Jet Mariano

Tag: Long Exposure

  • MIT8 – “Watching the river run”

    “watching the river run” — Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. Long-exposure fall stream; motion becomes grace.
    Shot very low on a tripod with remote shutter. 4-second exposure at f/11, ISO 200 to smooth the water like silk while keeping the scene crisp.

    Excerpt

    The current is fast and the banks are close—but I can still choose calm. Today I’m learning that peacemaking starts inside me, then flows outward.

    Intro

    This stream looks like my week—swirl, speed, and color. I can’t control every bend, but I can decide the spirit I bring into each conversation.

    Notes from Elder Gary E. Stevenson(Oct 4, 2025 Sat AM GC)

    • Peacemaking is a Christlike attribute that begins in hearts, then homes, then communities.
    • It requires courage and wise compromise without sacrificing principle.
    • Lead with open hearts, not closed minds; extended hands, not clenched fists.
    • Taught by Jesus Christ in scripture and reaffirmed by living prophets today.

    Notes from Elder Kelly R. Johnson(Oct 4, 2025 Sat AM GC)

    • Seek validation vertically, not horizontally.
    • When others try to label us by weaknesses, stand strong in who we truly are—children of God.
    • Identity in Christ anchors peacemaking; it removes the need to win and invites us to love.
    • President Russell M. Nelson has taught that using labels can breed animosity, judging, and division; peacemakers look past labels to divine identity.

    Perspective

    Peace isn’t pretending tensions don’t exist. It’s choosing the Lord’s way—firm in truth, soft in tone, willing to listen, ready to reconcile. Knowing whose I am steadies who I am, so I don’t need to fight for labels or approval.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    Stop: rehearsing comebacks; seeking validation from reactions and “likes.”
    Start: pray before hard talks; state principles clearly, then ask sincere questions; offer one olive-branch action (thanks, brief apology, or specific help); write “I am a child of God” at the top of today’s notes.

    Final reflection

    Rivers carve rock not by force but by steadiness. Peacemaking works the same—courageous, principled, and patient because my identity is anchored in Him.

    Pocket I’m keeping

    Extended hands, not clenched fists—rooted in the quiet confidence of a child of God.

    What I hear now

    Be brave and gentle. Hold to truth. Let peace start in your heart and flow to your words.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 — “Don’t You Quit” (Disneyland Fireworks)

    Sleeping Beauty Castle during the fireworks, framed by the Partners statue. Tripod + remote shutter, long exposure on the 14–24mm f/2.8G. Manual focus, no flash.

    Why this fits Elder Holland

    Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: “Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead… Some blessings come soon, some come late… but they come.”
    Fireworks are a patience test. You compose in the dark, wait through false starts, and trust the next burst will fill the sky. That is discipleship in miniature: keep your place, stay steady, believe light is coming.

    Pocket I’m keeping

    When life feels like a long exposure with nothing on the sensor yet, don’t touch the tripod. Hold your ground. Keep praying, keep working, keep walking. The frame will fill.

    BTS (how I made it)

    • Arrived early to anchor composition on Walt & Mickey leading to the castle and sky
    • Tripod low, remote shutter to avoid vibration; manual focus set before showtime
    • Long exposure to “draw” fans and heart-shapes in the air; no flash to keep ambient color
    • Wide at 14–18mm to include crowd, statue, castle, and sky in one story

    Final reflection

    Walt’s “dreams come true” meets Elder Holland’s “don’t you quit.” Courage starts the dream; covenant faith finishes it. Stay close to Christ and keep moving—light always finds the faithful.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Dreams Come True (On Quiet Nights at the Castle)

    Sleeping Beauty Castle after closing, colors breathing against a quiet walkway. Handheld patience, not luck.

    Story
    I didn’t grow up thinking “bucket list.” I just liked being with my family and carrying a camera. During my consulting years we were blessed with no-blockout annual passes to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. I only share that to explain why we have so many pictures there—and so many good memories. The park was our long walk after a long week.

    I wasn’t chasing rides. Most nights I was chasing light. My kids and my wife did their favorites, and I did mine: “it’s a small world” for the melody I can’t shake and “Soarin’” for the way it makes your heart feel bigger than your chest. Between those two, I was usually off finding a quiet corner to photograph, waiting for the crowd to thin the way a tide pulls back.

    We spent more than a few Christmas Eves at the Disneyland Hotel and Christmas Day in the park—again, not to show off, just to be together somewhere that made us smile. In other seasons, when I worked with an aerospace team and later in perinatal healthcare, our groups sometimes held Christmas parties at Disneyland. I’d still slip away for a few minutes, because the castle looks different every night, and the fireworks give you one more excuse to try again.

