Moondance by Bodhi Smith

Dec 11, 2020

"moondance" a brand new impression and blog from me...
 
"i was all alone in the desert, under the stars, surrounded by the darkness of towering sand dunes...then rising above the horizon, my moon, you came to me and gave me light...i knew it was you, for you were the brightest of all heavenly bodies...i'm moonstruck as you light up my sky, my world is a dance once again" ― bodhinku, you are my moon
 
"well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance. with the stars up above in your eyes, a fantabulous night to make romance beneath the cover of october skies, and all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush and all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush. can i just have one more moondance with you, my love?" ― sir george ivan morrison, moondance   
 
"the moon is a loyal companion. it never leaves. it's always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. every day it's a different version of itself. sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. the moon understands what it means to be human. uncertain. alone. cratered by imperfections" ― tahereh mafi, shatter me  
 
"the dancing moon, the dancing stars, and the dancing galaxies are the direct expression of our divine self" ― amit ray, world peace 
  
"drink in the moon as though you might die of thirst" ― sanober khan, turquoise silence 
  
"each night the moon kisses secretly the lover who counts the stars" ― jalaluddin rumi, in the arms of the beloved   
 
"and i'm your moon because i shine brighter than any other star in your universe and you are my darkness. without you, i can't see the depth of my light and with you i can set the night a glow. so we need one another—the dark and the light. your fear. my courage. connected, but separated. different, but the same. a synergy that makes no sense, but every bit of sense. we're neither a beginning, nor an end. we're somewhere in between our madness at sunset and the reality we awaken to with each sunrise. we're the ghosts of timing and fate. we're neither fantasy, nor reality...we're a purpose somewhere in between" ― shannon l. alder, 300 questions  
 
"and hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, they danced by the light of the moon" ― edward lear, the owl and the pussycat 
 
"and he began to wonder if the moon would help him unravel the mystery of the beautiful girl. so the boy looked into the sky. but he couldn't concentrate on the moon. he was too distracted by the stars. and it didn't matter how many songs or poems had already been written about them, because whenever he thought about the girl, the stars shone brighter. as if she were the one keeping them illuminated" ― stephanie perkins, lola and the boy next door 
 
"when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore..." ― dean martin, amore  
 
"don't be afraid to fall in love again. open your heart and follow where it leads you...and remember, shoot for the moon. even if you miss, you'll land among the stars" ― cecelia ahern, p.s. i love you
 
“moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars" ― j.r.r. tolkien, the lord of the rings    
 
and this first song which i would like you to give a listen, has the same title as my impression today, and that is a bit on purpose, as i was thinking and humming this tune while i was taking my impression under the moon on the sand dunes: "moondance" by van morrison ...(just click on any of the words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....
 
the tune is a classic from 1970, it is labeled as rock, but it really is so unique that it fits numerous genres of music. it's profoundly upbeat with a style like that of the big bands of the 1930s yet in an original 70's rock style that made the artist, van morrison, loved by his fans. and i love the song because it makes me think of the most romantic night ever. a dance with the person you love under the moon. gorgeous lyrics, sung with passion and longing by the irish musician, van morrison, who is easily one of the greatest all-time voices in rock...its a peppy swinging rock song, with such a nice, soft, jazzy swing using sparse instrumentation to accompany morrison's voice, with fantastic piano and sax solos. perhaps one of the most romantic, sexiest songs ever recorded...and with its lyrics, it is the perfect romantic accompaniment to connect music with the meaning of my impression and blog today: "moondance" by van morrison ...(just click on any of the words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....

"well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance. with the stars up above in your eyes, a fantabulous night to make romance beneath the cover of october skies, and all the leaves on the trees are falling to the sound of the breezes that blow. and i'm trying to please to the calling of your heart-strings that play soft and low. and all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush and all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush. can i just have one more moondance with you, my love? can i just make some more romance with you, my love? well, i want to make love to you tonight. i can't wait 'til the morning has come and i know now the time is just right. and straight into my arms you will run. and when you come, my heart will be waiting to make sure that you're never alone. there and then, all my dreams will come true, dear. there and then, i will make you my own. and every time i touch you, you just tremble inside. and i know how much you want me, that you can't hide. can i just have one more moondance with you, my love? can i just make some more romance with you, my love? well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance with the stars up above in your eyes. a fantabulous night to make romance beneath the cover of october skies. and all the leaves on the trees are falling to the sound of the breezes that blow. and i'm trying to please to the calling of your heart-strings that play soft and low. and all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush. and all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush. can i just have one more moondance with you, my love? can i just make some more romance with you, my love? ne more moondance with you, in the moonlight on a magic night, la, la, la, la, la in the moonlight. on a magic night, can't I just have one more moondance with you my love?" ― michael buble, moondance (van morrison cover)  
   
"with the sentiment of the stars and moon, on such nights i get all the free margins and indefiniteness of music and poetry, fused in geometry's utmost exactness" ― walt whitman, specimen days
 
"the dance between darkness and light will always remain...the stars and the moon will always need the darkness to be seen, the darkness will just not be worth having without the moon and the stars" ― c. joybell c.
 
"home is watching the moon rise over the open, sleeping land and having someone you can call to watch, so you can look together. home is where you dance with others, and dancing is life" ― stephen king, the shawshank redemption 
 
"stop hiding in the darkness,
step out into the light.
the sky is filled with all these stars,
so come and kiss the night.

infinity is waiting,
calling you by name.
the world is yours for the taking,
so take it just the same.

shock and awe, surprise them,
those who think you're weak.
look to the sky and chase them,
those answers that you seek.

because it's there you'll find me,
talking to the moon.
telling her my secrets,
asking about you.

the stars will light the sky for us,
they'll illuminate the way.
they show you how to find me,
they'll make you want to stay" ― l.d. chriton, all our broken pieces
    
“be the rising moon in my dark nights...i am thirsty for your light” ― jalaluddin rumi, poems of ecstasy and longing 
 
"george: what is it you want, mary? what do you want? you want the moon? just say the word and i'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. hey, that's a pretty good idea. i'll give you the moon, mary....mary: i'll take it. then what?....george: well, then you could swallow it, and it'd all dissolve, see? and the moonbeams would shoot out of your fingers and your toes, and the ends of your hair..."― george bailey, it's a wonderful life 
 
