"My Paradise" by Bodhi Smith

Dec 02, 2022

"my paradise" is my new impression and blog...
 
"tonight, mother nature is just plain showing off as she puts on a sensational show of dazzling light and cotton-candy clouds as the sun sets gently above the pacific. on this idyllic beach, i'm home, my paradise. and life is good, soooo good" ― bodhi, my paradise
 
"it's all about 
finding your 
own sort of 
paradise, 
and i'm 
finding mine at 
this quaint 
little spot by 
the sea" 
 
"when you lose yourself, you find the key to paradise" ― zac brown band (featuring jimmy buffett), knee deep.
 
"speak little. learn the words of eternity. go beyond your tangled thoughts and find the splendor of paradise" ― jalaluddin rumi, the music and silence of the heart
 
"knee deep in the water somewhere. got the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hair. only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair. sunset there's a fire in the sky, never been so happy, never felt so high. and i think i might have found me my own kind of paradise" ― zac brown band (featuring jimmy buffett), knee deep.
 
"dogs are our link to paradise. they don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. to sit with a dog on a beach on a glorious afternoon for sunset is to be back in eden, where doing nothing was not boring, it was peace" ― milan kundera (with additions by bodhi)
 
"i’m not striving for the ideal paradise anymore, or the perfect life without obstacles. it doesn’t exist. not that i don’t have preferences or dreams anymore. but it seems like the idea of paradise is just on the horizon, always, while life is here, under my feet, now...might as well enjoy it, learn to appreciate the good waves, the paddling, the ferocious storms, and the mundane moments--the quiet lulls between swells" ― jaimal yogis, saltwater buddha

"all i need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and i'm fine" ― cameron crowe (jeff spicoli quote from the film fast times at ridgemont high)  

"as the sun sets slowly in the west we bid a fond farewell to all the friends we've made... and, with a touch of melancholy, we look forward to the time when we will all be together in paradise again" ― quentin tarentino (from the film true romance)
 
"every broken man comes to understand that'll he'll never find paradise, when all that he wants was there all along" ― alter bridge, coming home.
 
"paradise.
inside.
this moment. 
so peaceful. 
so soulful. 
so beautiful. 
such tranquility.
such contentment. 
such love. 
right here.
right now.
inside.
paradise" 
 
"what you seek is seeking you" ― jalaluddin rumi, words of paradise
 
though this first tune is close to 45yrs old, it's still such a great rockin' tune...and it has wonderful meaning that's parallel to the meaning of my impression today...think about it, if you waited so long and waited, and waited, and now finally you have two tickets to come see my paradise here in california, wouldn't you do it? (sending this thought out to all my old family/friends in ohio, oklahoma, and new york--you know who you are!)..."two tickets to paradise" by eddie money. ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"i've got a surprise especially for you. something that both of us have always wanted to do. we've waited so long, waited so long. we've waited so long, waited so long. i'm gonna take you on a trip so far from here. i've got two tickets in my pocket, now baby, we're gonna disappear. we've waited so long, waited so long. we've waited so long, waited so long...i've got two tickets to paradise. won't you pack your bags, we'll leave tonight. i've got two tickets to paradise. i've got two tickets to paradise. i'm gonna take you on a trip so far from here. i've got two tickets in my pocket, baby, we'll disappear. know why? we've waited so long, waited so long. we've waited so long, waited so long...i've got two tickets to paradise. won't you pack your bags, we'll leave tonight. i've got two tickets to paradise. won't you pack your bags, we'll leave tonight. i've got two tickets to paradise. won't you pack your bags, we'll leave tonight. i've got two tickets to paradise...i've got two tickets to paradise" ― eddie money, two tickets to paradise.
 
"the waves are making their music as they kiss the beach while the sun dances low in the sky through the clouds. i pull out my beach chair, take a deep breath of salt air, and with a cup of hibiscus tea in one hand and my remote shutter release in the other, i relax in my own private paradise with my doggie at my side" ― bodhi, my paradise
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MEANING
"all i need, i have right here inside and beside me. my doggie, sand between my toes, salt air in my hair. music of the waves and sunset in front of me, glowing clouds above me, and nothing behind me" ― bodhi, my paradise
 
a lone umbrella made of thatched palm leaves sits watching the sunset out over the pacific...between oceanside and san clemente lies a hidden gem of southern california, the little known san onofre state beach...it's here that this newest impression of mine was taken a short few days ago...
 