    A lot of those photos are still on old memory cards from three cameras. I know—process them already. But there’s something honest about leaving a few dreams unwrapped. The parks taught me that: you don’t need a louder life; you need a longer patience.

    Walt said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” For me, courage looked like staying five minutes longer, carrying a tripod when my back complained, and coming back when the last shot failed. It’s a small practice, after all—but small things add up.

    If you see Disney or temple photos here, that’s what they’re made of: family time, a stubborn camera strap, and the quiet belief that good light rewards people who are kind and who stay.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Spiritual Momentum: Five Small Choices that Move Mountains

    St. George Utah Temple — staged long-exposure. I set the camera on a tripod, framed the composition, and patiently waited for a car to pass and paint light across the scene while the moon peeked through the clouds. Momentum takes patience—and a steady heart.

    Excerpt

    Small, steady choices create spiritual momentum. Tonight I staged the scene—one camera locked down for a 20-second exposure while I waited for a car to drive slowly and paint light across the temple. Planned movement, steady heart.

    When life feels hot and hurried, deep roots matter. President Russell M. Nelson shows us how to build momentum that lasts—covenant by covenant, day by day.

    Intro

    Momentum changes games—and lives. President Nelson compared it to a team that grabbed two quick baskets before halftime and never looked back. “Momentum is a powerful concept.” In discipleship, positive spiritual momentum keeps us moving when heat, headlines, or hard days try to slow us down. And while “none of us can control nations or the actions of others or even members of our own families,” we can control ourselves. His five invitations—small, steady choices—gather power:

    1. Get on the covenant path (and stay).
    2. Discover the joy of daily repentance.
    3. Learn about God and how He works.
    4. Seek and expect miracles.
    5. End conflict in your personal life.

    Notes from President Nelson (Sep 2022)

    • “With all the pleadings of my heart, I urge you to get on the covenant path and stay there.”
    • “Ordinances and covenants give us access to godly power. The covenant path is the only path that leads to exaltation and eternal life.”
    • “Please do not fear or delay repenting. Satan delights in your misery. Cut it short. Cast his influence out of your life! Start today to experience the joy of putting off the natural man.”
    • Daily worship/study nourishes testimony; without it, faith can crumble “with frightening speed.”
    • “God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.” Do the spiritual work and believe, “doubting nothing.”
    • “I plead with you to do all you can to end personal conflicts that are currently raging in your hearts and in your lives.”
    • Promise: acting on these brings increased momentum, strength to resist, more peace of mind, freedom from fear, and greater family unity.

    Perspective

    • Covenant power is real. Baptism, sacrament, and temple covenants plug us into godly power.
    • Repentance is progress, not punishment. “Please do not fear or delay repenting… Cut it short… Start today…”
    • The climb is designed to change us. “Now, a caution: Returning to the covenant path does not mean that life will be easy. This path is rigorous and at times will feel like a steep climb. This ascent, however, is designed to test and teach us, refine our natures, and help us to become saints. It is the only path that leads to exaltation.”
    • Peacemaking is discipleship. Ending conflict invites the Prince of Peace into the room.
    • Miracles may take time and may not match our first request—but the Lord moves the mountain in His way, in His time.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    Pick one small action to spark momentum today:

    • Schedule the temple (or step toward worthiness with your bishop).
    • Write one concrete repentance step; do it before bed.
    • Give God 10 undistracted minutes—scripture + prayer.
    • Ask for one needed miracle and the faith to act.
    • Make peace with one person (forgive or seek forgiveness).

    Final Reflection

    My staged photo worked because the camera stayed still while the light moved. Discipleship is the same: a heart fixed on covenants lets grace “paint” our lives with motion and light. Small, holy repetitions—repent, learn, believe, reconcile—create a current that carries us when our own strength fades.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “Walking the covenant path, coupled with daily repentance, fuels positive spiritual momentum.” That’s my pocket sentence for the week.

    What I Hear Now

    Keep the camera steady—covenant steady. Let Me provide the light and the timing. Do the small things today; I’ll handle the mountains.

    Link to the talk

    President Russell M. Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum.” (General Conference)

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Marked in Time Sep 9, 2025 – Repent of Our Selfishness

    Waning gibbous, waiting: I timed the moon to rest behind the Angel Moroni atop the Oquirrh Mountain Temple—quiet light on a higher call.

    Excerpt
    Selfishness is not just a flaw—it’s self-destruction in slow motion. Elder Neal A. Maxwell teaches that meekness is the real cure, for it doesn’t just mask selfishness but dissolves it.