"fly me to the moon. let me play among the stars. let me see what spring is like on a, jupiter and mars. in other words, hold my hand. in other words, baby, kiss me. fill my heart with song and let me sing for ever more...you are all i long for. all i worship and adore. in other words, please be true. in other words, i love you" ― lotus blue, fly me to the moon (count basie cover)
 
"buffalo gals won't you come out tonight come out tonight come out tonight. buffalo gals won't you come out tonight, and we'll dance by the light of the moon" ― american folk tune, buffalo gals 
 
"at night when the stars light up my room, i sit by myself talking to the moon trying to get to you in hopes you're on the other side talking to me too. or am i a fool who sits alone talking to the moon? do you ever hear me calling? oh...i know you're somewhere out there, somewhere far away" ― bruno mars, talking to the moon
 
"by the light of the silvery moon i want to spoon. to my honey i'll croon love's tune. honey moon, keep a-shinin' in june. your silvery beams will bring love's dreams, we'll be cuddlin' soon by the silvery moon" ― doris day, by the light of the silvery moon
 
"it can’t be helped. it’s you. and there’s nothing else. you are my eye’s only focus and my heart’s single truth. we could be standing on the surface of the moon beneath a blanket of stars, and still, i would see only you" ― beau taplin, the wild heart 
 
"a storm howls in my soul. a wild torrent of madness...feral, dark and raw, echoing my longing through the ancient dunes. the desert bears witness to the spell that forms upon my lips. a ritual woven of hope and aching desire whispered to the swaying sage brush, witnessed by a blanket of starlight...there i stand in the darkness, digging my toes deep into the sands below. anchored in the solace of the earth, awaiting the rebirth that comes within the illumination of the moon...i am the altar upon which the winds of change do blow. here i wait in silent worship, surrendering at the edge of the unknown, opening to all that lies beyond...at long last she rises. a jewel shining on the horizon, calling to the depths of my spirit. a feast of night-song to sooth away the noise, her great strength granted to my outstretched fingertips...here my spirit is born. here in this moonlight. here my eyes finally see. here where all things are eternally free" ― c. ara campbell (modified by bodhinku), the storm in my soul
 
"water is wet, the sky is blue. the night is full of stars. the moon rises then sets. the sun also rises and sets. life goes on and my only problem is that i'm still me, but my biggest gift is that i'm still me...i am one giant little oxymoron" ― bodhinku, the moon also rises
 
"out into the night, please come with me...a moondance can cure all the unseen scars of darkness" ― bodhinku, a moondance
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MEANING
"come dance with me, high atop desert dunes, alone us two. we'll be in the spotlight of the moon composing her silent song, to the rhythm of our shadows, dancing through the silvery glow across the ripples of the sands in time" ― bodhinku, moondance
 
the moon in all the romance languages is given a feminine embodiment, "la luna"...and i like to think of the moon as a lady. a glowing enchantress who makes my life better, brighter, more enlightened...she appears and dances across the sky. she constantly changes shapes, sizes, and luminosity, she is always the same, yet never the same. she is refreshing. and she is always there for a moondance whenever i need her...there is nothing quite so sweet and romantic as a moonlit night. 
 
and because i find myself alone on most occasions when i am out under the moon, i truly like to think of the moon as "her", kinda like a lover from far away, but she is a girl i can count on to be there for me and put me in her spotlight, never keeping me hidden, never ashamed to show her love for me, a love for all to see...the moon is my most faithful lover, mi luna, mi amor...
 
my god, if i could make love to the moon right now, i surely would...so, out into the night, please come with me...a moondance can cure all the unseen scars of darkness...  
 
"low hangs the moon, it rose late, it is lagging...i think it is heavy with love, with love"
― walt whitman, on the beach at night  
 
and here is another beautiful tune to give listen, the lyrics are wonderfully perfect to go along with the mood created by my newest impression here of the moon over the dunes: "can't fight the moonlight" by leann rimes ...(just click on any of the words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....

"under the lovers sky gonna be with you and no one's gonna be around. if you think that you won't fall, well just wait until the sun goes down. underneath the starlight, starlight, there's a magical feeling so right. it will steal your heart tonight. you can try to resist. try to hide from my kiss. don't you know? don't you know, that you can't fight the moonlight. deep in the dark, you'll surrender your heart. but you know, but you know that you can't fight the moonlight. no, you can't fight it...it's gonna get to your heart. there's no escaping love once the gentle breeze weaves a spell upon your heart. no matter what you think, it won't be too long until you're in my arms underneath the starlight, starlight. we'll be lost in the rhythm so right. feel it steal your heart tonight. you can try to resist. try to hide from my kiss. but you know, but you know that you can't fight the moonlight. deep in the dark, you'll surrender your heart. but you know, but you know that you can't fight the moonlight... no, you can't fight it...no matter what you do, the light is gonna get to you (you're gonna know that i know). don't try, you're never gonna win, oh, underneath the starlight, starlight, there's a magical feeling, so right. it'll steal your heart tonight. you can try to resist, try to hide from my kiss, but you know, but you know that you can't fight the moonlight. deep in the dark, you'll surrender your heart, but you know, but you know that you can't fight the moonlight. no, you can't fight it. you can try to resist, try to hide from my kiss, but you know, but you know that you can't fight the moonlight. deep in the dark, you'll surrender your heart, but you know, but you know that you can't fight the moonlight. no, you can't fight it, it's gonna get to your heart..." ― leann rimes, can't fight the moonlight 
 
"i was lost in such a dark place, i lost my focus entirely. not sure of anything anymore for i no longer could see clearly, lost my sight of everything, could not even see the hand right in front of my face...ironically it was my darkness that showed me my light...sometimes you need the darkness, and i needed to be where i was surrounded by pitch blindness, so i could rediscover the importance of light, and understand the magnitude of seeing again...i needed to see the light clearly when she entered my darkness, for then i knew my focus, where i needed to go, where i wanted to go, knew the importance of seeing again as everything brightened. everything became more clear, more vivid as i got closer, closer to my enlightenment...through the darkness i finally found my light" ― bodhinku, light in the dark 
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MORE BODHIKU QUOTES
and now here are a few more quotes from bodhinku from past blogs to help add to the deeper meaning of this blog today...
 
