Anonymous User
Banned
Funny, I submitted these photos to the styling advice thread of "Knowledge of Bonsai" and most of what I got was photography critique, including jokes about the fertilizer balls on the soil.
Not quite.
In your thread at KoB, Robert Steven made the first comment which was:
"I like the exposing root, but I prefer the angle of pic # 11105. I'd like to see the foliage after refinement. The two rocks are too symmetrical in size, shape and placement...
If the right side rock is bigger with different shape, it would tell something..."
I don't know if he was joking about the fert balls or if he did mistake them for rocks, what I do know was the following comments about the fert balls centered mostly on the wisdom of leaving them on the soil when submitting a tree for advice in a forum that Robert Steven moderates.
Peter Evans for example posted the following:
"No rocks here,
My question is WHY when sombody goes to to the effort of taking decent photographs of their trees to post they then neglect the basics of presentation, i.e. remove all hanging foliage and cleaning the pot etc.
However, i think that image 1174 shows the best potential and also shows a better pot size for this tree which would need to be a lot smaller."
In the same thread I posted the following:
"They are indeed fertilizer balls, which should have been removed for the photograph in order not to distract from the image presented. I believe Robert was being facetious.
In my opinion, this is still a immature tree needing refinement. The pot choice could be better, this needs a larger pot to give a sense of stability without overpowering the feminine form. For this tree, as it is, I would go with a higher quality pot, unglazed in a dark reddish/brown pot, round to emphasize the Literati like qualities and shallower to lend weight to the trunk.
For now, the needles are far to long for the size of the tree, making for a messy appearance as well as making the thin trunk (made visually thinner by dividing into roots) seem juvenile.
I think leaving the "exposed root" idea behind and making use of the roots for a root over rock style would add the visual weight to this image that is so desperately needed."
Then after you complained that your tree was being critqued instead of having advice offered, I posted the following:
"Not at all Chris, this is indeed the styling advice section, let me rephrase my comments to avoid confusion.
I would re-pot into a higher quality pot, unglazed in a dark reddish/brown pot, round to emphasize the Literati like qualities and shallower to lend weight to the trunk. A larger pot also to give a sense of stability without overpowering the feminine form. I would continue refinement to reduce the needle size, clean up the foliage, and continue ramification.
I would also (if possible) try to go the route of root over rock as the many exposed roots starting so high up lacks visual weight.
I apologize if my words were taken as a critique, being the styling advice section, I pointed out what I personally seen as weak areas so as to concentrate on strengthening them. I am sure each of us have our own views, these are mine.
As to the fertilizer balls...in training, in a flower pot, on display, taking care to offer a picture without distractions helps to avoid confusion, showcases the tree better, and makes it easy to concentrate on the subject. But we all know this and I am just as guilty of being lazy when it comes to photos."
I do not think jokes were made at all about the fert ball, you heard from Robert Steven and Peter Evans on your tree and you recieved many good suggestions. It was however obviously not what you were looking for, but valid information never-the-less.
The tree was not selected by Robert Steven for the critque section, most likely because of the way it was presented. Sorry.
Anyhow, I still think your best option with this tree is to go root over rock with it.
(For those who do not know, Robert Steven selects trees from the styling advice section at KoB to critque them in the critque section. He is doing what Walter used to do with the ask the master section at BT awhile back. Like Walter he is selective on the trees he chooses and also like Walter, he is quite qualified to critque.) http://www.knowledgeofbonsai.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=93
Will
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