Bonsai And Bonsai photoshoot . How to get best photo of your Bonsai. Part 2

In last post we learnt every thing about the Back drop and its colors and how to use that.

Tripod setting for Photo shoot:

Tripod is an important instrument.in photography, if you place your camera on a tripod, , you can easily adjust shutter speed and time with out any jerks. Small jerk also makes your photo shaky without any clear, sharp picture. With Tripod we can adjust of the height the  camera with the same level of the plant with its position and angle. Fix  camera or mobile in tripod and adjust the height of tripod.

camera focus point and should match with pot level. The plant trunk base should and the camera eye will be in the same level. So plant will be visible as it is. we can get true image with out any Parallax error.

If you are looking at plant from an angle the picture you are getting wont be perfect , In out come photo the plant's image will be at an angle  and trunk line can be covered with branches. so its not proper way of getting a good picture.

In the above photograph the focus of camera is going above canopy of the plant. So in out come image of the plant the trunk line looks thin and  young.

camera Angle focus is from the Above the plant

    

Focus of camera in first photo it is on left side, and in second photo it is on right side  

The placement of tripod with camera and plant should be in 180 degrees line. If tripod is on right side or left side the image we are getting is not a actual image.

Tripod helps to take good photos when there is minimum light in the room, that time we need more shutter speed.  When  using camera with hand slight movement also reduces shutter speed, resulting in blur or grainy images.If camera is placed on tripod there wont be any  movement of the hand, On tripod minimum amount of movement resulting  best photos of Bonsai plants. If you dont have tripod there many home made tripod videos are there online, you can check them. you can make your own. The main use of tripod is stability for camera with least motion and best photo shoot..

To be continued in next posts with other tips like tripod placement and exposure etc.....

Bonsai And Bonsai photoshoot . How to get best photo of your Bonsai.

Photographing A Bonsai : Once we finished shaping Bonsai Plant, we feel like capture the beauty of our creation in a frame. Here I am sharing some important points of Photography . These I learnt with experience, I would like to share with you all. We can start our photography shoot with our mobile. we don't need any expensive camera, Simple camera is also makes lots of difference. Then a normal simple tripod of for stable photos. For taking  good photos one need not to be a great photographer just follow some easy steps and your Bonsai photos will be marvelous. 

Back drop for photo shoot : First to show your Bonsai clearly with depth we should have a solid back ground with out any distractions. If you have plain wall that also makes a good back ground. Otherwise next step we can use Black or White colour or any other colour of plain cloth is makes a superior back ground.  when you selecting a cloth it should not be a shiny cloth, because it reflects the light.  

 

The cloth can be a velvet or 100% cotton cloth or Lekera cloth is gives a best back ground. Some times if your Bonsai is small then our coloured chart paper is perfect as a back drop. Back drop should be hang from a stand or with some support . please try to hang the cloth  straight down with out any folds.. The folds distracts the view of  main image. Our Bonsai plant can be placed in front of the backdrop on a table. We can put same cloth on table and place the plant on table. Then complete back ground will be full black and entire viewers concentration will be on Bonsai plant. Some times we can place turntable on the this table, that also gives a elegant look.

 In this photo table is covered with the same backdrop cloth

A turn table is place on the first table to place Bonsai plant

Chart paper also can be used as back drop in photography.

One more option is we can place glass sheet below Bonsai plant with black or white back drop, the reflection of the plant in the glass gives a beautiful look.

Here below we can see a detail view of White and Black drop . Both of them are good . according to our interest we can use any back ground. So always one back drop without any interruption is compulsory to show your beauty of the Bonsai  plant. 

 

To be continued in next posts with other tips like tripod placement and exposure etc.....

Tamarind as a Bonsai tree

How to make tamarind as a bonsai.

Thank you friends for your comments and like for my Tamarind Bonsai plant.

Many Bonsai friends were asking for whats age of the plant and how to grow tamarind from a seed. which type of soil and watering. 