"step after step to find this frame in time, a nightlight illuminated me on this night, lighting me up and further helping me to continue to find my way, find meaning and discover my purpose, and my own light glowing inside me" ― bodhinku, nightlight   
 
"with the right amount of light, even the darkest of darkness glows" ― bodhinku, darkness glows  
 
"when i was a little boy, i needed my speedracer nightlight plugged into its wall outlet next to the bed to keep me calm in the darkness, so i could relax and fall asleep...now as a grown man, i find that i am no different, just my nightlight is now a person" ― bodhinku, my nightlight    
 
"you are everything everywhere...my spirit rises up in your light, my heart blossoms in your colors, and my soul is born into your shade" ― bodhinku, everything everywhere    
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STORY BEHIND THIS IMPRESSION
"i like to think of the moon as a lady. a glowing enchantress who makes my life better, brighter, more enlightened...she appears and dances across the sky. she constantly changes shapes, sizes, and luminosity, she is always the same, yet never the same. she is refreshing. and she is always there for a moondance whenever i need her...there is nothing quite so sweet and romantic as a moonlit night" ― bodhinku, she is a lady
 
pictured here are the eureka sand dunes under the full moon on november 28th, 2020...
 
i was invited by good friend chip morton (check out his photography!) to join him and his daughter on a camping trip up into the eastern sierra. scouted out the alabama hills area, and it was overcrowded with people, campers, rvs and atvs...no thank you, no serenity there much anymore. because of instagram, it has become a destination for many people to go to see sights of the many pictures they have seen on social media, and the camping is free which has created an unorganized zoo of way too many people.  it is a shame, as a once unknown, unspoiled, and beautiful place is now becoming overrun, over-exploited, and ruined by hoardes of uncaring self-centered people...
 
we decided on going to the eureka sand dunes instead, as chip had never visited there and was happy to have me lead the way and show him how to get there...and once we got there, we arrived to discover that it was also crowded with more people than i have ever seen there before too (i know it was the t-giving holiday weekend, but really? wtf??)...
 
we arrived kinda late in the evening (well, it gets dark at 4:30pm in the area), so were unable to go into the dunes and do any really good scouting with it being dark out. plus, my doggie and i were both feeling some bad effects of something we both ate, as we both had nasty bloating with diarrhea frequently flowing out of us both (yuck), so a long hike into the dunes was not really a good idea at that time...
 
the temperatures that night dropped down into the teens and was well beyond cold. and to make matters worse, besos was having to go to the bathroom every couple hours because of having the runs (and i joined him a couple times with me having them too)...i'm all bundled up in a sleeping bag, and have to get out, put on shoes, go out into the dark cold, wait for besos to do his business, then clean off his long fur on his backside (yuck again), then climb back into sleeping bag and try to fall asleep as a frozen popsicle again...then repeat it all again in a couple hours...
 
and of course, as things often happen for me to make matters even worse, all of the sanitary wipes that i was using to clean off besos' rear had become frozen solid, and the poop left in his fur was also frozen in place (triple yuck!)..fml at this point of the cold freezing night! and of course, when things warmed up later in the morning, well, you get the picture...really needed to do a true deep cleaning of all blankets, towels, and the entire interior of my jeep grand cherokee upon arriving back at home later in the weekend...literally a shitty ordeal...
 
anyway...in the morning we did some recon and hiked without our camera gear a few miles out into the sand dunes away from everybody...seems all the others were clearly focused only on dunes closest to their campsites, go figure, eh?
 
we found some really cool dunes with some great edge lines and sand ripples...and then aligned it all up with smartphone apps to know where the moon was rising later...both me and chip had different visions of what we wanted to capture, so we each chose different scenes a few hundred meters apart...we returned back to camp, had lunch, and then tracked back out with all our camera gear on our backs...
 
i set up for this image based on my mobile data of where the moon would rise over the top of the dunes at about 5:15pm...i seldom release any shots of the moon, or even of sand dunes, but i knew this image was special as i was capturing it and taking in the whole scene with the moon rise and the glow of the dunes all around me...totally breathtaking...this impression is the result, hope that it gives you the same feelings it did for me as i took this image...
 
it was so beautiful out under the full moon on the dunes. after taking our separate pictures, we all joined back up again and just stood there marveling about nature's beauty as the moon danced just above the tops of the towering sand dunes. we decided to climb up a bit higher on one of the dune ridges, but we soon stopped. as even under the moonlight, and even when using headlamps, the steep drop-off on both sides was quite daunting in the darkness...falling off either side would create a nasty tumble-down the sand slope to its base, and an even more difficult climb back up and out would then need to ensue...
 
we decided to walk back to camp, it was already getting very cold as the temperature noticeably dropped quite rapidly once the radiance of the sun left us...on the walk back, none of us used our headlamps and let the moon glow light our way, so cool, so beautiful, so magical...
 
and i would be totally remiss if i did not have the oldest, and one of the most famous musical pieces of all time about moonlight in my blog today: "moonlight sonata" by beethoven  ...(just click on any of the words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)...
 
