2021 National Bonsai Exhibition - Sept 11-12

[SouthernMaple]

There were signs posted all over that photography was prohibited. In fact, the signs asked that you leave your camera in the car. But, as you know, everyone has a cell phone these days, and it doesn’t take much to snap a few pictures here and there. Bill can’t enforce what gets posted to Facebook or Instagram. Did people take some pictures of their own trees? Sure. I did. But I didn’t go around and take shots of the whole show.

Putting on that show is expensive. Bill loses money on it every year. Selling the book is a way he recoups some of that expense. Besides, the photos that Joe Noga takes are amazing!

Im not arguing Joe Nogas photography skills and equipment, I am sure his gear is 10x the price of mine and better. I am not stealing money from Bill by posting a handful of photos on the local non profit club website that I volunteer to take photos for. I own and buy all of the Exhibition books and I haven't been to a single National show.

Sure I said it was lame to not have photography at the show though, but my reasons are not for profits but for education and for people like myself that couldn't make it. You have met me and should know that I am not someone that would take advantage of BIll.

While I have your attention, how many shows have you put that white pine in? How many more shows do you plan to show it in? And what changes have you made on it since the last critique of it at the last show? Its a very impressive tree but I am chomping at the bit to see more of your trees.

PS I also just read your thread about cleaning unglazed pots with your greasy nutsack and I applaud you as that technique worked wonders on some old Japanese unglazed pots I recently acquired. Where did you come up with that idea?

 

[Shogun610]

Im not arguing Joe Nogas photography skills and equipment, I am sure his gear is 10x the price of mine and better. I am not stealing money from Bill by posting a handful of photos on the local non profit club website that I volunteer to take photos for. I own and buy all of the Exhibition books and I haven't been to a single National show.

Sure I said it was lame to not have photography at the show though, but my reasons are not for profits but for education and for people like myself that couldn't make it. You have met me and should know that I am not someone that would take advantage of BIll.

While I have your attention, how many shows have you put that white pine in? How many more shows do you plan to show it in? And what changes have you made on it since the last critique of it at the last show? Its a very impressive tree but I am chomping at the bit to see more of your trees.

PS I also just read your thread about cleaning unglazed pots with your greasy nutsack and I applaud you as that technique worked wonders on some old Japanese unglazed pots I recently acquired. Where did you come up with that idea?

Wow.. just wow……

 

[SouthernMaple]

Wow.. just wow……

care to comment more than that? I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

[atlarsenal]

I own and buy all of the Exhibition books and I haven't been to a single National show.

Take photos of photos in the book and save us all from having to hear you whine!

 

[Apex37]

Why do so many threads here get derailed over nonsense?

Agreed. This is starting to become like the thread about Eastern Leaf's theft just last week.

 

[Shogun610]

Agreed. This is starting to become like the thread about Eastern Leaf's theft just last week.

Because some people are turds

 

[hinmo24t]

if it is a losing endeavor, as someone mentioned (financially)
then perhaps something needs to change (an old lesson my dad taught me when i was trying
to learn how to elevate the puck with a slap shot -if it isnt working, try something different)

i am indifferent to the rules,
but if he is losing money, he might look to open up a bit with regulations
from a marketing point of view, optics

one thing i learned in business school is that even bad press is good press.
for instance, it couldnt hurt to have a bunch of people take amateur photos and then
post them a bunch of places online mentioning where they were taken (free marketing)
the photo thing seems to limit the above notion. perhaps more recognition and photojournalism
could be the competitive advantage needed to break even or profit!

food for thought


just talking business since i heard its insolvent. sometimes things work in opposite ways.
dont make enough money by limiting photos to a proprietary album = losing $,
change something, let everyones photos work for you! $$ and maybe more people will hear of the event, look it up, and book!



another tough part about it is the fact that people obviously do take photos there regardless, which can ruffle things
when they only apply to some


imagine how many people on instagram with #nationalshowexample next to their photos would be seen
out there?

 

[SouthernMaple]

Take photos of photos in the book and save us all from having to hear you whine!

if it is a losing endeavor, as someone mentioned (financially)
then perhaps something needs to change (an old lesson my dad taught me when i was trying
to learn how to elevate the puck with a slap shot -if it isnt working, try something different)

i am indifferent to the rules,
but if he is losing money, he might look to open up a bit with regulations
from a marketing point of view, optics

one thing i learned in business school is that even bad press is good press.
for instance, it couldnt hurt to have a bunch of people take amateur photos and then
post them a bunch of places online mentioning where they were taken (free marketing)
the photo thing seems to limit the above notion. perhaps more recognition and photojournalism
could be the competitive advantage needed to break even or profit!

food for thought


just talking business since i heard its insolvent. sometimes things work in opposite ways.
dont make enough money by limiting photos to a proprietary album = losing $,
change something, let everyones photos work for you! $$ and maybe more people will hear of the event, look it up, and book!



another tough part about it is the fact that people obviously do take photos there regardless, which can ruffle things
when they only apply to some


imagine how many people on instagram with #nationalshowexample next to their photos would be seen
out there?

thank you someone finally is finally seeing the light, I agree with everything you just said and I would love someone to market my real estate business for free.

