect what you will become. i can't tell you what that might be, because i don't know. that unknown is a diamond in a universe of dirt. uncertainty. unpredictability. it is when you turn your emotions into art" ― hank green, a beautifully foolish endeavor

"i'm leaving for a destination i still don't know. somewhere nobody must have duties at all...now i won't feel those heavy shoulders no more, my life got better now i finally enjoy. yes all the people want to come here and so? come on and join us you can do that now let's go. follow me, and let's go to the place where we belong and leave our troubles at home. come with me, we can go to a paradise of love and joy, a destination unknown..." ― alex gaudino & crystal waters, destination calabria
 
"my soul is my guide, for my soul is of that abode. i will not speak of the earthly, for i am of the unknown" ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi
 
"i am your lover, come to my side, i will open the gate to your love. come settle with me, let us be neighbors to the stars. you have been hiding so long, endlessly drifting in the sea of my love. even so, you have always been connected to me. concealed, revealed, in the unknown. in the un-manifest, i am life itself. you have been a prisoner of a little pond, i am the ocean and its turbulent flood. come merge with me, leave this world of ignorance. be with me, i will open the gate to your love" ― jalaluddin rumi, in the arms of the beloved
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ABOUT THE IMPRESSION
"we can sense the unknown we need to know, it's just beneath the surface, but we cannot quite focus on it clearly, visiting it only in lucid dreams, unable to retain its meaning after we awaken. but sometimes we need to be startled awake and scared absolutely shitless in order to find out our true self and fulfill our subconscious needs" ― bodhinku, into the unknown 
 
this impression was captured while perched high up on rocks in the alabama hills of the eastern sierra mountains, 11 mins before the sun arose to wake up the western world with its light and warmth on march 20th, the first day of spring 2021...this composition is comprised of one long exposure of the arch and surrounding mountainscape (f11@24mm for 111 secs, iso-64) merged with a shorter star/milky way exposure (f'1.4@24mm for 11 secs, iso-2000)... 
 
in my photography, i always use filters to create long 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 mountainscape exposure of this composition (f11@24mm 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 min and 51 second exposure which in turn naturally saturate all the blues, and yellows in the image; second, combined it with 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, the glow of the soon to be rising sun, at the horizon level of the image an extra three stops and help permit details in the shadows of the rocks and distant rock formations to come out better in the exposure... 
 
i also used the progrey g-120z magnetic holder to hold the filters and secure them to my nikon d810 with a nikon nikkor 24mm f/1.4 prime lens... 
 
however, for the separate exposure of the stars/milky way (f1.4@24mm for 11secs, iso-2000), no filters were necessary, so none were used...
 
and with this being a long exposure of 111 seconds merged with a second exposure of 15 seconds, a stable and sturdy tripod is an absolute necessity in order to keep the image sharp...for this i used my faithful induro phq1 series 5-way panhead mounted on my indiro tripod 70" carbon fiber tripod, because it is sturdy, tall, and perfectly compact for travelling  
 
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 induro phq1 series 5-way panhead mounted on my 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 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. relax. seize this 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
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