My Tamarind Bonsai plant is growing for more fifteen years,  Tamarind is a tropical plant. Growing tamarind Bonsai from a seed is easy, just soak tamarind seed in warm water over night and next day put seed in half soil and half coco peat mix. the seeds start germinating within two weeks, some times tamarind seeds fallen on the ground also develop in to plants in favorable conditions. At my place I can see many Tamarind plants growing from seeds. Once it starts germinating let it grow for two months and shift the plant in to a big pot with soil mix of garden soil, manure and three to four mm brick pieces ( without brick powder, remove brick powder by sieving) other wise it blocks drainage of the soil. instead of Brick pieces we can use pumice stones also. they are very light and porous.1:1:1. ratio. one soil, one manure and one pumice stones. Usually Tamarind is not choosy plant for soil, it can grow any type of soil, But if you want better and fast growth it is better to use well drained and manure soil. 

Let the plant grow in big pot at least for seven years, because when the plant is growing from seed it takes long time to start flowering , long time means more than 8 to 10 years.During this period wiring, pruning can be done to give a shape to Tamarind plant on regular basis.  Repoting I did once in a year up to 7 years, then the plant shifted to Bonsai pot. For the last two years it started flowering, Through this long journey plant it has seen many seasons. In autumns it looks very pretty with yellow leaves falling down.

This photo was taken in 2016 fall season

Then in spring plant gains energy and will with fresh green leaves. Once in two years re potting is done fresh soil and removing fine roots by making place for fresh energetic fiber roots. This year defoliation is done on May 15 , it took two full days to remove all leaves.

Tamarind Plant Before Defoliation

Ramification can be done after the plant grows extensively with whole long branches and green leaves.  Now Selection of branches  and giving a style to the plants is a key factor in designing a Bonsai plant. With Defoliating all the leaves will be removed so we can see through the plant clearly all the branches. So selection of branches for Pruning and wiring will comfortable and easy.

     

When the plant is young means 7 to 8 years .it needs lots of moisture in the soil for its proper growth. the soil should be moist but not wet. Once the plant matures let the soil dry in between watering  In summer once in a day, if the plant is open to full sun light and the temperatures are more than  38 digress centigrade two times of watering is necessary  and In winters once in day.

Regular fertilizing once in a month is necessary for healthy growth of the plant With NPK fertalizer. N is Nitrogen, P is for phosphorous and K is potassium. For flowering Plants P and K are more important for the plant for bearing fruits and flowers. During growing season it is better to  provide liquid spray of micro nutrients. 

Tamarind Plant From Branches / Vegetative growth.

Tamarind plants can be grown from seeds and vegetative cuttings also.  For Vegetative growth take less than pencil thickness branch and apply root all hormone or cinnamon powder with honey apply near the cut and keep that branch in a pot with garden soil. cover the entire pot with plastic bag . so moisture will be there within one and half month these branches will have new fine roots. In second picture you can see moisture inside plastic bag.

                                                                                                                          

The plants grown from vegetative growth will start fruiting with in 6 years.

 Now I am trying to grow Tamarind Branches  in water . Take less than pencil thick branch and as soon as you cut it keep it is normal water. then take a glass  3/4 of water add root all hormone and place  plant cuttings in  the glass, every three days change water again add root all hormone. after one half month we can see roots and you can keep it in soil with equal portions of soil with coco peat. 

Tamarind is a leguminous tree, because it gives legumes . If you can take  proper care plant can survive more than 200 years. The Gnarled and twisted tamarind trees spread wide and give a beautiful as a bonsai tree. 

