I’ve long found that the hardest part of photographing bonsai is figuring out how high to hold the camera.
Holding it too high can be good for showing the foliage but not so great for seeing the branch structure. Holding the camera too low reveals more of the branch structure but doesn’t offer a good view of the tree’s outline.
I usually start by holding the camera about one-third of the way between the lip of the pot and the apex. If that level doesn’t do the tree justice, I’ll make adjustments up or down as needed.
Here are some photos of a large satsuki bonsai displayed at the 2015 Taikan-ten exhibit in Kyoto, Japan, showing the effect different viewing angles can make.
Too low
Still too low
About right
A tad too high
Too high
Way too high
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Edward Stanton says
October 23, 2018 at 4:30 amJonas, you’ve done it again. You’ve identified a problem that we all deal with, shown the solution with simple elegance.: six photos and their brief captions. Thank you.
Jonas Dupuich says
October 23, 2018 at 6:03 amThanks, Ed!
Rusty says
October 23, 2018 at 5:57 amone thing I started doing is taking a video – this way I can bring the viewers in to follow branch lines.
Jonas Dupuich says
October 23, 2018 at 6:04 amGreat idea Rusty, I’m starting to do the same. It’s much easier to convey the experience of the tree with moving images.
Justin Hervey says
October 23, 2018 at 9:00 amJonas, absolutely. Most get it terribly wrong.
Another important point is the distance from the tree. The bigger the tree, the further away you should be to avoid a foreshotening of the image.
Jonas Dupuich says
October 24, 2018 at 10:32 amGreat point Justin, that’s another tip that can make a big difference – thanks for sharing!