"paradise" is defined by merriam-webster as:
1.  a state of bliss, felicity, or delight
2. an ideal or idyllic place; eden; heaven
 
it's almost winter here in california, so that means that the sun sets really early as the days keep getting shorter and shorter while we approach the winter solstice on december 20th...finishing up at school at 3pm and with having daylight end so damn early, i decide to watch the sunset at surf beach in san onofre since it is one of my favorite spots and it is so close to where i live...
 
again, it's winter here in southern california. which means that us locals get to enjoy the beaches without the crowds of visitors, making things so much more peaceful and beautiful. during the week-nights it's even better, you can often enjoy many beautiful sunset spots unspoiled by anyone else you chose not to have at your side...
 
surf beach is just perfect when i arrive. empty. only a few surfers scattered here and there, and a few people with their doggies going for walks at the south end of the beach. the air is crisp and cool with no breeze what-so-ever. the clouds overhead give a hint of the magical light show that will soon happen...
 
i set up my camera gear behind the rustic umbrella made of old palm leaves, perfectly aligned in late november with the sunset directly behind it...
 
the waves are making their music as they kiss the beach while the sun dances low in the sky through the clouds. i pull out my beach chair, take a deep breath of salt air, and with a cup of hibiscus tea in one hand and my remote shutter release in the other, i relax in my own private paradise with my doggie at my side...
 
daytime in the evenings these days is so short with the daylight disappearing so fast to turn into night. before i could realize, it's already 4:44pm and the sunset is already happening...
 
tonight, mother nature is just plain showing off as she puts on a sensational show of dazzling light and cotton-candy clouds as the sun sets gently above the pacific. on this idyllic beach, i'm home, my paradise. and life is good, soooo good...
 
it's paradise by the seaside lights...
 
and through it all as always, my doggie is sitting right there beside me, and together we sit here on the beach smiling together, contemplating life, the universe and everything... 
 
lately it's as if this is becoming besos' habit to live up to his namesake in every way, for i'm in deep thought looking out to sea, and he simply kisses me on the cheek for no particular reason, but his meaning is crystal clear to me. he knows this moment is paradise, this moment is ours and we'll not let it pass us by without enjoying it together to the fullest...
 
"paradise inside this moment. so peaceful. so soulful. so idyllic. so beautiful. such tranquility. such contentment. such spirit. such love. right here. right now. inside paradise." ― bodhi, my paradise
 
this next tune is the perfect song to go along with my impression and blog today, it has a strong heart warming beach vibe feel to it, and is sung by jimmy buffett and the zac brown band...it's all about finding your own sort of paradise, and i find mine here at this quaint little spot by the sea. since i was born near here and live so close by, it's a favorite spot for me to take my doggie and relax and watch the sunset. you can light a fire in a fire pit, play beach volleyball, sit in a beach chair and let the waves wash your feet, surf a nice break at middle-low tide, or just walk for miles on a beach and have it all to your own..."knee deep" by zac brown band (with jimmy buffett). ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"gonna put the the world away for a minute, pretend I don't live in it, sunshine gonna wash my blues away. had sweet love but i lost it, she got too close so i fought it. now i'm lost in the world trying to find me a better way. wishing i was knee deep in the water somewhere. got the blue sky breeze and it don't seem fair. only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair. sunrise there's a fire in the sky, never been so happy, never felt so high, and i think i might have found me my own kind of paradise...wrote a note said i'd be back in a minute. bought a boat and i sailed off in it. don't think anybody gonna miss me anyway. my mind's on a permanent vacation, the ocean is my only medication, wishing my condition ain't ever gonna go away. because now i'm knee deep in the water somewhere. got the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hair. only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair. sunrise there's a fire in the sky. never been so happy, never felt so high. and i think i might have found me my own kind of paradise...this champagne shore washing over me. it's a sweet sweet life living by the salty sea. one day you could be as lost as me. change you're geography, maybe you might be: knee deep in the water somewhere. got the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hair. only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair. sunset there's a fire in the sky, never been so happy, never felt so high. and i think i might have found me my own kind of paradise...come on in the water it's nice. find yourself a little slice. grab a backpack of lies. you never know until you try. when you lose yourself, you find the key to paradise" ― zac brown band (featuring jimmy buffett), knee deep.
 
