Great Close Ups and other Bonsai Wonders

It’s not that often that you’ll find a tree with with the top half of the trunk deadwood. When you do, and in the right hands, the result can be striking. It’s a Subalpine Fir (Abies lasiocarpa) that belongs to Ryan Neil (Bonsai Mirai). All the photos in this post are from Ryan’s facebook photos. One of the things I like about Ryan Neil’s photos are his close-ups. It doesn’t hurt that his trees are phenomenal and so well photographed in the first place. But then to show such vivid close-ups invites you in further. Like you are there in … Continue reading Great Close Ups and other Bonsai Wonders

Great Bonsai Photos Make a Real Difference

Close up of Chinese quince that belongs to Luis Vallejo. Here’s the original caption… “Pseudocydonia sinensis (Thouin), Masahiko Kimura Nursery, Japan, in the Luis Vallejo bonsai collection since 2009” There’s a photo of the whole magnificent tree at the bottom of this post We featured a few Luis Vallejo bonsai yesterday and now it’s his bonsai again today. This time with some of the best quality bonsai photographs we’ve seen yet. A friend sent me a link to them last night from Pinterest (via Empire Bonsai). Continued below… SPECIAL ENDS WEDNESDAY GREEN T BASIC MODEL HYDRAULIC LIFT TURNTABLE details below… This little gem … Continue reading Great Bonsai Photos Make a Real Difference

Bonsai through the eyes of someone who possesses the patience and skill to take photographs worthy of the subject

Appreciating bonsai is about feeling. This especially true when you experience the raw power and beauty of the best bonsai up close and personal. They vibrate with aliveness. Lacking this direct experience, the closest you’ll come is through the eyes of someone who possesses the patience and skill to take photographs worthy of the subject. This post is about what happens when you marry quality bonsai with the highest quality photography. The bonsai shown here were all on display at the Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo on December 6-7, 2104, in Kannapolis, North Carolina. The photographer is Joseph Noga. Our source … Continue reading Bonsai through the eyes of someone who possesses the patience and skill to take photographs worthy of the subject

Capital Bonsai Shadows

Here’s Capital Bonsai’s caption for this photo: Three point display with Trident Maple. In training since 1895. Donated by Prince Takamatsu. Mt. Fuji scroll and Japanese Blood Grass. A few years ago there was a lot of buzz about bonsai being a fine art. Now, the issues seems settled. If you start with the right material and add a masterful eye and touch, both the process and the result can be called art. Photographing bonsai, when done well, is also art, and the photos shown here are no exception. They are a small sampling (I chose just one tree) from … Continue reading Capital Bonsai Shadows

360 Degree Bonsai (Second Try)

This front view of a root-over-rock Trident maple is one of a whole series of views you can enjoy on the Northern Ireland Bonsai Society website. We had some problems with links to the version of this when we posted it yesterday. My guess is that the degree mark in 360° Bonsai is the issue, so we change the title to 360 Degree Bonsai. We won’t know if it works until we actually post it, so please don’t panic if you see what looks like the same post twice. Back in pioneering days of this blog, we posted an image … Continue reading 360 Degree Bonsai (Second Try)

Shooting The Magician at Night

Black pine in the black of night. From the collection of Masahiko Kimura (The Magician). All the photos in this post are from an El Tim Bonsai facebook photo album title KIMURA. It’s still mid-summer vacation time and we’re still digging deep into our archives. This post is from September 2012. Our last post featured The Magician (Masahiko Kimura), so it looks like we’ve got a theme, at least for the moment. To amuse myself I changed the title from simply The Magician at Night to what you see above. Shooting in the dark It’s not too often you see … Continue reading Shooting The Magician at Night

Bonsai In Black & White part 2 – Big Bonsai Tool Sale

This photo, titled bonsai in black and white turned up on flickr. It was shot in December 2009 at the National Arboretum by Brian Hefele. He was using a Sigma DP2. Bonsai Tool Sale Just a quick heads up on our brand new Bonsai Tool Sale (includes all our bonsai tools and even turntables, sieves, toll rolls and some other tool-related items). The discounts are 10%, 15% or 20% on all Bonsai Tools, depending on how many you buy (sets count as 1 item). Check it out, I think you’ll find something you like. Comments from Bonsai in Black & … Continue reading Bonsai In Black & White part 2 – Big Bonsai Tool Sale

Bonsai In Black & White

Japanese white pine. You can find the color version of this tree on the cover of our Masters’ Series Pine book and on the cover of Bonsai Today issue number 2. The black and white version is the same image with the color photoshoped out. Black and white? I don’t have any answers, though there does seem to be something compelling about a good black and white photo. Maybe the stark quality of black and white highlights features that we might otherwise miss. Or…? Here’s a good one from flickr. It’s titled Black and white bonsai tree, The Huntington … Continue reading Bonsai In Black & White

The Magician At Night

Black pine in the black of night. From the collection of Masahiko Kimura (The Magician). All the photos in this post are from an El Tim Bonsai facebook photo album title KIMURA. Shooting in the dark It’s not too often you see bonsai photographed in the dark. In this case the effects are rather magical (no pun intended). If you look at the entire El Tim KIMURA album, you’ll see a bunch of photos of phenomenal bonsai that were shot during the day, followed by a few photos of phenomenal bonsai that were shot at night. The difference is striking, … Continue reading The Magician At Night

Much More Than Just Shohin

I picked up this slightly faded photo off BonsaiCafé’s photo album on facebook. No criticism of BonsaiCafé intended. Especially given that high quality photos of Suthin Sukosolvisit’s bonsai are hard to come by. And anyway, a slightly faded photo of Suthin’s trees is much better than no photo of Suthin’s trees. One of our most accomplished I have long been a fan of Suthin Sukosolvisit’s bonsai, and though I try not to get into the personality end of things on this blog, I must admit that I find Suthin, in addition to being one of our most accomplished bonsai artists, … Continue reading Much More Than Just Shohin