 

[SouthernMaple]

Take photos of photos in the book and save us all from having to hear you whine!

piss off

 

[JudyB]

This was my absolute favorite tree in the whole show -- I loved the delicacy canopy, and the little moss fruiting bodies on the far side of the pot were perfect. The purple pot sets off those leaves perfectly too

The label at the show was Celtis Laevigata/American Surgarberry instead of Celtis occidentalis/common hackberry. Is there a big difference? Have you been pruning it for display during the summer with leaves or for winter?

There are differences in these types of trees, and you almost have to see them side by side or view them flowering to know which they are. This is definitely Sugarberry, as I had some flowers, they didn't set fruit, but they were def. Sugarberry flowers. Common Hackberry has a coarser growth type as well than Sugarberry. I pruned it this year solely for display purposes, and defoliated it about 4.5 weeks before the show. I was so pleased with the exact time of the leaves coming out, they allowed for interior viewing into the tree. In another few weeks it will appear much denser. Thank for appreciating my display, sometimes with all the emphasis on giant strong burly sorts of trees, it can feel like shouting into the wind LOL.

 

[hinmo24t]

There are differences in these types of trees, and you almost have to see them side by side or view them flowering to know which they are. This is definitely Sugarberry, as I had some flowers, they didn't set fruit, but they were def. Sugarberry flowers. Common Hackberry has a coarser growth type as well than Sugarberry. I pruned it this year solely for display purposes, and defoliated it about 4.5 weeks before the show. I was so pleased with the exact time of the leaves coming out, they allowed for interior viewing into the tree. In another few weeks it will appear much denser. Thank for appreciating my display, sometimes with all the emphasis on giant strong burly sorts of trees, it can feel like shouting into the wind LOL.

differentiation, well done

 

[rockm]

thank you someone finally is finally seeing the light, I agree with everything you just said and I would love someone to market my real estate business for free.

Uh, Gotta love Monday morning quarterbacking with another man's livelihood.

If you all think that you know better how to do this, then have at it. THE BONSAI BUSINESS IS A LOSING PROPOSITION, for God's sake. Bill isn't doing this because he wants to leverage it into some kind of empire. If he wants to change his rules to allow photography and the accompanying hassles that come with that freedom FOR EVERYONE AT THE SHOW, he will.

He has been doing it for going on 50 years now because he loves bonsai. I know that's hard to understand in today's "take the money and run" climate, but you only have to understand where Bill began--This might give a glimpse

Influential Bonsai Masters: Yuji Yoshimura — National Bonsai Foundation

Summer 2020 is officially the summer of the bonsai blog series! We’re launching another string of blogs to highlight the fascinating history and teachings of some of the most influential bonsai masters. For our first edition, we spoke with Bill Valavanis , a National Bonsai Foundation director and

www.bonsai-nbf.org

This too:

Bonsai Beyond The Border– Yuji Yoshimura, A Bonsai Artist Across the Ocean; New York, 1958

On October 12 – November 24, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Japan presented an Autumn Special Exhibition to commemorate the 10th Anniversary and Sister Museum Partnership with the National Bonsai…

valavanisbonsaiblog.com

For Bill IT IS WORKING. He managed to pull off one of the most successful bonsai exhibitions in the history of American bonsai DURING A FREAKING PANDEMIC. You whine about not pictures like a couple spoiled little girls--"waaaaaaaa, I want SPRINKLES on my ice cream or I won't eat it. Everyone ELSE gives me sprinkles. I have a pocket full of them. Why wont YOU give me sprinkles?"..

Jesus....He's pushed bonsai in the U.S. farther and harder than either of you and has been doing it for decades, even if means scraping by. There is a lot to be learned from that approach.

 

[hinmo24t]

Uh, Gotta love Monday morning quarterbacking with another man's livelihood.

If you all think that you know better how to do this, then have at it. THE BONSAI BUSINESS IS A LOSING PROPOSITION, for God's sake. Bill isn't doing this because he wants to leverage it into some kind of empire. If he wants to change his rules to allow photography and the accompanying hassles that come with that freedom FOR EVERYONE AT THE SHOW, he will.

He has been doing it for going on 50 years now because he loves bonsai. I know that's hard to understand in today's "take the money and run" climate, but you only have to understand where Bill began--This might give a glimpse

Influential Bonsai Masters: Yuji Yoshimura — National Bonsai Foundation

Summer 2020 is officially the summer of the bonsai blog series! We’re launching another string of blogs to highlight the fascinating history and teachings of some of the most influential bonsai masters. For our first edition, we spoke with Bill Valavanis , a National Bonsai Foundation director and

www.bonsai-nbf.org

This too:

Bonsai Beyond The Border– Yuji Yoshimura, A Bonsai Artist Across the Ocean; New York, 1958

On October 12 – November 24, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Japan presented an Autumn Special Exhibition to commemorate the 10th Anniversary and Sister Museum Partnership with the National Bonsai…

valavanisbonsaiblog.com

For Bill IT IS WORKING. He managed to pull off one of the most successful bonsai exhibitions in the history of American bonsai DURING A FREAKING PANDEMIC. You whine about not pictures like a couple spoiled little girls--"waaaaaaaa, I want SPRINKLES on my ice cream or I won't eat it. Everyone ELSE gives me sprinkles. I have a pocket full of them. Why wont YOU give me sprinkles?"..

