Photographing Ted's Angophora costata

[NBPCA]

Hi everyone,

The Angophora has put on a fair bit of growth over the last two weeks so I took advantage of having a number of volunteers last Friday to move and photograph the tree. It is very big and heavy so it presents some unique problems.

Attached are the beginning and the shot and I am preparing the in betweens now.

Cheers,

Grant

1 Angophora on display.JPG

13 The photograph.JPG

[NBPCA]

On Friday 22nd of January 2010 the Angophora costata of Ted Poynton was looking so lovely in its prolific new growth that we took the opportunity to photograph it. Taking advantage of the coming hot summer we had trimmed it back fairly hard on the 14th of December and then done minor trimming and pinching over the following weeks to even out the new growth.
Photographing the tree involves first moving it from its display pillar onto a trolley so we can then move it into the “Studio” for the photography. We had a trolley customised with a forklift like capacity to lift the bonsai by a wooden frame (made from leftover Callitris used as the wooden background throughout the display). The tree is then lowered onto another more manoeuvrable trolley to fit through the gate which we had first measured to make sure it would fit.
Our garage come workshop come studio is only very small and I could not get back far enough to easily photograph the tree but with my back to the wall and handheld it was OK. The tree is so big it quickly eats up the background as well left, right and vertical.
This was just a first attempt at photographing the big tree and we will have to change a number of things to get a really good professional looking shot in the future.
Anyhow I hope you enjoy the end result and the journey as well.
Grant Bowie

2 Measuring tree.JPG

3 Measuring doorway.JPG

4 Forklift with counterweight.JPG

5 Forklift going under wooden platform.JPG

6 Move in hydraulic trolley.JPG

7 Trolley in place and remove forklift.JPG

[NBPCA]

8 On its way to be photographed.JPG

9 Through the doorway.JPG

10 turning a tight corner.JPG

11 Entering the studio.JPG

12 Well the shed or garage anyhow.JPG

A big tree.JPG

[ozzy]

Thats just freakin awesome

[bonzaidog]

Ditto

[Hawaiian77]

Same here..... Mahalo for sharing.

-Tim

[Glenda]

This bonsai is truly inspiring.

[Steven]

What a mission! I bet this is not an exercise you wish to do too often Grant!
I commend you and the team on the effort that it took to photograph Ted's bonsai and the journey to get it to your garage/workshop/studio.

Oh, the Angophora is looking awesome too with its fresh foliage. Once again, you and the team of volunteers are to be congratulated for the superb condition!

Thanks for sharing,
Steven

[Pup]

Geez and I complain about moving mine. Then I do not have any volunteers to help me I have to do it in situ on a couple.
That tree is looking very good, I have always even when I saw it in Ted's nursery that it is under-potted. It works though.
Thanks for sharing Grant

Cheers a ginormouse Pup at 1168 cms

[Grant Bowie]

Geez and I complain about moving mine. Then I do not have any volunteers to help me I have to do it in situ on a couple.
That tree is looking very good, I have always even when I saw it in Ted's nursery that it is under-potted. It works though.
Thanks for sharing Grant

Cheers a ginormouse Pup at 1168 cms

Hi pup,

It could do with a slightly bigger pot visually but it is not the thirstiest tree in the collection. The number one thirstiest tree is the Melaleuca group, then your Melaleuca, then the Banksias.

I will not move the Melaleuca group or the Taxodium group for photography. I hope to photograph Craig Ws Banksia integrifolia soon. It should come up equally dramatically although with the silver underside to the leaf it does have different problems with photography.

Grant

[Grant Bowie]

What a mission! I bet this is not an exercise you wish to do too often Grant!
I commend you and the team on the effort that it took to photograph Ted's bonsai and the journey to get it to your garage/workshop/studio.

Oh, the Angophora is looking awesome too with its fresh foliage. Once again, you and the team of volunteers are to be congratulated for the superb condition!

Thanks for sharing,
Steven

Thanks Steven,

it is all part of the service.

I hope you get to see the collection in the flesh/leaf/bark very soon.

Grant

[anttal63]

AWSOME!!! Grant and team.

[NBPCA]

Hi all,

Here is todays shot of Teds Angophora costata.

Leigh Taafe has been doing a lot of the photography and is still out there getting a better shot.

Teds Angophora 31st March 2010.JPG

Grant

[craigw60]

Hi Grant,
You have improved that tree out of sight. The last time I saw it in the back of your van it was looking a bit thin, good to see it back in shape again. I have been seeing this tree on occasions for the last 20 years and its never looked better.
Craig

[NBPCA]

Hi Grant,
You have improved that tree out of sight. The last time I saw it in the back of your van it was looking a bit thin, good to see it back in shape again. I have been seeing this tree on occasions for the last 20 years and its never looked better.
Craig

Thanks Craig,

That means a lot coming from you.

Other Victorians have said similar so we must be doing something right.

It would be good to have it for another season or two or as I am sure we could get it looking even better.

Grant