Home
BCI-home_slideshow_magazine-min.jpg
Welcome to BCI

For over 60 years we have advanced the ancient and living art of bonsai & related arts through the global sharing of knowledge

Buddha_Light_Rock_1.jpeg
BCI-home_slideshow_welcome-min.jpg

Appreciation for Bonsai and Viewing Stones has spread throughout the world—a world BCI Magazine brings to you with each issue

PlayPlay
previous arrowprevious arrow
next arrownext arrow
BCI Store, Events & News
BCI Store, Events & News
Bonsai & Stone Appreciation Magazine
Bonsai & Stone Appreciation Magazine
Featured Articles
Featured Articles
Resources
Resources

Photography literally means “writing with light.” Lighting the subject to highlight its features is key. A lighted background should be used to complement the tree or stone in tone and simplicity (gradients help). This avoids any details in the background competing with the subject itself. Flash of any kind on the subject tends to create harsh shadows that obscure delicate detail. The best light is indirect, even and flat, usually found outside on a bright, but quite cloudy day. The same type of lighting should be used indoors with the help of reflectors and diffusers.

 

Here are seven tips on photographing your bonsai trees and viewing stones to their best advantage.

 

 

  1. 1.To avoid distraction, backgrounds must be simple and plain as possible. Screen folds, screen support frames, lines, or object shadows of any kind will distract the viewer from the subject. Pro Tip: use a roll-up vinyl window blind, white or cream in color and no texture, and use it as a backdrop and surface for the subject. Create a gentle curve where the surface meets the wall.

 

 

  1. 2.Make sure the subject’s formal front is facing the camera. Place the camera so that it is level with the vertical centre of the subject. Pro Tip: use a tripod or other means of stabilizing the camera. This will allow slower shutters speeds, requiring less light, and prevent blurry or out-of-focus photos.

 

 

  1. 3.Don’t crop the subject too tightly in the viewfinder. Leave some space all around.

 

 

  1. 4.For digital cameras, choose the highest-quality image setting.

 

 

  1. 5.If outdoors, pick a bright, overcast day or if it’s sunny, place your subject in the shade to avoid harsh shadows and uneven lighting. If direct sunlight cannot be avoided, force your camera’s flash to fire. This will provide the necessary light to fill in the dark shadows created by direct sunlight.

 

  1. 6.If indoors, light the subject from the top, and left or right side. Try to avoid harsh shadows created by the automatic flash. If you don’t have supplemental lights, try bouncing your flash off a white ceiling or diffusing it with translucent material.

 

  1. 7.Don’t take down your set up until you examine the photo results on a large screen. If you see anything that can be improved with another attempt, your setup is ready and waiting.

BCI-logo file 6

test
Bonsai Clubs International, a non-profit educational organization, advances the ancient and living art of bonsai and related arts through the global sharing of knowledge. We educate while promoting international friendship and solidify world relationships through cooperation with individuals and organizations whose purpose is consistent with ours.

Bonsai is a unique living art form enjoyed and practiced by diverse cultures, utilizing the lessons of nature to improve the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of mankind and our relationship to our environment.

FREE PREVIEW OF BCI BONSAI & STONE APPRECIATION MAGAZINE: 

1Click here to view the magazine in Flip Book format.

 
BCI's Bonsai & Stone Appreciation Magazine is a glossy, full color quarterly publication with an international focus. 
 
Articles cover many subjects from important international and national conferences, tours and exhibits to showcasing the work and collections of noted artists and collectors. We strive to inform and educate our readers with articles that expand and enrich our knowledge of bonsai, penjing, viewing stones, bonsai pottery, companion plants, formal presentation of trees and stones, and much more. Book reviews, News and Events help our readers stay in touch with the international world of bonsai and related arts. 
 
Members are invited to submit articles and photos on any subject our readers may find of interest. Learn how bonsai enthusiasts adapt the art of bonsai to local growing conditions and the many different species they use to create beautiful bonsai. Stone collectors are exposed to the many different cultures that appreciate stones, their history, their aesthetic and the places where beautiful viewing stones can be found.
 
The magazine is also available in electronic format for members who enjoy reading magazines online and don't want to wait for the mail.
 
Join your fellow bonsai and stone enthusiasts by joining BCI today to get your Bonsai & Stone Appreciation Magazine.
 
 
View Magazine Previews

 

What It Is & How to Be One

by Alan Walker, BCI Past President

BCI Ambassadors are a group of bonsai enthusiasts who have volunteered to act as liaisons between BCI and their local clubs. Ambassadors receive an email newsletter, The Diplomatic Mailbag, four times during the year. This newsletter contains bonsai news from groups and individuals around the world and is edited by BCI Board Member, Frank Mihalic, USA.