    Intro
    Joseph Smith urged that selfishness be “not only buried, but annihilated.” Elder Maxwell builds on that: selfishness shrinks the soul, corrodes society, and detonates commandments. Like Copernicus reminding the world it wasn’t the center of the universe, we too must learn—we are not the center. Meekness and unselfish discipleship are the only antidotes.

    Straight line (what he’s saying)
    • Selfishness = self-destruction in slow motion. It narrows life until others no longer matter.
    • Appetite and ego can never fill emptiness; zero multiplied by anything is still zero.
    • Selfishness masks itself as swagger but is as provincial as goldfish in a bowl.
    • Joseph Smith: selfish feelings must be annihilated, not moderated.
    • Common forms: puffing credit, resenting others’ success, withholding kindness, rudeness, and abuse.
    • Cultural consequence: when selfishness spreads, societies decline—without mercy, without love, past feeling.
    • Selfishness detonates the Ten Commandments: it fuels envy, adultery, dishonesty, even murder.
    • Cain’s “I am free” after slaying Abel = ultimate selfish blindness.
    • Today: people strain at gnats (small issues) while swallowing camels (grave sins like abortion).
    • Followers share accountability with leaders in cultural decline; excuses won’t save.
    • True freedom comes from unselfishness—serving, forgiving, and lifting others.
    • Christ Himself is the supreme contrast: He did not look out for “number one.”

    Final reflection
    Selfishness corrodes both heart and culture. The cure is meekness—choosing to notice, to yield, to bless. When I dissolve selfish wants, space opens for Christlike love. The world says “look out for number one”; Jesus says, “lose yourself and you’ll find life.”

    Pocket I’m keeping
    • Before big actions: quietly ask, “Whose needs am I meeting?”
    • Practice daily meekness: count to 10 before speaking, let the Spirit filter words.
    • Replace envy with gratitude; bless the success of others.
    • Sow unselfishness in family life—ordinary duties cultivate extraordinary love.
    • Remember: selfishness shrinks, meekness expands.

    What I hear now
    Unselfishness frees me under a “freer sky,” as Chesterton said. Meekness is not weakness—it’s strength without selfishness. When I choose it, selfishness dissolves and discipleship deepens.

    Link to the talk
    “Repent of [Our] Selfishness” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Thou Art There

    Captured in silence at Yosemite’s Tunnel View — February chill, bulb exposure, and a single LED light to find focus. In darkness, I discovered a sharper image and a quieter soul.

    I stood alone where shadows climb,
    Where granite guards the edge of time.
    The wind was sharp, the night was bare—
    But still, I knew Thou would be there.

    I could not see my hands or feet,
    Just trembling limbs in silent beat.
    One LED—my only spark—
    To chase away the endless dark.

    Each breath was frost, my fingers numb,
    Yet I refused to yield or run.
    A tripod, lens, and faith I gripped,
    Till starlight through the valley slipped.

    And while I waited, heart bowed low,
    The Spirit whispered what I know:

    “There are so many things to be endured:
    illness, injustice, insensitivity,
    poverty, aloneness, unresponsiveness,
    being misrepresented and misunderstood,
    and, sometimes, even enemies.”

    Still I remained, though cold and worn,
    Refusing night to leave me torn.
    I stayed until the shutter’s breath
    Returned a frame that conquered death.

    Not for the praise or photograph,
    But proof that I had passed the path.
    That even here, beneath despair—
    With frozen limbs and unanswered prayer—
    Thou art there.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Feelings of Forever Come So Strong

    The storm flashed miles away, but I stood under fair skies. Sometimes light travels far to reach you. — Jet Mariano

    Feelings of forever come so strong.
    They echo deep like an old, familiar song.
    They follow us like gems that brightly shine,
    Lighting paths once yours and mine.

    Calendars of time we nearly knew
    Trembled in a lamp of gold and blue—
    A flame much brighter than the sun,
    Marking where our hearts had once begun.

    I recall the morning you arose,
    A star above where silence gently flows.
    Shining through a sea of endless sand,
    The child within you reached for my hand.

    The compass stirred, the veil grew thin,
    We felt the world dissolve within.
    And though we feared what lay ahead,
    We followed truth where angels tread.

    And now we lift the veil and try to see,
    What once we were, what we might still be.
    We reach across the veil of then,
    To start anew—yet feel again.

    Something’s at the gate and rushing through,
    No rusted chain can hide what’s true.
    A thousand lives we’ve lived in kind,
    Now breaking through the veil of time.

    Mem’ries rise where silence grew—
    The feelings are so strong… and coming through.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

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