and...this song from 27 years ago is easily in my top three favorite tunes of all time, by any artist. it was released back in the mid-1990's, a time when i was going through a difficult spell (a bad breakup with my first love) in my life during my college years in ohio, and all i wanted to do was get back here to california, to the beach, to surf, to my paradise. which i did the first day after i graduated college i was on the next plane back to san diego, and now i'm back, and i've never looked back in 26 years...for me, this blog would not be complete if i did not include this song...it's a perfect connection to my impression and blog today because it describes how i made it back to california finally, sitting on a surfboard out past the breakers waiting for my wave, looking back at the beach (paradise here in my photo) letting all my worries and memories go... "santa monica" by everclear. ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"i am still living with your ghost, lonely and dreaming of the west coast. i don't wanna be your downtime. i don't wanna be your stupid game. with my big black boots and an old suitcase, i do believe i'll find myself a new place. i don't wanna be the bad guy. i don't wanna do your sleepwalk dance anymore. i just wanna see some palm trees. i will try and shake away this disease...we can live beside the ocean, leave the fire behind, swim out past the breakers, watch the world die. we can live beside the ocean, leave the fire behind, swim out past the breakers, watch the world die...i am still dreaming of your face. hungry and hollow for all the things you took away. i don't wanna be your good time. i don't wanna be your fall-back crutch anymore. i'll walk right up into a brand new day, new seen horizon in my own weird way. i don't wanna be the bad guy. i don't wanna do your sleepwalk dance anymore. i just wanna feel some sunshine. i just wanna find some place to belong...we can live beside the ocean, leave the fire behind, swim out past the breakers, watch the world die. we can live beside the ocean, leave the fire behind, swim out past the breakers, watch the world die... we can live beside the ocean, leave the fire behind, swim out past the breakers, watch the world die. we can live beside the ocean, leave the fire behind, swim out past the breakers, watch the world die...yeah, watch the world die. yeah, watch the world die. yeah, watch the world die. yeah, watch the world die" ― everclear, santa monica.
 
"the great mystic rumi once said: what you seek is seeking you...so remember, when you are looking for your paradise, it is already looking for you" ― bodhi, my paradise
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MORE MUSIC FOR EXTRA MEANING
my god it's been memory lane for me with the last tune above and these next couple of tunes below here to give a listen...
 
this next song reminds me of my first love, every time i hear it. our relationship was a paradise, and a hell at times, so up and down, full of passion, but too much stubborn youth and immaturity...you know that first time love feels real, it can never come your way again. i lost her and she lost me, but the memories come back so strong sometimes (like on this night), the good times on the beach, young, happy, and so in love, sometimes i wish i could find my way back there with her... "summer paradise" by simple plan (with sean paul). ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"i gotta find my way back, back to summer paradise (sean paul, simple plan)...my heart is sinking as i'm lifting up above the clouds away from you. and i can't believe i'm leaving. oh, i don't know, know, know what i'm gonna do. but someday, i will find my way back to where your name is written in the sand (stained in my brain). because i remember every sunset. i remember every word you said. and we were never gonna say goodbye singing la-da-da-da-da. tell me how to get back to, back to summer paradise with you, and i'll be there in a heartbeat, oh-oh (quick time quick time girl). i'll be there in a heartbeat, oh-oh (quick time quick time girl)...(tell 'em) my soul is broken, the streets are frozen. i can't stop these feelings melting through. and i'd give away a thousand days, oh, just to have another one with you (baby girl). where real life can wait (it can wait). we're crashing like waves. we're playing in the sand (me and you girl). holding your hand...because i remember every sunset (i remember). i remember every word you said. and we were never gonna say goodbye singing la-da-da-da-da. tell me how to get back to, back to summer paradise with you, and i'll be there in a heartbeat, oh-oh (quick time, quick time girl). i'll be there in a heartbeat, oh-oh (quick time, quick time girl  ). oh-oh, oh-oh, yeah. oh-oh, oh-oh-oh. the promises that we made to our friends. thinking about the sunshine and the trees. summertime on the beach so fine, we get closer under them trees. baby girl you really got to me. it's three o'clock and we're together and the time doesn't leave. in a heartbeat girl, sex on the beach. can't stand your world? ask me i'm rich. loving your girl is the best part of me. i gotta find a way to get myself to you. oh-oh, oh-oh...someday, i will find my way back to where your name is written in the sand (bring it back, bring it back, rewind, rewind). because i remember every sunset (i remember). i remember every word you said. and we were never gonna say goodbye (no way!) singing la-da-da-da-da. tell me how to get back to, back to summer paradise with you, and i'll be there in a heartbeat...i remember when we first kissed and how i didn't want to leave your lips. and how i never, ever felt so high (so high). singing la-da-da-da-da. so tell me how to get back to, back to summer paradise with you, and I'll be there in a heartbeat, oh-oh (quick time, quick time girl). and i'll be there in a heartbeat, oh-oh (quick time, quick time girl, summer paradise) and i'll be there in a heartbeat" ― simple plan (with sean paul), summer paradise.
 
