Twice Yearly Photo Record

[MelaQuin]

From Day 1 I have been taking regular photos of my trees. As well as the First Day photos [original and first styling], I do the rounds on a six monthly basis and photograph each tree and put it in my photo file. I do the files by Species and within each species a folder for the individual tree. It is amazing what impetutus and inspiration looking at the early photos can be in keeping me focused on a tree's growth. I also find it very important to take post styling photos so I can see styling errors or imbalances. Without my photographic records I would be lost.

I now keep a file for 'ex bonsai' as well. I used to delete photo records of trees that I had moved on but I got one back and really miss the lack of its First Day photos. And it is surprising how many times I have referred to the Ex Files.

There are times I look at a tree and can only think 'how ugly you are - there's little hope'. A viewing of the First Day photo can show me how much it has really come and and provides great encouragement.

Photographs are great styling aids and should be a regular part of growing bonsai.

[Steven]

Great post Lee but you forgot to attach all your photos!

Steven

[anttal63]

lee yep i with you on this 100% have always done so, will keep doing so. the only mistake i made was keeping my photos in my phone when i started. one hot day had the phone in my pocket and got pushed into a pool. damn lost some important early photos of some trees. i learnt i now download as soon as i am done. it teaches me alot about my trees.

[Jon Chown]

Sure is sound advice Lee, but don't ya just cry sometimes when you see what you have lost.

my pics 089.jpg

my pics 110.jpg

Oh well back to the work bench.

Jon

[PeterW]

Sure is sound advice Lee, but don't ya just cry sometimes when you see what you have lost.
Jon

And still we come back for more Jon! We are either crazy or just deeply in love with what we do! I had a double pink flowering plum tree purchased from Koreshoff's way back when, and i havent any pictures of it. Wish digital cameras were around then mate!
Peter.

[MelaQuin]

Weep for what I have lost... YOU BETCHA!!! Got this olive as one of the 'unwanted' after a bonsai mate did a dig. In 18 months I wiped his entry at the Royal with the tree. 18 months later.... and who knows why. Roots are fine, it just started dying. First the right branch so I carved it, then the other side, and now the middle is gone. I am encouraging the three shoots but how many years are we talking about??? In my lifetime? I doubt it. Still, you can't win 'em all.

z1 Birrong 2006-04 RAS.jpg

z2 Birrong 2007-09.jpg

-

z3 Birrong 2008-09.jpg

Photos are good to look back on the good days - as well as the bad. And, I can have more practice carving as the last remaining original branch has to be whittled down... But when all is said and done, I would prefer to have the original tree....

[Marc]

I think I got my first bonsai when i was about 15, so 20 years ago. since then I collected only one or two per year. Never had much money and didn't find any clubs or shows till about 10 years later. At that point, I'd say when I was about 25, I took a few photos that must be lying around somewhere, need to find them, scan them and keep them. But from memory, I think I only have 1 or 2 plants left with me from then....

About all the plants I own now have only been with me for 10-14 years or less. And only had a digital cameral the last few years. So I've taken millions of pics this last few years, but very few from years ago.

Damn shame when I think back.

I guess more of a shame losing nice trees i once had... but, live and learn.

And yes, MelaQuin, I agree completely, when I look at a plant now and think disparingly about it, I look at an old pic and think it has come this far, so in another 10 years it will be great.

[aaron_tas]

i have a few photo's that i keep of some ex's, i have some great dead yamadori

i guess you can only bring them back with a pheonix

[Pat K]

i have a few photo's that i keep of some ex's,

....me too, then my wife found them, now she's an ex

[Amanda]

the direction of this thread

MelaQuin, that's a real shame the olive died back.

[Jester]

I could'nt agree more Lee. Where would we be without digital cameras guys?? The only thing I would disagree with though is that instead of taking photos every say, 6 months, I do it very time there is a significant change to the tree. Does this mean a lot lot of phtography? Yep but when you can buy a 1 Terabyte hard drive for $90 who cares??. It's not like I'm going to run out of space anytime soon!!

[bodhidharma]

I regret not keeping a photographic record of my tree's. Now i make effort but i still get the times when i yell out to my Wife to come and see a tree i have just restyled and she says...looks great Hon...did you get a photo...i hate those times.

[Crowie]

Totally agree, as Jester says hard drives are so cheap these days as are digital cameras.
Years ago I had only photo prints of my trees and they got water damaged in a move and lost the lot so I cant retrace the progression.
Only recently got back into the hobby and wont make the same mistake.
Its so easy to back everything up now and also have prints.
Found this software on another post and just started using it, looks like a great way to track the progress of our trees and also document any successes and failures and also care/maintenance for future reference.

Link for software:
https://otetsudaiqt.sourceforge.net/

Original post:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3401&p=37035&hilit=software#p37035

Best of all its free

[Jamie]

being in a tropical sort of area, and the trees i keep there can be big changes in a very short space of time. my clerodendron are a prime example of this if i took one pic of them as bare stumps then another six months later people probably wouldnt beleive they are the same tree, 10 days can be a big difference in them when they are growing strongly

i am constantly taking pics of trees to not only keep as records but for like mela said, a picture will show imbalances and imperfections of a tree that the naked eye sometime cannot pick up