Orlando Bonsai » Photography

Before and After Shots

Sandy Racinski — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 06:15:20 +0000

Not talking about what happens at the friendly neighborhood bar… This is about remembering to take before and after photographs of your bonsai as well as the work in progress so you and your bonsai friends can feel adequately impressed after all the work (er… drinking) is done. Well, maybe not done as in finished since the growing continues but you can always take follow up pix too. Taking photos help you to remember what the tree used to look like, to really LOOK at your tree, to see things that can be improved, to remember what you planned to do next, gives you a journal for future reference on similar trees, and either make you humble or give you bragging rights. Heck, you might even enter a photo in a contest or use it for an exhibit entry. Most of all, the pictures help you to learn about the tree. I don’t have a fancy camera so I use my phone and the pictures are only adequate right now and usually just make me humble. So here are a few humble photos of two very different trees I worked on recently.

This is how it looked when purchased. Lots of foliage, branches to choose from, healthy looking and look at those small leaves – sweet!

Dwarf Ligustrum – Before

Below is a close up shot. You can almost see the original outline of the tree before all the outrageous, straight up growth!

Dwarf Ligustrum – before – close up

Below is the tree after the first styling. Definitely starting to look like the makings of a bonsai. Will let it grow in the pot for a year to increase the trunk size. These trees make nice little forests too. Needs a little tweaking yet and will find a nice pot for it before next year. Have to remember to take OFF the WIRE! The photo file date will help with that. Time to set a reminder!

Dwarf Ligustrum – first styling

Here’s the Ficus Microcarpa that was worked on last summer – see where the lower branches were tied down. Also used a wedge cut to lower the upward tilt of the two lowest branches to a downward angle.

Ficus Microcarpa – before second styling

Ficus Microcarpa – post defoliation

Brother can you spare a leaf? (Sorry – bad recession joke). It was best to defoliate to see the branches and when repotting. The leaves will sprout quickly; especially since it is a ficus.

Ficus – defoliated

It’s been less than a week and the new leaves are already sprouting! Lots more branch pruning to be done then it can go into a pot.

After some drastic root cutting, I like the banyan-style in the new home. A few branches and banyan roots need adjusting but it’s coming along nicely and the new growth is already starting one week later. The new angle in pot is helping the bar branch look and next year, we will be able to maximize the angle after the roots adjust.

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Picture this

Paul Pikel — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 13:29:32 +0000

When I started taking pictures of my Bonsai years ago I never thought they would be used in a website that is viewed around the world each day hundreds of times. Orlando Bonsai has grown so much and I owe it all to providing consistant devleopment of the trees and good photographs that demonstrate solid technique.

I wanted to share with you some tips and commenst about photographing bonsai, and the use of video was the easiest way to do that. Here a just a few videos that provide short tips on what to consider when taking a photo.

Photography – Lighting and lenses

Photography – Enhancing the color of the trunk

Photography – Point of View

Be sure to subscribe to OrlandoBonsaiTV so that you will be alerted to any new videos that I create

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This is nuts!

Paul Pikel — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 21:25:58 +0000

So my plan for 2011 is to add more instructional/educational information to Orlando Bonsai. Additionally I want to include more videos. It’s much more entertaining and informative. So the first video I thought I’d do is regarding preparing bonsai pots for a show or photograph. I learned this little trick years ago from my friend Jarbas in Miami. I have used it for every show and photo ever since.

All you do is simply find an old sock, fill the toe of it with shelled walnuts. Tie the sock off and then crush the nuts with a brick of hammer. The walnut oil then comes through the sock and you rub the pot with it. It creates a deep satin finish without looking oily. The nice thing about it is that you can keep the sock in your bonsai bag for years.

Here is the before picture.

Here is the after. Just 30 seconds of rubbing and the pot looks brand new.

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