Jesus....He's pushed bonsai in the U.S. farther and harder than either of you and has been doing it for decades, even if means scraping by. There is a lot to be learned from that approach.

i hear you.
when you said he doesnt break even, i didnt know he doesnt have to or want to!
now thats a baller right there, for sure

we'll see where i am in 30 years, when i am 60ish, and what i have brought to the bonsai world
thanks for the encouragement and explanation

 

[bwaynef]

it can feel like shouting into the wind LOL.

It looks a bit more like whispering into the wind. Elegant and assured without being pompous.

 

[coh]

I'm not sure anyone here really knows whether Bill breaks even on the National show, or loses money (and how much). However, he has managed to make a living at bonsai for what, 40 or 50 years? I trust that he has figured out how to make this work in a way that is both financially and aesthetically acceptable (i.e. not cluttering up the show with people setting up to take photos and block the aisles, etc). So even though I'd love to take pictures of trees for myself, including close-ups of canopy/branching structure, wiring, etc, I choose to respect his request to not do so. Regardless of what others are doing.

 

[coh]

For a change of pace, came across this video that Bjorn posted. It includes some pre-show stuff (loading the truck) but also has some videos from the Exhibition itself.

US Natl Exhibition Pt 2 by Bjorn

 

[rockm]

i hear you.
when you said he doesnt break even, i didnt know he doesnt have to or want to!
now thats a baller right there, for sure

we'll see where i am in 30 years, when i am 60ish, and what i have brought to the bonsai world
thanks for the encouragement and explanation

Oh I'm sure he WANTS to break even or make some kind of profit. It's just that with a bonsai business, those goals are extremely hard to realize. You have to LOVE doing it, because it's a bitch mostly. I've seen a few really good bonsai businesses fade away over the years. It's tough going. For someone to do it for decades is truly amazing.

 

[hinmo24t]

Oh I'm sure he WANTS to break even or make some kind of profit. It's just that with a bonsai business, those goals are extremely hard to realize. You have to LOVE doing it, because it's a bitch mostly. I've seen a few really good bonsai businesses fade away over the years. It's tough going. For someone to do it for decades is truly amazing.

For sure and I agree

 

[SouthernMaple]

Because some people are turds

or old boomer douches

Uh, Gotta love Monday morning quarterbacking with another man's livelihood.

If you all think that you know better how to do this, then have at it. THE BONSAI BUSINESS IS A LOSING PROPOSITION, for God's sake. Bill isn't doing this because he wants to leverage it into some kind of empire. If he wants to change his rules to allow photography and the accompanying hassles that come with that freedom FOR EVERYONE AT THE SHOW, he will.

He has been doing it for going on 50 years now because he loves bonsai. I know that's hard to understand in today's "take the money and run" climate, but you only have to understand where Bill began--This might give a glimpse

Influential Bonsai Masters: Yuji Yoshimura — National Bonsai Foundation

Summer 2020 is officially the summer of the bonsai blog series! We’re launching another string of blogs to highlight the fascinating history and teachings of some of the most influential bonsai masters. For our first edition, we spoke with Bill Valavanis , a National Bonsai Foundation director and

www.bonsai-nbf.org

This too:

Bonsai Beyond The Border– Yuji Yoshimura, A Bonsai Artist Across the Ocean; New York, 1958

On October 12 – November 24, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Japan presented an Autumn Special Exhibition to commemorate the 10th Anniversary and Sister Museum Partnership with the National Bonsai…

valavanisbonsaiblog.com

For Bill IT IS WORKING. He managed to pull off one of the most successful bonsai exhibitions in the history of American bonsai DURING A FREAKING PANDEMIC. You whine about not pictures like a couple spoiled little girls--"waaaaaaaa, I want SPRINKLES on my ice cream or I won't eat it. Everyone ELSE gives me sprinkles. I have a pocket full of them. Why wont YOU give me sprinkles?"..

Jesus....He's pushed bonsai in the U.S. farther and harder than either of you and has been doing it for decades, even if means scraping by. There is a lot to be learned from that approach.

are you mentally challenged ? Where in my posts am i complaining about the great job Bill has been doing with bonsai over the last 50 years?!!? Where have from what I have said am i implying that? "I think its lame he doesn't let people market his shows for free." is about all I have said. You forget to take your pills today?

 

[Pitoon]

Time to sit back and eat the fresh popcorn......