8th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition, Rochester, NY, USA, September 9-10, 2023

[JudyB]

The exhibition album doesn't ever put the accent plant or tree into the official photos, and those are incredibly important to the whole display.

This^^^

 

[Bonsai Nut]

This^^^

The other comment I will make is that bonsai is a 3D art form. It is very difficult to capture the trees in 2D. When I really like a tree, I will take a photo from the front, and then I will video the tree as I walk around the tree. It isn't professional - but it works for me when I am trying to remember some special style or design work.

 

[rockm]

With all of these comments, feedback, and ideas, in this thread. I hope to see many more great trees, shows, and displays in the very near future at local, regional, and national shows.

Mr. Bill V is an Icon, legend, risk taker and big dreamer who has my deepest respect for his long and bountiful contributions to Bonsai.

The many unsung contributors to the nationals all deserve appreciation.

^^^^This. Everyone who helped bring that event together deserves praise and credit, in spite of the hot venue, ticketing snafus, etc. Such an event is flat out work.

I get conflicted when I read criticism about the show being badly run, stodgy, not great, etc...While I agree that the show probably needs a "refresh," I also understand the blood, sweat, tears and decades of experience that Bill V. brings to it each time he's done it. He's battled his own series of relative hardships (health and a house fire a while back) that impacted his business. His sustained accomplishment with the show over the years, however, is unparalleled -- predating any other substantial "national" effort.

If anyone can do better, have at it --and just because other groups have done a show or two, let's see if those efforts can be sustained for anywhere near as long as this one.

 

[Wood]

This^^^

They're usually my favorite part of the exhibition too. I always get so sad when they aren't pitcured. Really appreciated that the PBE album included the entire display

 

[Wood]

^^^^This. Everyone who helped bring that event together deserves praise and credit, in spite of the hot venue, ticketing snafus, etc. Such an event is flat out work.

I get conflicted when I read criticism about the show being badly run, stodgy, not great, etc...While I agree that the show probably needs a "refresh," I also understand the blood, sweat, tears and decades of experience that Bill V. brings to it each time he's done it. He's battled his own series of relative hardships (health and a house fire a while back) that impacted his business. His sustained accomplishment with the show over the years, however, is unparalleled -- predating any other substantial "national" effort.

If anyone can do better, have at it --and just because other groups have done a show or two, let's see if those efforts can be sustained for anywhere near as long as this one.

Bill V's continuous effort and dedication is the only thing that makes these issues even possible. Without the bonsai community he created, we wouldn't have as many nice trees to look at. Without the show, we wouldn't have a reason to grouse about it.

Isn't this the normal course of life though? There's that old saying about teachers standing still so their students can move past them. This feels similar

 

[mwkohler]

Did any one take a picture of the single Lantana that was in the exhibition? It had a really interesting lumpy, almost fleshy trunk. I didn't have a info card unfortunately.

 

[JudyB]

They're usually my favorite part of the exhibition too. I always get so sad when they aren't pitcured. Really appreciated that the PBE album included the entire display

And anyone who has put together a display understands how important they are to the overall and how much time and thought goes into that pairing... It's like taking a photo of the tree from the soil up and not showing the pottery, IMO.

 

[coh]

Did any one take a picture of the single Lantana that was in the exhibition? It had a really interesting lumpy, almost fleshy trunk. I didn't have a info card unfortunately.

If you're on facebook, you can find it among Boon's photos, he posted almost every tree in his "Bonsai Boon" group. Otherwise, I haven't seen it anywhere else.

I'll try to post a link directly to the photo but not sure if it will work, if you need to be logged on or a member of the group, etc.

Lantana Bonsai (maybe)

 

[Ruddigger]

If you're on facebook, you can find it among Boon's photos, he posted almost every tree in his "Bonsai Boon" group. Otherwise, I haven't seen it anywhere else.

I'll try to post a link directly to the photo but not sure if it will work, if you need to be logged on or a member of the group, etc.