and like the above song by simple plan and sean paul, everytime i hear this classic song by meatloaf (from way way back in 1977), i always think of that first same love of mine (all the good and the bad rushing together) so many years ago with her, it truly was paradise by the dashboard light (until it was not anymore)... "paradise by the dashboard light" by meatloaf. ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"i remember every little thing as if it happened only yesterday. parking by the lake and there was not another car in sight. and i never had a girl looking any better than you did. and all the kids at school, they were wishing they were me that night. and how our bodies are oh so close and tight. it never felt so good, it never felt so right. and we're glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife. glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife...c'mon! hold on tight! c'mon! hold on tight! though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night, i can see paradise by the dashboard light...ain't no doubt about it, we were doubly blessed. because we were barely seventeen and we were barely dressed. ain't no doubt about it, baby got to go and shout it. ain't no doubt about it, we were doubly blessed because we were barely seventeen and we were barely dressed...baby don't ya hear my heart? you got it drowning out the radio. i've been waiting so long for you to come along and have some fun. and i gotta let you know, know you're never gonna regret it. so open up your eyes i got a big surprise, it'll feel all right. well, i wanna make your motor run...and now our bodies are oh so close and tight. it never felt so good, it never felt so right. and we're glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife. glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife. c'mon, hold on tight. c'mon, hold on tight!...though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night. i can see paradise by the dashboard light, paradise by the dashboard light...you got to do what you can and let mother nature do the rest. ain't no doubt about it, we were doubly blessed becaause we were barely seventeen and we were barely dressed...we're gonna go all the way tonight, we're gonna go all the way, tonight's the night. we're gonna go all the way tonight, we're gonna go all the way and tonight's the night....okay, here we go, we got a real pressure cooker going here. two down, nobody on, no score, bottom of the ninth. there's the windup, and there it is, a line shot up the middle. look at him go. this boy can really fly! he's rounding first and really turning it on now, he's not letting up at all, he's gonna try for second; the ball is bobbled out in center, and here comes the throw, and what a throw! he's gonna slide in head first, here he comes, he's out! no, wait, safe, safe at second base, this kid really makes things happen out there. batter steps up to the plate, here's the pitch--he's going, and what a jump he's got. he's trying for third, here's the throw, it's in the dirt--safe at third! holy cow, stolen base! he's taking a pretty big lead out there, almost daring them to try and pick him off. the pitcher glances over, winds up, and it's bunted, bunted down the third base line. the suicide squeeze is on! here he comes, squeeze play, it's gonna be close, holy cow, i think he's gonna make it!...stop right there! i gotta know right now, before we go any further, o you love me? will you love me forever? do you need me? will you never leave me? will you make me so happy for the rest of my life, will you take me away and will you make me your wife? do you love me!? will you love me forever!? do you need me!? will you never leave me!? will you make me happy for the rest of my life!? will you take me away and will you make me your wife!? i gotta know right now, before we go any further, do you love me!? will you love me forever???...let me sleep on it. baby, baby let me sleep on it. let me sleep on it, and I'll give you an answer in the morning. let me sleep on it. baby, baby let me sleep on it. let me sleep on it, and I'll give you an answer in the morning. let me sleep on it. baby, baby let me sleep on it. let me sleep on it, and i'll give you an answer in the morning...i gotta know right now! do you love me? will you love me forever? do you need me? will you never leave me? will you make me so happy for the rest of my life? will you take me away and will you make me your wife? i gotta know right now, before we go any further do you love me? and will you love me forever?...let, let, let me sleep on it. baby, baby let me sleep on it. let me sleep on it, i'll give you an answer in the morning. let me sleep on it...will you love me forever?...let me sleep on it...will you love me forever...i couldn't take it any longer. lord i was crazed when the feeling came upon me like a tidal wave. i started swearing to my god and on my mother's grave that i would love you to the end of time. i swore, that i would love you to the end of time!...so now i'm praying for the end of time. to hurry up and arrive. because if i gotta spend another minute with you, idon't think that i can really survive. i'll never break my promise or forget my vow. but god only knows what i can do right now. i'm praying for the end of time. it's all that i can do. praying for the end of time, so i can end my time with you!...it was long ago and it was far away and it was so much better that it is today (it never felt so good, it never felt so right and we were glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife). it was long ago and it was far away and it was so much better than it is today..." ― meatloaf, paradise by the dashboard light.
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MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
"to make hell into paradise, we only need to change the mind on which it is based...with your deluded mind, you make hell for yourself. with your true mind, you make paradise" ― thich nhat hanh, the heart of the buddha's teaching
 