"see me as your moonlight
and you're the sky, i'm the satellite
dancing through your night" ― bodhinku, satellite
 
"she has such a pull over me, holding me in her force, just as the earth holds the moon" ― bodhinku, her pull 
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HISTORY
"my god, if i could make love to the moon right now, i surely would" ― bodhinku, mi amor    

a pale mountain of sand appears to hover over the flat valley floor. rugged cliffs loom high above, boldly striped with pink, gray, and black. the distant yipping of a coyote is interrupted by a mysterious rumbling sound emitting from the dune itself. welcome to eureka dunes, one of the newest additions to death valley national park.

the eureka dunes lie in the remote eureka valley, an enclosed basin at 3000 foot elevation located northwest of death valley proper. the dunes cover an area of 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, and they are the tallest sand dunes in california, and often the tallest in all of north america (competing with great sand dunes national park in colorado). they dunes rise suddenly more than 800 feet above the dry lakebed at their western base. as tall as these dunes are, they are dwarfed by the impressive limestone wall of the last chance mountains to the east which rises another 4000 feet above the valley floor.

the climb to the summit of the tallest dunes is not an easy walk. all the slopes are steep and the loose sand gives way beneath your feet. at the top, the sweeping view seems reward enough for your efforts, yet if the sand is completely dry you may experience one of the strangest phenomena to be found in the desert: singing sand. when the sand avalanches down the steepest face of the highest dune, a sound like a bass note of a pipe organ or the distant drone of an airplane can be heard emanating from the sand. if the dune is at all damp (even though it may not feel so to the touch) no sound will be made. why this occurs is not fully understood, but may have something to do with the smooth texture of the sand grains and the friction of those grains sliding against each other.

at first glance, the eureka dunes appear desolate. what could possibly survive the hardships of this area? plants and animals must endure the shifting sands, as a windstorm could bury them alive or expose them to the drying sun. the dry surface is deceptive, for dunes can hold water like a sponge. the eureka dunes receive more rainfall than others in the death valley area because their location at the western base of a mountain range that captures precipitation from passing storms. for perhaps 10,000 years, these dunes have existed, providing a unique habitat for specialized lifeforms to evolve. the isolation of eureka dunes from other dune fields has led to the development of endemic species of plants and animals that are found nowhere else in the world. besides 5 species of endemic beetles, 3 special plants have their entire range limited to this island of sand.

eureka dunegrass "swallenia alexandrae" is often the only plant found on the higher slopes of the dunes. its dense root system catches and holds drifting sand, forming stable hummocks. stiff, spiny leaftips protect the plant from being disturbed by herbivores and careless hikers....and federally listed as a threatened species, eureka dunes evening primrose "oenothera avita eurekensis" has large, white, night-blooming flowers to take advantage of pollenators such as moths that avoid the heat of day. when the leafy flower shoot is covered by windblown sand, roots sprout from the sides and a new rosette of leaves forms at the tip....the shining milkvetch "astragalus lentiginosus micans" reflects excess light and heat with a covering of silvery hairs to conserve moisture. this is a hummock-forming plant like the dune grass. nodules on the roots gather nitrogen from the air, an important nutrient not available in the sand, and i now too has become a candidate for the endangered species list.

eureka dunes are clearly a special place. please have respect when you visit. lifeforms here may not be able to survive our carelessness. try to choose activities that have the least impact on the land. recreational activities such as sandboarding are not allowed on these delicate dunes. camp away from the base of the dunes where most of the endemic plants and animals live. most importantly, off road vehicle travel is not permitted on the dunes, or anywhere else in death valley national park for that matter. please keep your vehicle on established roadways.

"some nights stay up till dawn, as the moon sometimes does for the sun. be a full bucket pulled up the dark way of a well, then lifted out into light" ― jalaluddin rumi, hush don't say anything to god 
 
“the moon loved the sun so much she died every night to let him breathe "" ― jalaluddin rumi, the soul of rumi
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MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
and this is a classical love song, one that brings the moon to mind so strongly with its famous opening line, it is a great tune, sung by a classic crooner with a marvelous voice...and this blog today would be amiss if i did not include it in with the songs today: "amore" by dean martin ...(just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....
 
"when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore. when the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine, that's amore. bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling, and you'll sing "vita bella." hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay, like a gay tarantella...when the stars make you drool just like a pasta e fasul, that's amore. when you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet, you're in love. when you walk in a dream but you know you're not dreaming, signore scusami, but you see, back in old napoli, that's amore...amore, that's amore..." ― dean martin, amore  
 
"three things can not hide for long: the moon, the sun and the truth" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha   
 
"meditate. live purely. be quiet. do your work with mastery. like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! shine" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha

"the finger pointing to the moon is not the moon" ― confucius, the doctrine of the mean
  
"we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicines, but less healthiness; we’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. we have become long on quantity, but short on quality" ― dalai lama xiv, the art of happiness  
  
"over the eastern hills rises the smiling face of the moon; in my mind forms the smiling face of my beloved" ― tsangyang gyatso, songs of the 6th dalai lama   
 
"when i admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator" ― mohandas mahatma gandhi    
 
"if the moon, in the act of completing its eternal way around the earth, were gifted with self-consciousness, it would feel thoroughly convinced that it was traveling its way of its own accord...so would a being, endowed with higher insight and more perfect intelligence, watching man and his doings, smile about man’s illusion that he was acting according to his own free will" ― albert einstein

"the full moon and lunar eclipse of december 2020 are bringing illumination to imbalances of power, either personally or in the world around us. this can be a time where we find ourselves negotiating for our needs to be met or to advocate for the changes that will support our greatest good. we may be bargaining in situations for an equitable solution....under this aspect, justice through collaboration, negotiation and consideration are highlighted as a good path forward. support from others is powerful. working with others towards a common good can be a powerful transformative force. this aspect also highlights taking action for what we believe in, demonstrations and rallies...this energy can also be showing where there may be those who are asking for too much, becoming greedy. this can be in society or closer to our own backyard. this can be frustrating and in some cases rebellion can be a result of such corruption. in some situations where we have been bargaining or negotiating, a lack of compromise can lead to things shutting down. this is a good time to know what you want, how far you are willing to push for it and to make the deal when things are equitable." ― c. ara campbell      

"a storm howls in my soul. a wild torrent of madness...feral, dark and raw, echoing my longing through the ancient dunes. the desert bears witness to the spell that forms upon my lips. a ritual woven of hope and aching desire whispered to the swaying sage brush, witnessed by a blanket of starlight...there i stand in the darkness, digging my toes deep into the sands below. anchored in the solace of the earth, awaiting the rebirth that comes within the illumination of the moon...i am the altar upon which the winds of change do blow. here i wait in silent worship, surrendering at the edge of the unknown, opening to all that lies beyond...at long last she rises. a jewel shining on the horizon, calling to the depths of my spirit. a feast of night-song to sooth away the noise, her great strength granted to my outstretched fingertips...here my spirit is born. here in this moonlight. here my eyes finally see. here where all things are eternally free" ― c. ara campbell (modified by bodhinku), the storm in my soul    
 
