My great friend Ron is a very spiritual person.  He is also an open-minded and provocative thinker.  Enjoy.

By Ron Toel:  The following has two connotations…….Open your mind to get both views…..one spiritual, one photographic.

There is no object so foul that intense light will not make it beautiful. Ralph Waldo Emerson.

When one lives in a world of darkness, one is immersed in a world that does not allow one to see the beauty that surrounds them. One of the highest qualities of a truly spiritual person is their ability to see beauty everywhere, and to source life from the presence of beauty. “Let there be light” is another way of saying…..Allow me to illustrate by my works and attitude that there is beauty everywhere.

In many ways bringing light to the presence of darkness is a way to bring a spiritual solution to a problem. Darkness symbolizes the inability to experience the true nature of our world. Using the preceding statement, John Keats wrote……“Beauty is truth, truth is beauty. That is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” In darkness one remains ignorant of both beauty and truth, since they are synonymous. The decision to bring light to darkness opens up a whole new world of beauty appreciation and sets one free of any misperceptions one might have about life being a dark experience. The ability to have light
just appear eradicates the experiences of darkness from one’s life and from what
one sees.

Light itself is an energy, one of the fastest frequencies of wavelength that exist in our world, that also conforms to the spiritual laws. When one brings the faster frequencies (light) to the presence of a slower frequency (darkness) the problems are dissolved because darkness is the absence of light. Once again, a problem is no longer a problem when we bring “light” to bear on the illusion of “darkness.”

Questioning my statement as darkness is an illusion? Think about the sun as a source of light. It is always shining. Clouds come along to obscure the sun, however, the sun is still shining. The sun appears to go down at night but that is an illusion, it continues to shine at all times. The sun appears to be the source of light, but it is really a reflection of the true light of our Creators “let there be light.” This highest energy is the spirit that lives in you and in me and in every thing in the material world including the sun. Remember that true light is always shining just as the sun shines perpetually even when we don’t see it. It is as simple as remembering that light and darkness cannot coexist. The power of light is that darkness must vanish when one displays light.

For me the four components of light that one can bring to any situation where darkness is a problem. These ingredients are:

Purity. Light implies purity. Purity as applied to the physical realm means clear unpolluted presence, as in clean air. The process of purification eliminates the problems of the foul air causes. This is also true of our thoughts and behaviors in the presence of impurities.

Morality……..The Golden Rule…..Do onto all living thing that which you would want done to you. This should be self explanatory, however, in the photographic realm, think about that which you are using as the subject of your image. If a scenic, “carry out that which you carry in and more.” If a flower, “watch where you step and kneel.” If an animal, “watch the rule of fight or flight, so they do not expend any useless energy.”

Clarity/resolution……Imagine shining the brightest light on a diamond. What one sees is a sparkling clear brightness. In contrast, look at the diamond in a low light place…the clarity is gone. This metaphor illustrates the value of clarity in the resolutions of ones problems. The same is true in the photographic world. Bringing light to darkness nullifies the problem of your light. No fuzziness (resolution) in the picture, no contaminants, only light that is devoid of any and all obstructions (darkness).

Truth…… Light is the symbol of truth, while darkness is the symbol of deceit. One can hide the truth in the dark, while in the light there are no mysteries, no hidden things, everything is revealed. Thus darkness conceals while light reveals. “Who do you trust?” In today’s world, we trust those who are willing to tell us the truth, even though we may not like what is being said. However, most tell us what we want to hear, while it may be comforting at the moment, they are not people we trust. This is a realm whereby photographers are just entering today with the computer generated artistic abilities being enhanced. It used to be ……“what one shot is what one got”, not true today. One will truly grow to understand the biblical reminder, “The truth will set you free.” Practice being
a bringer of truth, nothing hidden, nothing concealed. Most of all be truthful (totally honest) with oneself.

As Patanjali suggested…..all living things cease to feel enmity in the presence of those who are steadfast in their abstentions from having harmful impure thoughts. This is bringing light to the presence of darkness. Impure thinking and behavior cannot stand up to the power of pure light anymore than darkness can stand up to the presence of light. Light is pure, moral, clear, and without deception. Darkness cannot survive for even one moment, when light is introduced…….photographically or spiritually.