"if you dwell only in your suffering, you will miss paradise" ― thich nhat hanh, the heart of the buddha's teaching
 
"if powerful men and women could remain centered in the tao, all things would be in harmony. the world would become a paradise. all people would be at peace, and the law would be written in their hearts" ― lao tzu, tao te ching 
 
"i'm simple. i'm looking for giggles and belly laughs, blessed saturday adventures to nowhere except your eyes, cuddling on the couch watching romance movies, endless conversation, deep soul sex, and penetrating, lingering kisses that last for days on our lips. that sounds like paradise to me" ― c. ara campbell, soul deep
 
"because see, a sunset is proof, my dearest eternal sweetheart, that endings can often be beautiful too" ― beau taplin, here at dawn  
 
"love can consign us to hell or to paradise, but it always takes us somewhere. we simply have to accept it, because it is what nourishes our existence" ― paulo coelho, warrior of the light
 
"we must pass through solitude and difficulty, isolation and silence, to find that enchanted place where we can dance our clumsy dance and sing our sorrowful song. but in that dance, and in that song, the most ancient rites of our conscience fulfill themselves in the awareness of being human" ― pablo neruda
 
"this is my fundamental teaching: that there is no division between this and that. that is contained in this, the other shore is contained in this shore. you need not go anywhere. if you can be joyous, flowing, alive, sensitive, orgasmic, this very shore immediately is transformed into the other shore. this very world is the paradise" ― osho, the secret of secrets
 
"the earth isn’t solid. it's made of molecules and atoms, tiny universes filled with space. it's a paradise of mystery, light, and magic, if you only open your eyes" ― dan millman, way of the peaceful warrior
 
"dammit, i can’t get anything done because i’m so busy thinking about kissing. kissing is madness! but it’s absolute paradise, if you can find a good kisser" ― shannon l. alder
 
"paradise is not something that we create. rather, it is something that we find" ― suzy kassem, rise up and salute the sun
 
"the fault-finder will find fault even in paradise" ― henry david thoreau, walden  
 
"a kind heart finds paradise everywhere" ― deepak chopra, buddha
 
"california is a garden of eden, a paradise to live in or see, but believe it or not, you won't find it so hot, if you ain't got the do re mi" ― woody guthrie  
 
"i remember seeing a bumper sticker that said, "i believe in life before death." to me this means that we don’t have to imagine a future paradise. paradise can happen right here, right now, while we’re in this human incarnation. the choice is ours" ― anam thubten, no self no problem
 
"the problem with finding paradise is that others might find it, too" ― eric weiner, the geography of bliss
 
"i'd like to tell them to hold on tight to that person beside them, because that's where they'll find paradise. it is not a beach or a palm tree grove or the brim of a smoking black crater. it's a plateau inside their hearts, one that can only be reached in tandem" ― ellen hopkins, collateral
 
"yes, it is there, you may be sure, i shall be sent for my paradise. more than one soul of those i have loved must be apportioned there" ― edmond rostand, cyrano de bergerac
 
"if you look hard enough, you can find paradise even in the darkest places" ― ryan calejo, the league of shadows
 
"and if we all did what we should, we would wake to find ourselves in paradise" ― deborah harkness, the book of life
 
"when i look into your eyes, i loose all sense of time and place. reason robbed, clear thought erased, i am lost in the paradise i find within you gaze...i long to touch your blushing cheek, to whisper in your ear how i adore you, how i cannot bear the thought of living without you...to be so near you without touching you is agony. your blindness to my feelings is a daily torment, and i feel driven to the edge of madness by my love for you" ― julianne donaldson, edenbrooke
 
"life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away" ― vicki corona, tahitian choreographies  
 
"out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. i'll meet you there" ― jalaluddin rumi, words of paradise
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MORE BODHI QUOTES
and now here are a few more quotes from bodhi (a.k.a.bodhinku) from past blogs to help add to the deeper meaning of this blog today...
 
