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 & White part 1
In case you missed them, here are three of the comments from our last post. I think each one sheds some light (no pun intended) on our discussion of bonsai in black and white.

During the punic wars, when I was in college studying photography, … Freshman and Sophomore students were only permitted to work in black and white. It wasn’t until the Junior year that they were permitted to enroll in color photographic courses. The psychology was that while color adds a great deal to a photo, it can also be a great distraction from the more important things a photographer needs to learn such as composition, use of light and shadow, texture, lighting, manipulation of depth of field, etc, etc. First and second year students needed to master these aspects of the photographic art and in the beginning, color was considered too much of a “distraction” for beginners to have to deal with.
Randy Clark

All to often people convert their color images to black and white and feel that they turned a ok picture into something better. In my opinion black and white photography takes a much greater understanding of light. I agree that a good black and white photo would highlight things that would otherwise be missed. I think it has to do with creating a balanced overall image (light, contrast, tonal range) would add light detail to areas otherwise lost in shadow. As is displayed with your examples. The picture of the shimpaku picks up a lot of detail but the picture of the pemphis becomes flat. I think this is an interesting topic that delves into another art form. Light and composition make a photo and sometimes what works in color doesn’t necessarily convert to black and white without considerable effort (photoshop). But hey that is just my opinion. Cool post.
Matt Logan

In traditional film photography black and white films were available that had very distinct contrast and gray response that color film often did not. That is why many of the older photos showed such exquisite detail. In modern digital photography I think the closest you can get to that range of contrast is with HD techniques, using multiple exposures of the same subject, but those are usually used with contrasty colors for eye candy. I think a serious photographer that was after the older B&W film effect with a good grasp of HD photography would have an avid audience in the bonsai market.
Zack Clayton

Two photos from an article titled THE CULTURE & TRAINING OF DWARF BRUSH CHERRY BONSAI that appeared in Bill Valavanis’ International Bonsai magazine. Color is clearly an advantage when it comes to flowers.

Can you tell if this photo of Roshi Bonsai Tools was shot in black & white or color?

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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 library Japanese garden. My best guess is that it’s a Shimpaku juniper grafted onto San Jose stock. I’ll even go a step further and guess that it originally came from Chikugo-en, Mas Ishii’s and his son Gary’s bonsai nursery.

This is the tree that we featured in our last post. It’s Pemphis acidula that’s called Snake Dance. The bonsai artist is Gede Merta. The black & white version was done in photoshop.

Here’s the black & white full sized so you can get a better look.

This one is titled Hangyoku with her bonsai tree (1905). You can get a pretty good feel for just how far bonsai has come in the last hundred years. You can also compare the colorized version with the black & white photo. I found the colorized version on facebook (where else?) and removed the color in photoshop for the black & white version.

These two (and some other) photos by Morten Albek are what got me thinking about the value of black and white photos.

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Snake Dance & Lazy Posting

Snake Dance by Gede Merta of Bonsaibali. It’s a Pemphis acidula.

This photo above shows a truly remarkable tree. Enough said. Or…, maybe not. If you look below you’ll see the photo as it originally appeared (on facebook). Clearly, the photo above, without the distracting writing, better shows off the tree.

Still, it’s hard to fault Mr. Gede Merta for displaying his name so prominently. Otherwise, you’ll no doubt find the photo displayed on facebook free from any attribution, and in the worse cases, free from any suggestion that the tree might not belong to the person posting the tree (or at least, might not have been photographed by that person).

But that’s facebook, where unattributed photos abound, my opinions be damned. After all, if the poster doesn’t really imply that the tree is theirs, or that they photographed the tree, then what harm?

But what if the photo has been lifted from a copyrighted book? And worse, when streams of praise appear in the comments, simple humble sounding thank yous are all that are returned by the person who posted the photo? No, hey, don’t thank me, thank the artist or the person who took the photo (the photo in question is from the classic Forest, Rock Planting & Ezo Spruce by Saburo Kato… see below).

I know I’m fighting a losing battle. But still, it’s easy to see why Gede Merta, and others, are willing to distract from the simple beauty of their trees by putting their names on their photos.

The photo in question. We’ve shown this mixed forest in Bonsai Bark before. It’s from Saburo Kato’s classic Forest, Rock Planting & Ezo Spruce Bonsai (published by The National Bonsai Foundation and distributed by Stone Lantern).

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Bonsai Pioneers

This remarkable photo is titled Geijutsu Works, Kobayashi’s Garden. I take this to mean that it’s from Kunio Kobayashi’s famous book, Bonsai (see below). Though my guessing is often suspect, I’m pretty sure this distinguished tree is an Ume (Japanese flowering apricot). This is based in part on its remarkable deadwood (if you’re not in a big rush, stop for moment and take a close look). You seldom see deadwood on deciduous trees, with Ume being an exception. This, coupled with the fact that it looks like an Ume, cinches it.