“you have shown me a boundless love...a love that roams barefoot to feed its hunger through the desert...a love that strips off its clothes before running across the sand dunes...a love that would scale mountains just to howl to the heavens and see all the world shrink and tremble before it...a love that dreams through the day and comes alive through the night...a love keeping us alive...a love that knows no limits and never backs down from a fight...a love that burns and bleeds and laughs and cries, and shines like a nightlight with all the majesty of the moon and stars" ― beau taplin
 
"the moment i knew you were it? it was when i showed you the darkest parts of me, and, instead of running away, you rolled out a blanket, laid on your back, and pointed out the stars” ― beau taplin
 
"as if you were on fire from within. the moon lives in the lining of your skin" ― pablo neruda  
 
"no one else, love, will sleep in my dreams. you will go,
we will go together, over the waters of time.
no one else will travel through the shadows with me,
only you, ever believe, evergreen, ever sun, ever moon" ― pablo neruda   
 
"and we came to understand the cycle of creation, because our bodies repeat the rhythm of the moon" ― paulo coelho, by the river piedra i sat down and wept     
 
"do not quite know what the relationship was between lunatics and the moon, but it must be a strong one, if they used a word like that to describe the insane" ― paulo coelho, veronika decides to die 
 
"poets loved the full moon; they wrote thousands of poems about it, but it was the new moon that she loved best because there was still room for it to grow, to expand, to fill the whole of its surface with light before its inevitable decline" ― paulo coelho, veronika decides to die  
 
"when she felt the moment had come, she turned to the moon and played a sonata in homage to it, knowing that the moon was listening and would feel proud, and that this would provoke the jealousy of the stars. then she played music for the stars, for the garden, for the mountains she could not see in the darkness but which she knew were there" ― paulo coelho, veronika decides to die   
 
“and the greatest adventure is not going to the moon...the greatest adventure is going to your own innermost core" ― osho, the secret of secrets
 
"science is a day approach. in the full noon, everything is clear: distinct boundaries, and you can see the other well. logic is a night approach: groping in the dark only with the mind, without any experimental support, just thinking. poetry and religion are twilight approaches, just in the middle. the day is no longer there, the brightness of the noon has gone; things are not so distinct, clear. the night has not yet come; the darkness has not enveloped all. darkness and day meet, there is a soft grayness, neither white nor black, boundaries meeting and merging, everything indiscriminate, everything is everything else. this is the metaphorical approach. that’s why poetry talks in metaphors...and religion is the ultimate poetry; religion talks in metaphors. remember, those metaphors are not to be taken literally; otherwise you will miss the point. when i say the inner light, don’t think in terms of literal understanding, no. when i say, “the inner is like light,” it is a metaphor. something is indicated, but not demarked, not defined, something of the nature of light, not exactly light; it is a metaphor" ― osho, tantra: the supreme understanding
 
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
                                                     
i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

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 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
 
"yours is the light by which my spirit's born...you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars" ― e. e. cummings, 100 selected poems
 
“it's a full moon here tonight, which makes me think of you. because, i know that no matter what i am doing, or where i am, this moon will always be the same size as yours, half a world away"― nicholas sparks, dear john
 
"i think about you every day. part of me is scared that there will come a time when you don't feel the same way, that you'll somehow forget what we shared, so this is what i want to do. wherever you are and no matter what's going on in your life, when it's the first night of the full moon, i want you to find it in the nighttime sky. i want you to think about me and the time we shared, because wherever i am and no matter what's going on in my life, that's exactly what i'll be doing. if we can't be together, at least we can share that, and maybe between the two of us, we can make it last forever" ― nicholas sparks, the lucky one  
 
"my fellow, you strike me at present as being situated in the moon, kingdom of dream, in the province of illusion, whose capital is soap-bubble" ― victor hugo, les miserables  
 
"you are immortal; you’ve existed for billions of years in different manifestations, because you are life, and life cannot die. you are in the trees, the butterflies, the fish, the air, the moon, the sun. wherever you go, you are there, waiting for yourself" ― don miguel ruiz, the four agreements  
 
"we are all like the bright moon, and we all still have our darker side" ― khalil gibran, the prophet  
 
"oh what a wonderful soul so bright inside you. got power to heal the sun’s broken heart, power to restore the moon’s vision too" ― aberjhani, elemental: the power of illuminated love 
 
"in the moon thou sendest thy love letters to me," said the night to the sun. "i leave my answers in tears upon the grass" ― rabindranath tagore
 
"when i said i wanted to touch the moon, you took my hand, held me close, and taught me how to fly" ― tahereh mafi, ignite me    
 
"the sun is an arrogant thing, always leaving the world behind when it tires of us. the moon is a loyal companion. it never leaves. it's always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. every day it's a different version of itself. sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. the moon understands what it means to be human. uncertain. alone. cratered by imperfections" ― tahereh mafi, shatter me
  
"mindfulness gives us the power to understand our deep connection with the trees, flowers, stars, sun and the moon" ― amit ray, world peace   
 
"just like moons and suns,
with certainty of tides,
just like hopes springing high,
still i'll rise." ― maya angelou, and still i rise
 
“i want to be
in love with you
the same way
i am in
love with the moon
with the light
shining
out of its soul" ― sanober khan, a thousand flamingos 
 
"give me a moon-blanket night to keep me warm. a long-gone smile to comfort me. a pair of rain-blue eyes to haunt me. a simple soul...to love me" ― sanober khan, turquoise silence   
 
"i will love the light for it shows me the way; yet i will love the darkness for it shows me the stars. i will welcome happiness as it enlarges my heart; yet i will endure sadness for it opens my soul" ― og mandino, the greatest salesman in the world   
 
"sand dunes remind us of space. fine sand grains, all more or less uniform in size, have been produced from the larger rocks through ages of jostling and rubbing, abrasion and erosion. the sand also reminds us of time. the world is much older than human species" ― carl sagan, cosmos  
 
"we open our eyes to see the light, and close them to hear the dark. every spark returns to darkness. every sound returns to silence. the journey of the sun and moon is predictable, but yours, is your ultimate art" ― suzy kassem, rise up and salute the sun 
 
"i feel a little like the moon who took possession of you for a moment and then returned your soul to you. you should not love me. one ought not to love the moon. if you come too near me, i will hurt you" ― anais nin, henry and june   
 
"you only need one man to love you. but him to love you free like a wildfire, crazy like the moon, always like tomorrow, sudden like an inhale and overcoming like the tides. only one man and all of this" ― c. joybell c.  
 