Lantana Bonsai (maybe)

Thanks for that. I didnt take a picture of it, I was selective on my picture taking, while trying to avoid getting yelled at by red shirts.

As for the tree, interesting species, but it’s one of the ones that made me say “why is this here.”

 

[snowman04]

If you're on facebook, you can find it among Boon's photos, he posted almost every tree in his "Bonsai Boon" group. Otherwise, I haven't seen it anywhere else.

I'll try to post a link directly to the photo but not sure if it will work, if you need to be logged on or a member of the group, etc.

Lantana Bonsai (maybe)

The link works and the tree is awesome...

 

[namnhi]

If you're on facebook, you can find it among Boon's photos, he posted almost every tree in his "Bonsai Boon" group. Otherwise, I haven't seen it anywhere else.

I'll try to post a link directly to the photo but not sure if it will work, if you need to be logged on or a member of the group, etc.

Lantana Bonsai (maybe)

That Lantana is a mess. How did it got in there? I might have some trees that can go National show next time.
I need to find a 🛡 before people start throwing rocks at me.

 

[Ruddigger]

That Lantana is a mess. How did it got in there? I might have some trees that can go National show next time.
I need to find a 🛡 before people start throwing rocks at me.

I’m with you brother. It seems theres a lot of favoritism going on. One of the judges actually told me that for the awards, they knew which trees they wanted to win, they just had to find a category to match with them.

 

[BrianBay9]

If you're on facebook, you can find it among Boon's photos, he posted almost every tree in his "Bonsai Boon" group. Otherwise, I haven't seen it anywhere else.

If someone as prominent as Boon apparently ignores the "no pictures" request, there's no hope it can be enforced.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

As for the tree, interesting species...

Lantana is one of the very few plants that is poisonous to pretty much all animals. Yes that includes horses, deer, dogs, pigs, goats, cattle, chickens... and humans.

 

[namnhi]

If someone as prominent as Boon apparently ignores the "no pictures" request, there's no hope it can be enforced.

Am sure he must have early access to take pictures. Not when visitors were there.

 

[Ruddigger]

Lantana is one of the very few plants that is poisonous to pretty much all animals. Yes that includes horses, deer, dogs, pigs, goats, cattle, chickens... and humans.

Wow. I did not know that.

Someone had a poison ivy on display. It was inside a metal cage, like it was Hannibal Lecter or something.

 

[Shogun610]

I’m with you brother. It seems theres a lot of favoritism going on. One of the judges actually told me that for the awards, they knew which trees they wanted to win, they just had to find a category to match with them.

Dude…

 

[mwkohler]

If you're on facebook, you can find it among Boon's photos, he posted almost every tree in his "Bonsai Boon" group. Otherwise, I haven't seen it anywhere else.

I'll try to post a link directly to the photo but not sure if it will work, if you need to be logged on or a member of the group, etc.

Lantana Bonsai (maybe)

That's the one, many thanks!. It wasn't the tree overall that interested me it was the trunk. Fleshy in a way. The fact that the tree had no tag made it seem like an after thought. I agree it wasn't a great tree, just unique in the feelings the trunk evoked

 

[rockm]

With all of these comments, feedback, and ideas, in this thread. I hope to see many more great trees, shows, and displays in the very near future at local, regional, and national shows.

Mr. Bill V is an Icon, legend, risk taker and big dreamer who has my deepest respect for his long and bountiful contributions to Bonsai.

The many unsung contributors to the nationals all deserve appreciation.

BTW, everyone should read the ABS article you attached (for the 1969 pic of Bill V. with Yuki Yoshimura alone ) to get some perspective on where American bonsai came from and to familiarize themselves with some of the names involved in its journey

 

[coh]

Am sure he must have early access to take pictures. Not when visitors were there.

He was snapping the photos Sunday afternoon just before take down. Not many people around at that point.

As I said earlier, I won't debate about the photo policy, but I will say that Bill does give some people permission to take photos.