Murata, Kato, Kobayashi, Kimura
This isn’t the first time we’ve featured Kunio Kobayshi here, and it most likely won’t be the last time either (he also has a whole chapter in our Juniper book titled Reshaping a Prize Shimpaku). I think it would be safe to include him in a pantheon of pioneering Japanese bonsai masters that might read something like this: Kyuzo Murata, Saburo Kato, Kunio Kobayashi, Masahiko Kimura. You could probably add a name or two, but I don’t think you’d subtract.

If you’d like to learn more about Mr. Kobayashi we have an earlier post here and one more here. Here’s Michael Bonsai (all the photos in this post, except the last one are via Michael).

Great trees, but it’s the stump that really gets me. Is that a Sumac sitting on it?

You can no doubt identify some of the bonsai in Mr. Kobayashi’s garden, but can you identify the car?

Nice flowers. Is it another Ume? If so, you might call this one Ume with wet stepping stones.

Kunio Kobayashi’s book. Photographed and produce by Geijutsu Works.

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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, and though I like the day photos a lot, it’s the night photos that really got me.

Whose brilliant idea?
I wonder who came up with the brilliant idea to shoot at night. Kimura? The El Tim people? Someone else? Either way, hats off and thumbs up.

A younger version of this famous tree is on the back cover of The Magician.

Thanks to El Tim Bonsai for the great photos (and my apologies for some cropping on a couple) and of course The Magician, Masahiko Kimura for the great bonsai.

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A Quick Potpourri: Gede, Crespi, Fuku, Carlos & Kyoto

This spectacular Pemphis acidula was collected and styled by Gede Merta. You can usually spot Gede’s bonsai immediately; there’s something about the convoluted trunks and branches and the way he carves deadwood. This photo was recently posted on his facebook page.

Better hurry if you want to make this year’s Crespi Cup. Robert Steven (and others) will be there, and, it’s in Italy (great food, exciting bonsai and other good things await you in Italy). September 14th to the 23rd.

A theory of pruning by Fuku Bonsai. Two of eight illustrations that show how to create different bonsai styles. Number 1. is titled Creating a larger broad crown, and number 8 is called One & two branch styling. Fuku Bonsai is in Hawaii. As with other tropical climes, results come fast, often after radical pruning that might or might not work so well in colder climates, where recovery time after each step is usually much slower.

Full bodied literati by Carlos van der Vaart. Though the trunk is somewhat heavier than your average literati (bunjin) bonsai, as is the foliage, still, this one aptly represents that unique grouping of bonsai we call literati.

Kyoto Botanical Garden. From tripadvisor.com.au. I don’t know anything about the company, I just like the photo.

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Roshi – Corex Tool Sale (This Time With Links!)

Roshi – Corex high carbon steel shears. Just one of our collection of some of the most amazing bonsai tools you’ll ever see. They cut like butter and feel like silk in your hand. Try one (or two…), you’ll see what I mean.

We’ve got a NEW TOOL SALE for you, but first an explanation (also, you might notice the live links* that allow you to go directly to the tools… what will they think of next?!).

ROSHI tools. We’ve decided to rename our Stone Lantern – Corex bonsai tools. The new name is Roshi (old master in Japanese). Not to worry, they are exactly the same tools. Same manufacturer, same excellent quality, different logo (to help with the transition we’ll use both names for a while).

Now the BIG SALE on our Roshi – Corex tools to help celebrate the change and to further promote what we feel are the best high quality tools for the price anywhere; no matter what you call them.

Order now and receive
10% off if you purchase 1 Roshi – Corex tool
15% off if you purchase 2 to 5 Roshi – Corex tools
20% off if you purchase 6 or more Roshi – Corex tools
(sets count as one tools)

* About those pesky links; I sent out a newsletter yesterday and somehow failed to link the tools we are promoting. Is it old age? Sleep deprivation? Or maybe the fact that I spilled coffee on my keyboard (true), the shift keys stopped working and, well… you know how once Murphy gets in the door…

Just some of our Roshi – Corex stainless tools. They’re beautiful to look at and even better to work with.

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Big, Brawny and Beautiful, But How Many Trunks Can You Count?

Super Mario is at it again. From Mario Komsta’s facebook photos.

How many trunks can you count?
Does this magnificent tree have four or five trunks? Does it even matter? Actually, I think most of us would say that it does matter and that even though there are only four trunks at ground level, the effect, thanks to the tree on the left, is that of five trunks.

What’s the big deal about even numbers?
Generally, the Japanese abhor the number four, at least when it come to trunks in bonsai. The same can be said for six, eight and ten, though the more trunks there are, the less the number seems to matter (interestingly, two trunks doesn’t seem to bother them, as long as one is clearly stronger than the other).