"on this night, there's no conflict. there's no tough decision to ponder. there's no stress, no worry, no fogginess. there's clarity in relaxing and letting go of the unimportant. there's only peace. there's only love. there's only the next breath entering my lungs, followed by the next exhale letting me know i'm alive. so alive...this is life, and life is good" ― bodhi, onofre
 
"you are a warrior for the inner peace within you. have courage to embrace this and live. confront life head on, and make every moment count no matter what. especially at times when everything seems to be falling down around you, reach out and hold on simultaneously, wrap a smile around a giggle, persevere through, feel the peace inside of every breath. and you feel more alive than ever" ― bodhi, onofre
 
"i'm alone with only my doggie. yet, something so beautiful comes out of all the loneliness when the stars come out at night, and living again takes my breath away" ― bodhi, peace warrior
 
"most of the time, i'm at peace with the only thing i need to be happy: myself...it's at those other times when i truly need the therapeutic focus of my photography" ― bodhi, onofre
 
"the best father is time. the best mother is nature. the best teacher is life. the best warrior is truth. the best feeling is peace. the best thought is silence. the best light is wisdom. the best wealth is happiness. the best religion is love. the best love is inside. the best moment is now" ― bodhi, onofre
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ABOUT THIS IMPRESSION
"it's all about finding your own sort of paradise, and i find mine at this quaint little spot by the sea" ― bodhi, my paradise
 
i've had the beautiful idea of this impression in my mind's eye for quite some time now, but the conditions were never right for me to be able to capture my vision...a couple things needed to happen for this photo to be possible. first, there needed to be a stalled out weather front with a colder air mass over california to create both the unique puffy cloud formations and the lack of winds (so the umbrella would not blur in my long exposure). next, there needed to be little to nobody on the beach (or at least camping out under the rustic umbrella). next, the setting sun needed to align with the umbrella in the right position (window is only from early november to mid-february). next, each of these conditions needed to be present at the time of a sunset. and finally, with all the above present, i too needed to be present and on the beach when all the conditions were met...
 
and finally a couple days ago, as the sun was setting slowly down above the pacific ocean on a calm breezeless night at san onofre state beach (north of oceanside and just south of san clemente), all the conditions were met and i was able to capture this beautiful impression on november 29th, 2022, at 4:44pm pst...btw, this picture came out even better than how i pre-envisioned it!
 
in my photography, i always use filters to create longer exposure effects, saturate colors naturally, and balance the light in my composition in-camera...i often use as many as four filters at time, and i always use at least one filter in my completed impressions...
 
to get the effects and balance i was looking for in this composition (f/11@44mm for 33 secs, iso-64), i used two progreyusa filters  along with the progrey g-120z antarctic magnetic holder to secure these filters to my nikon d850 with a nikon nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.... 
 
first, a 3.0nd progrey antarctica filter to bring the light in the image down 10 stops and permit for the long 33 second exposure which smooths out the waves of the ocean and puffy clouds thus making the image more dreamy...plus the longer exposure helps to naturally saturate all the blue, pink, and orange hues in the image...
 
combined with the second filter, a 0.9 reverse gnd progrey aurora filter to help balance in-camera overall the image the way i envisioned it...in this case, to stop down the much brighter light in the sky at the horizon level, the sunsetting light, an extra three stops and help properly expose and bring out the details in the shadows of the dried palm leaves in the umbrella and in the sand in the foreground to come out better in the exposure... 
 
as always, i wish to openly thank my sponsors who have supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this long exposure impression with the stars over the ocean would not be possible without the use of my induro phq3 series 5-way panhead with an induro (now benro) stealth carbon fiber tripod  in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use with every photo i take...
 
"you were blessed with 84,600 seconds today, have you used one of them to say thank you?" ― bodhi, blessed 
 
"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i hope, if i cry, if i think, if i sigh, if i giggle, if i dance, if i love, if i breathe, then i have lived a full days worth of life...nothing is wasted, nothing" ― bodhi, if 
 
"i do not want you to just be into my photography, instead, i'd much rather you take a journey into my pictures, and feel the impression i have created, feel it with all your senses" ― bodhi, into my photo
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary " ― bodhi, my diary
 
"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty, content to be completely incomplete. stop the rush. slow down time. breathe and notice. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. hush. relax. seize this higher moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colours of light whisper as they envelope you. see the melody and harmony that float about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence. now discover your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith with all your senses. this is my world. awaken!" ― bodhi, my world
 
leave you today wishing that bright joy 
and spiritual peace fill your life...
imploring you to make every moment count, 
no matter what, always and forever, 
for that is the only thing that truly matters...    
 
and above all else,
i hope this message and impression find you well.
 
namaste,
bodhi
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please visit me at:

http://www.bodhismith.com
http://www.facebook.com/Bodhi.Impressions

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