"i'm different. i'll give you my treasure chest of darkness first. if you can handle that, then i'll bring out my shining moons. if one cannot handle the darkness, then one should not deserve the light" ― c. joybell c. 
  
"the moon does not need the sun to tell her she is already whole" ― lang leav, love & misadventure  
 
"i have a bed, my very own. it’s just my size. and sometimes i like to sleep alone with dreams inside my eyes. but sometimes dreams are dark and wild and creepy, and i wake and am afraid, though i don’t know why. but i'm no longer sleepy, and too slowly the hours go by...so i climb on the bed where the light of the moon is shining on your face, and i know it will be morning soon. everybody needs a safe place" ― mary oliver, dog songs  
 
"when it’s over, it’s over, and we don’t know, any of us, what happens then. so i try not to miss anything. i think, in my whole life, i have never missed the full moon or the sliver of its coming back. or, a kiss. well, yes, especially a kiss" ― mary oliver 
 
"the moon will guide you through the night with her brightness, but she will always dwell in the darkness, in order to be seen" ― shannon l. alder
 
"all great beginnings start in the dark, when the moon greets you to a new day at midnight" ― shannon l. alder 
 
"buried emotions are caged nighthawks that have fallen in love with the moon. they don’t understand the sun because they were born with the darkness of shadows in their soul" ― shannon l. alder
 
and with all of this plethora of quotes, you are only about halfway through ones i have selected by other authors with a deeper meaning about the "moon"...so,  here is another beautifully poignant song with beautiful apropos lyrics to give listen, a true classic love tune: "fly me to the moon" by lotus blue (count basie cover) ...(just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the song)...  
 
"fly me to the moon. let me play among the stars. let me see what spring is like on a, jupiter and mars. in other words, hold my hand. in other words, baby, kiss me. fill my heart with song and let me sing for ever more...you are all i long for. all i worship and adore. in other words, please be true. in other words, i love you" ― lotus blue, fly me to the moon (count basie cover)       
 
"i know you're somewhere out there. somewhere far away. i want you back. i want you back. my neighbors think i'm crazy, but they don't understand. you're all i had. you're all i had...at night when the stars light up my room, i sit by myself talking to the moon trying to get to you in hopes you're on the other side talking to me too. or am i a fool who sits alone talking to the moon?? i'm feeling like i'm famous. the talk of the town, they say i've gone mad. yeah, i've gone mad, but they don't know what i know. because when the sun goes down, someone's talking back. yeah, they're talking back...at night when the stars light up my room, i sit by myself talking to the moon trying to get to you in hopes you're on the other side talking to me too. or am i a fool who sits alone talking to the moon? do you ever hear me calling? because every night i'm talking to the moon still trying to get to you in hopes you're on the other side talking to me too. or am i a fool who sits alone talking to the moon?? oh...i know you're somewhere out there, somewhere far away" ― bruno mars, talking to the moon     

"as i was walking down the street, down the street, down the street, a pretty girl i chanced to meet and we danced by the light of the moon. buffalo gals won't you come out tonight, come out tonight come out tonight. buffalo gals won't you come out tonight, and we'll dance by the light of the moon...i danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking and her knees was a-knockin' and her shoes was a-rockin'. i danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking and we danced by the light of the moon...i danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking and her knees was a-knockin' and her shoes was a-rockin'. i danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking and we danced by the light of the moon...buffalo gals won't you come out tonight come out tonight come out tonight. buffalo gals won't you come out tonight, and we'll dance by the light of the moon" ― american folk tune, buffalo gals
 
"my heart can feel the softness of a star, only when the moon stays afar. i lay my mind on the pillow of sky, where sleep dares not ever to pry" ― munia khan, attainable  
 
"i wonder at the starry pattern in the sky, are they just little pieces of moon which want to fly?" ― munia khan, attainable  
 
"rejoice with glitters of ashes tonight
sparkling for moon's spiced silver bite
upon skin of darkness, loving night more
storm begins unlocking cold winter's door" ― munia khan, attainable  
 
"the moon can never breathe, but it can take our breath away with the beauty of its cold, arid orb." ― munia khan, attainable  
 
"the moon doesn’t go through phases. it's our perspective of the moon that goes through phases. no matter what the calendar says, the moon is always full. regardless of someone’s opinion, perspective, or inability to see it as whole and complete, the moon is unapologetically full. i find wisdom and strength in this truth" ― steve maraboli, unapologetically you     
 
"we sleepwalkers of the day! we artists! we who conceal naturalness! we who are moonstruck! we untiring wanderers, silent as death, on heights that we see not as heights but as our plains, as our safety" ― friedrich nietzsche, twilight of the idols 
 
"do not swear by the moon, for she changes constantly. then your love would also change" ― william shakespeare, romeo and juliet 
 
"with freedom, flowers, books, and the moon, who could not be perfectly happy?"― oscar wilde, de profundis 
   
"the final mystery is oneself. when one has weighed the sun in the balance, and measured the steps of the moon, and mapped out the seven heavens star by star, there still remains oneself. who can calculate the orbit of his own soul?" ― oscar wilde, the picture of dorian gray  
 
"so, we'll go no more a-roving
so late into the night,
though the heart still be as loving,
and the moon still be as bright.

for the sword outwears its sheath,
and the soul wears out the breast,
and the heart must pause to breathe,
and love itself have rest.

though the night was made for loving,
and the day returns too soon,
yet we'll go no more a-roving
by the light of the moon" ― lord george byron  
 
"tis the witching time of night
our bed is the moon and light
and the stars they glisten, glisten,
seeming with bright eyes to listen" ― john keats, the complete poems 
  
“what is there in thee, moon! that thou should'st move my heart so potently?" ― john keats, endymion
 