In general, we seemed to have adopted the Japanese aversion to even numbers when it comes to trunks. To most of us, this convention makes sense. Aren’t threes and fives more dynamic than fours or sixes? Still, you might wonder just how much this convention reflects a genuine principle and how much it simply reflects a cultural preference.

What about nature?
I just had an imaginary conversation with our Mother (Nature, that is). Wanted to double check with her to see if she cared how many trunks there are in a stand of trees. Not surprisingly, she said she never gives it a thought.

Before. Apologies to Mario Komsta (who happens to be a very talented and accomplished bonsai artist). That’s an almost half-Mario on the right; just to give you a little perspective (though it’s hard to tell exactly how far behind the tree he is). You can go here if you’d like to see the original photo with a full-Mario.

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Cutting Corners & Other Transplanting Tips

A freshly transplanted Black pine. The photo is from our Masters’ Series Pine book.

Fall transplanting
It’s fall transplanting season here in the north country. One advantage to transplanting in the fall is that the tree is fully recovered when the spring season starts, so no top-growth time is lost. The reason this works is that roots experience strong growth in the fall, long after the top has shut down. So by the time the tree wakes up in the spring, the roots are fully recovered.

Top pruning in the fall
It can be a good idea to top prune when you transplant, especially if the roots have been severely disturbed (less foliage for the compromised roots to support). However, too much top pruning when transplanting, especially in the fall, can stress a tree. Beyond that, I am still experimenting with the right mix of root-versus-top pruning on my larches, and the jury is still out on just how much I can get away with. In general, much depends on variables like the type tree, where you live, when in fall you transplant, what transplanting aids you use, aftercare, etc.

Daddy’s little helpers. These three items are indispensable when it comes to transplanting. Surperthrive is a vitamin and hormone plant tonic, Myconox helps replace the all-important mycorrhizal fungi, and Dyna-Gro K-L-N is a rooting compound that is formulated to reduce stress and encourage growth.

Recycling
The photos and text from here down are from an 2010 Bonsai Bark post titled Transplanting Tips: An Uncommon Technique.

Pieces of the pie. From Bonsai Today issue 39.

Keeping some roots undisturbed
The technique shown here is particularly good if you want to replenish the soil while leaving some of the roots undisturbed. Doing this lessens stress and hastens recovery.

Pot sizes and shapes
This technique is useful when you want move a tree from a larger to a smaller pot, or into a pot that has a different shape. It also works when you want to replenish some of the soil and then put the tree back into the same pot and is particularly useful for repotting forest plantings.

Potbound trees
If the roots aren’t well enough established to hold the soil together when you take the tree out of the pot, then this technique won’t work. Ergo, this technique is particularly good when dealing with potbound trees.

Before. A well developed Satsuki azalea in the wrong pot.

Cutting corners. Because you’re going from a rectangular pot to a round pot, you start by cutting off the corners.

Removing the bottom roots. In almost all cases, you want to remove the lower roots. This encourages roots to spread out rather than grow down; because the tree mirrors the roots, it encourage the above ground growth to spread, which is want you usually want with bonsai. Another reason to remove the bottom roots is to make more space to replenish the soil.

Want more?
Here’s the original post in its entirety.

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Paying a Visit to an Old Friend

There’s something about a beautiful bonsai in flower. If you let your eyes linger for a few moments, you’ll notice how the seemingly perfectly placed flowers enhance the power of the tree rather than overwhelm it. It’s a bougainvillea by Robert Steven. All this photos in this post are from Robert’s facebook gallery.

Always a pleasure
It has been a while since we’ve featured the bonsai of Robert Steven. In addition to being one of the foremost bonsai artists and teachers on this fierce and lovely planet, Robert is also a friend. Not in the ordinary sense of buddies you hang out with, but in the sense of someone you’ve gotten to know and respect over a long period of doing business together (we sell his books and his Bonsai Aesthetics tools and wire, and he provides free bonsai critiques and other material that we feature on this post). Beyond mutual benefit, genuine trust and loyalty has developed. This doesn’t always happen in long term business relations, but it’s always a pleasure when it does.

Another Bougainvillea with just enough flowers. In this case it’s a full cascade with a somewhat unusual sweep that starts on one side of the pot and finishes on the other.

Ficus (?) root-on-rock style on a penjing tray. Aside from the power and beauty of this tree clinging to a rock with almost no soil in sight, there’s the added interest of the way its two trunks are connected by that strong trunk/root in the center.

Another planting on a penjing tray. This one offers a whole scene with trees, rocks, land, grass and water. Though it looks like it might be fairly easy to create this type of scene, an ample dose of expertise goes into making one that creates such a natural sense of scale, dynamic balance and tranquility (forgive me for the somewhat pedantic dynamic balance; what I mean to say is that though the scene is quite tranquil, it isn’t exactly static; there’s a subtle sense of movement that invites your eye to freely move from one side to the other and back again… oh well…).

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