                                                                                       

                                                                                         

How and when to defoliate a Bonsai tree to reduce leaf size of Bonsai plant

Ficus Retusa Or Ficus Green Island Defoliation and Care

Spring and Autumn are  best Seasons  for plants growth, During this season plants will be active because of its favorable conditions of the weather lots of growth will be there. The movement  water, nutrients and food inside the plant will be vigorous,the plant will be  in active stage of developing new branches, leaves. Food preparation in the leaves that is photosynthesis  will be adding energy to the plant in thickening of trunk line. During this period if we defoliate plant by removing all the leaves at nodal point  there will be speedy new growth  because of this weather. 

In tropical countries defoliation can be done two times a year to reduce  size of the leaves. Mostly deciduous plants sheds  its leaves once in year. Defoliating means removing or cutting down the leaves of Bonsai plant. It is a regular practice of  Bonsai artists on their deciduous trees during the autumn season before spring. First we will see what are deciduous trees. Deciduous trees are usually Maple,oak mostly giant flowering trees around the region of equator. Most of these tropical plants they shed their leaves during Autumn season after their flowering season is over.  Leaves of  these plants are broad and the canopy of tree is round or umbrella shape. Ficus is tropical ever green tree with broad leaves. Ficus tree sheds their leaves to reduce the leaf foliage and evaporation of water during dry season to control water storage in the plant. As soon as monsoon returns new leaves starts developing.  Defoliation is a natural process  in nature. 

How to do Defoliation manually.

Always Leaf is attached to trunk with petiole. when leaf matures it changes its color to yellow because the leaf no more can prepare food for the plant. it can't do any photosynthesis activity. then slowly  leaf detaches from trunk or stem and falls down. but when manually doing cutting a leaf  from the stem we have to follow one procedure. Removing the leaf with a sharp  scissors leaving petiole on the stem. below it is explained with photos.                                            

 

                                                    

There are different ways of doing defoliation depending on the Plant growth and health.

1) Complete Defoliating of the plant  

2) Partial outer canopy Defoliation POCD

3) One third leaf Defoliation

4) Removing only Big leaves Defoliation.

1) Complete Defoliating of the plant : Complete defoliation is removing all the leaves on the plant. Complete defoliation some times we will also do it before wiring the plant, so we can see the branches of the plant clearly before pruning and ramification of the plant,

Below link shows how to do . 

https://www.facebook.com/kapilaas/videos/10223129683055672/

Photos One is before defoliation, second is after Defoliation 

            2) Partial outer canopy Defoliation POCD 

In partial outer Canopy Defoliation means  removing only limited outer canopy by keeping inside leaves intact.

                    

                                                                                        Partial Outer Canopy Defoliation                        

                 3) One third leaf Defoliation

One third defoliation is shown below . Cut  one third of leaf leaving behind one fourth of leaf.  Cut all the leaves of the plant in same manner. One third defoliation we will to be done on a plant when the plant is young and the plant is not strong enough to take stress of complete defoliation.

                        4)  Removing only Big leaves Defoliation.                                                                              

Here we are not  touching young small leaves of the plant, we are removing only big leaves of the plant and allowing small leaves to to stay on plant, this type of  defoliation we will do on a planet when plant is not fully ready for complete defoliation and if it is effected with any pests.

Before removing  Big leaves                       

                                

 After removing Big leaves 

                                                                                           

Defoliation on deciduous plants encourages the plant to get more energy with new leaves and ready for it thickening the trunk line by giving more branches. Defoliation is a natural phenomenon on deciduous plants. When we are doing defoliation on Bonsai plants we have to remember some points. Ficus plants responds well for defoliation. Some ficus plant produce fruits. During fruiting stage don't defoliate Bonsai. it may harm the plant. check the health of the plant and do it.

Complete Defoliating of the plant should not

1) Be done on freshly re potted  plants.

2) When plant is infected with pests.

3) If the plant is weak without proper growth.

4) In hot summer months when temperature is above 35 degrees centigrade.

5) when the plant is young.

Care to be after Defoliation

1) Don't keep plant in full sunlight, keep it in semi shade.

2) Reduce watering after defoliation. Just keep the soil moist not wet.

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