"art thou pale for weariness
of climbing heaven, and gazing on the earth,
wandering companionless
among the stars that have a different birth,--
and ever-changing, like a joyless eye
that finds no object worth its constancy?" ― percy bysshe shelley, to the moon
 
"for he would be thinking of love, until the stars had run away, and the shadows eaten the moon" ― w.b. yeats, the wind among the reeds
"it's unconceivable that the whole universe was merely created for us who live in this third-rate planet of a third-rate moon" ― alfred lord tennyson, in memoriam  
 
"i don't know if there are men on the moon, but if there are, then they must be using the earth as their lunatic asylum" ― george bernard shaw 
 
"moonlight is sculpture; sunlight is painting" ― nathaniel hawthorne
  
"we ran as if to meet the moon" ― robert frost
 
"the wind is rushing after us, and the clouds are flying after us, and the moon is plunging after us, and the whole wild night is in pursuit of us; but, so far, we are pursued by nothing else" ― charles dickens, a tale of two cities
 
"everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which they never show to anybody" ― mark twain, the adventures of tom sawyer  
  
"nothing exists; all is a dream. god, man, the world, the sun, the moon, the wilderness of stars...a dream, all a dream; they have no existence. nothing exists save empty space, and you!" ― mark twain, the mysterious stranger  
 
"i had an inheritance from my father, it was the moon and the sun. and though i roam all over the world, the spending of it’s never done" ― ernest hemingway, for whom the bell tolls  
 
"but the old man always thought of her as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favours, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them. the moon affects him as does a woman, he thought"― ernest hemingway, the old man and the sea
 
"then, as though it had been waiting on a near by roof for their arrival, the moon came slanting suddenly through the vines and turned the girl's face the color of white roses" ― f. scott fitzgerald, the great gatsby
 
"it is a dark disappointment to me that i can never see the far side of the moon" ― john steinbeck, east of eden  
 
"i have, as it were, my own sun and moon and stars, and a little world all to myself" ― henry david thoreau, walden
  
"low hangs the moon, it rose late, it is lagging...i think it is heavy with love, with love"
― walt whitman, on the beach at night   
 
"with the sentiment of the stars and moon, on such nights i get all the free margins and indefiniteness of music and poetry, fused in geometry's utmost exactness" ― walt whitman, specimen days  
 
"we see the world piece by piece, as the sun, the moon, the animal, the tree; but the whole, of which these are shining parts, is the soul" ― ralph waldo emerson 
 
"cheap little rhymes
a cheap little tune
are sometimes as dangerous
as a sliver of the moon" ― langston hughes, the collected poems  
 
"if i were the moon, i know where i would fall down" ― d.h. lawrence, the complete poems   
 
"o the moon shone bright on mrs. porter...and on her daughter...they wash their feet in soda water" ― t.s. eliot, the waste land

"i'm happiest when most away
i can bear my soul from its home of day
on a windy night when the moon is bright
and the eye can wander through worlds of light—
when i am not and none beside—
nor earth, nor sea, nor cloudless sky—
but only spirit wandering wide
through infinite immensity" ― emily bronte, wuthering heights
 
"no one thought of it, cleared of chatter and emotion, it seemed always to have been, only was shown now and so being shown, struck everything into stability. they would, she thought, going on again, however long they lived, come back to this night; this moon; this wind; this house: and to her too" ― virginia wolf, to the lighthouse 
   
"i want to resemble a sort of liquid light which stretches beyond visibility or invisibility. tonight i wish to have the valor and daring to belong to the moon" ― virginia woolf, the waves 
     
"you got him alone tonight...there'll be a beautiful moon to fill him with poetry and loneliness" ― eugene o'neill, long day's journey into night    

"still round the corner there may wait
a new road or a secret gate
and though i oft have passed them by
a day will come at last when i
shall take the hidden paths that run
west of the moon, east of the sun" ― j.r.r. tolkien, the fellowship of the ring
  
"may the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks" ― j.r.r. tolkien, the fellowship of the ring  
 
“before you, my life was like a moonless night. very dark, but there were stars, points of light and reason. ...and then you shot across my sky like a meteor. suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. when you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. i couldn’t see the stars anymore. and there was no more reason, for anything”― stephenie meyer, new moon 
 
"maybe there's a whole other universe where a square moon rises in the sky, and the stars laugh in cold voices, and some of the triangles have four sides, and some have five, and some have five raised to the fifth power of sides. in this universe there might grow roses which sing. everything leads to everything" ― stephen king, it  
 
"home is watching the moon rise over the open, sleeping land and having someone you can call to watch, so you can look together. home is where you dance with others, and dancing is life" ― stephen king, the shawshank redemption
 
"watching white moon face, the stars never feel anger. blah, blah, blah, the end" ― chuck palahniuk, fight club 
 
"we all shine on...like the moon and the stars and the sun...we all shine on...come on and on and on..." ― john lennon  

"by the light of the silvery moon i want to spoon. to my honey i'll croon love's tune. honey moon, keep a-shinin' in june. your silvery beams will bring love's dreams, we'll be cuddlin' soon by the silvery moon...place-park, scene-dark. silvery moon is shining through the trees. cast-two, me-you. summer kisses floating on the breeze...act one, be done dialog-where would ya like to spoon? my cue, with you, underneath the silvery moon. by the light of the silvery moon, i want to spoon. to my honey i'll croon love's tune. honey moon, keep a-shinin' in june. your silvery beams will bring love's dreams. we'll be cuddlin' soon by the silvery moon...act two, scene-new roses blooming all around the place. cast-three, you-me. preacher with a solemn-looking face. choir sings, bell rings. preacher: you are wed forever more...act two, all though. every night the same encore...by the light, not the dark but the light of the silvery moon, not the sun but the moon, i want to spoon, not croon, but spoon...to my honey i'll croon love's tune. honeymoon, honey moon, honey moon keep a-shinin' in june. your silvery beams will bring love's dreams. we'll be cuddlin' soon by the silvery moon, the silvery moon..." ― doris day, by the light of the silvery moon 
       