 

Ambassadors are encouraged to share The Diplomatic Mailbag with their local club members, forwarding it via email. The articles and information may also be included in the local newsletter crediting the the D.M..


      The BCI Ambassadors are a very active group of bonsai enthusiasts who liaison between BCI and their own clubs.  They agree to serve in the BCI Ambassador Program to develop greater communication between all of the BCI Member Clubs in the world. The Ambassadors keep in touch with the BCI Ambassador Program Coordinator by letters, faxes or e-mail, informing BCI about the activities of their clubs and exchanging information and newsletters among clubs.

     The Diplomatic Mailbag is the BCI Ambassador's newsletter and is published each season. It includes ideas and activities shared between the Ambassadors, lists new clubs, educational programs, etc. Only those BCI clubs that have become part of this program receive the Diplomatic Mailbag through their Ambassadors.

     Make sure your club is part of this wonderful program. There is no extra cost to your club or to the Ambassador. It is a great way to keep in touch with clubs throughout the world, exchange ideas, learn from experiences of others and share those of your club.

     To sign up for the BCI Ambassador Program, you should volunteer or be chosen from the membership of your BCI member club and be certified by the board or officers of your club. There can be one BCI Ambassador per member club.

Contact Us if you would like learn more.

Diplomatic Mailbag Archives:
 March 2006---------- June 2006 ---------- September 2006 ----------- December 2006
March 2007 ---------- June 2007 ---------- September 2007 ----------- December 2007

June- 2012 ------------Sept 2012

Index to Contest and Design Awards
    BCI sponsors and/or participates in various contest and design awards throughout the year. Information which you need in order to be able to participate is available for you to read and/or download on this website and may be accessed below.
ABFF International Bonsai Photo Contest - - - - - Award Certré International Contest
"Pedro J. Morales" Latin America Bonsai Design Award- - - - -Ben Oki International Design Award (Past Winners)


2009 Award Certré International Contest Winner
Enrico Savini & Fabio Mantovani of Italy
Juniperus Chinensis
"Itoi-Gawa"

Award Certré International 2009

    This is a 1,000 Euro purchase coupon for outstanding bonsai pot selection--matching pot to its tree. The Certre´Award International is an online competition. Please visit the following link to learn about the procedure. The prizes and the award will be presented in New Orleans, during the BCI 2009 Convention which runs from June 19-21, 2009.
Award Certré information can be found at http://www.certre.eu

See the Winners and Near Winners
See the
PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2007 Winners
    
See the
PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2006 Entries
    

See the
PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2005 Entries
    

See the
PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2004 Entries
See the
PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2008 Winners
    

  See the
PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2003 Entries
    

See the
PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2002 Entries
    

See the
PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2001 Entries
    
See the
PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2009 Winners
    


The"PEDRO J. MORALES" Latin American Bonsai Design Award 2007

    This is an biannual $1,000 grant for new bonsai talent in the Latin American hemisphere. Deadline for entries:May 12, 2007. Details of the competition and application form are available in PDF format for downloading. Please choose either English or Spanish version (See below about opening and reading PDF files.)
2007 ABFF INTERNATIONAL BONSAI PHOTO CONTEST - ISMAIL SALEH TROPHY

Grand Prize : Cash USD $1000.- and Ismail Saleh Trophy.
1ST Runner Up : Ismail Saleh Trophy.
2ND Runner Up: Ismail Saleh Trophy.

.A copy of information about the contest and an application form is available to be downloaded. (Acrobat Reader required)

See the PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2002 winners

See the PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2003 winners

See the PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2004 winners

See the PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2005 winners

See the PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2006 winners

See the PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2007 winners
Ben Oki International Design Award

     THE BEN OKI INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARD (BOIDA) was an annual competition which had been coordinated by BCI since 1991.   The Ben Oki International Design Award has been discontinued as of 2006. The Ben Oki International Design Award consisted of $500 and an engraved plaque to be given to a beginner in bonsai in recognition of outstanding bonsai design. A second place award ($300) and a third place award ($200) were also be given.

 See the Winners and Near Winners from Previous Years

 See the
PHOTOGRAPHS
of 1998 Entries
    

 See the
PHOTOGRAPHS
of 1999 Entries

  See the
PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2000 Entries
    

  See the
PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2001 Entries

 See the PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2002 Entries
    
 
See the PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2003 Entries


See the PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2004-5 Entries
    
See the PHOTOGRAPHS
of 2006 Entries