"there's a lover's moon tonight as i look back over my shoulder all the stars are shining bright, just like the nights when i used to hold her, she's out there somewhere under the lover's moon...lover's moon won't you shine on me. i'm dancing with a memory. wish i may, i wish i might have one last chance to hold her tight...there's a lover's moon tonight, shining down on half of this world. so many souls are in its light, but for me there is just one girl. and she's waiting, i know she's waiting. i know she waits for me under the lover's moon" ― glenn frey, lover's moon 
    
"if she is sirius, brighter than anything else in the sky, then he is the moon: often dark and hidden, but closer than any star. always there" ― jenn bennett, starry eyes  
 
“he carries stars in his pockets
because he knows
she fears the dark.
whenever sadness pays her a visit
he paints galaxies
on the back of her hands.”― alaska gold, growing light
 
"look up; notice how the stars shine. look in; notice how the stars shine" ― laura jaworski 
 
"uninvited, the thought of you stayed too late in my head, so i went to bed, dreaming you hard, hard, woke with your name, like tears, soft, salt, on my lips, the sound of its bright syllables like a charm, like a spell...falling in love is glamorous hell; the crouched, parched heart like a tiger ready to kill; a flame's fierce licks under the skin. into my life, larger than life, beautiful, you strolled in...i hid in my ordinary days, in the long grass of routine, in my camouflage rooms. you sprawled in my gaze, staring back from anyone's face, from the shape of a cloud, from the pining, earth-struck moon which gapes at me as i open the bedroom door. the curtains stir. there you are on the bed, like a gift, like a touchable dream" ― carol ann duffy, rapture  
 
"i dreamed that you bewitched me into bed and sung me moonstruck, kissed me quite insane. (i think i made you up inside my head)" ― sylvia plath  
 
“light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. no matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it" ― terry pratchett, reaper man
 
"it was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation. yes we can....it was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom through the darkest of nights. yes we can....it was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness. yes we can....it was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a president who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a king who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the promised land...yes we can to justice and equality. yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. yes we can heal this nation. yes we can repair this world. yes we can" ― barack obama  
 
“happiness is always there. you just have to choose to see it. there's no point dwelling in the dark and ignoring the light of the stars" ― carrie hope fletcher, on the other side    
 
"that moon upon her spirit
sheds sweet, celestial balm,
the thought, like angel's whisper,
my misery would calm.
and when, at early morning,
a faint flush comes to me
reflected from those glowing skies
i almost weep to see" ― anne bronte, the complete poems  
 
"last night i asked the moon about the moon, my one question for the visible world, where is god? the moon says, i am dust stirred up when he passed by. the sun: my face is pale yellow from just now seeing him. water: i slide on my head and face, like a snake, from a spell he cast. fire: his lightning--i want to be that restless. wind: why so light? i would burn too if i had a choice. earth, quiet, impregnated: inside me i have a garden and a bubbling spring"  ― jalaluddin rumi, hush don't say anything to god 

"i am your moon and your moonlight too
i have come all this way, eager for you
i want you to laugh
to kill all your worries
to love you
to nourish you" ― jalaluddin rumi, poems of ecstasy and longing
 
“escape from the black cloud
that surrounds you.
then you will see your own light
as radiant as the full moon" ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul 
 
“patience is not sitting and waiting, it is foreseeing. it is looking at the night and seeing the day. lovers are patient and know that the moon needs time to become full"  ― jalaluddin rumi, the soul of rumi
 
“the moon stays bright when it doesn't avoid the night" ― jalaluddin rumi, a year with rumi   
 
“let the waters settle and you will see the moon and the stars mirrored in your own being” ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi   
 
“to see the moon that cannot be seen, turn your eyes inward & look at yourself, in silence...there is a moon inside every human being, learn to be companions with it" ― jalaluddin rumi, the music and silence of the heart
----------------------
 
ABOUT THE IMPRESSION
"she is a girl i can count on to be there for me and put me in her spotlight, never keeping me hidden, never ashamed to show her love for me, a love for all to see...the moon is my most faithful lover, mi luna, mi amor" ― bodhinku, mi luna 
  
i arrived at this spot about 20 mins before sunset, i used star apps with my smartphone to get the exact position i wanted for my composition aligned to the moonrise. i then set up my camera to take exposures of the sand dunes just after sunset to merge later with the moon and stars  when the moon rose over the top of the tallest dune about 1/2hr later in the same camera frame...but i never ended up using any of these pre-shots. along with my camera's wonderful dynamixc range, the moon was so bright and created the perfect shadows that i was able to use only the moonrise shots, plus one extra short exposure used to paint in the details on the moon's surface...
 
captured just after the moonrise crested the highest dune, at 5:35pm on november 28, 2020 deep in the eureka sand dunes in death valley national park...this composition is comprised almost entirely of one exposure (f/8 @200mm for 8secs, iso-64), with a second exposure used for only the small core of the moonlight, shot at a faster shutter speed (f/8 @200mm for 1/250 sec, iso-64) to capture some of the detail in the moon that was blown out and clipped by the longer exposure of the rest of the composition...and btw, the light flare around the moon was natural, it was an unplanned bonus for me at f/8 in the 8sec exposure...
 
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...for this exposure, to get the effects and balance i was looking for, i used one progreyusa filter in the capture of this composition, a 0.9 gnd progrey aurora filter to help balance in-camera overall the image the way i envisioned it...in this case, to stop down the light of the moon at the top of the composition an extra three stops...
 
i also used the progrey g-120z magnetic holder to hold the filter and secure it to my nikon d810 with a nikon nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 for both exposures shot in a portrait orientation...first exposure comprises 95% of the impression: 200mm@f/8 for 8 seconds, iso-64...second exposure for only the details in the moon: 200mm@f/8 for 1/250 second, iso-64...and then the details of the moon were painted into the bright white moon with in the 8 second exposure using layers in adobe photoshop cc...   
 
with this being a quasi-long exposure of 8 seconds, a stable and sturdy tripod is an absolute necessity in order to keep the image sharp...for this i used my faithful induro phq3 series 5-way panhead mounted on my dolica 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 use of my faithful induro phq3 series 5-way panhead mounted on my dolica tripod 70" carbon fiber 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
 
"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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