Fine Bonsai: Art and Nature: Art & Nature

A must for bonsai lovers. All the trees are well made and the photographs are of good quality. We take great pleasure in browsing the pages and to observe them carefully.On the other hand, you need a very solid table. The book being bulky !

This is one of the nicest Bonsai books I have ever bought, the photography and the layout is second to none, it is also the biggest book I have ever bought it weighs about 12.5 pounds and is 16 inches x 12 inches. And there lies the drawback, the books pages are so heavy that the internal part of the book came away from the outer board cover. I had the book for only 3 weeks and hadn’t read it fully, when the fault became apparent. The day after I found the fault I contacted a bookbinder and he explained why this fault had happened due to the weight of the internal part of the book, and also explained that it could be mended. It is with the Bookbinder at the moment and the cost to mend it is £75.00 he also stated that even if I sent the book back to Amazon for a new one, the same would happen again, as it is the way the book has been made. This book is so nice, and this is why I have gone to the expense of having it fixed, not fully rebinded, as this would have run into hundreds of pounds, but the bookbinder assured me that the repair he is making will be bombproof.

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I am not a gardener but I love nature. Fine Bonsai brings the beauty of great, old trees in miniature into the privacy of one's dwelling, just as the actual specimens would bring the forest to one's garden. This is a photographic book, and the photographer has captured the character of each subject as for a collection of portraits. Extremely beautiful, and well done. The accompanying text is welcome, just enough for the amateur, and opens the door for further exploration.Upon receiving it I was surprised at the extra large format. While it is grand and generous, I find it cumbersome in the lap and at too close a viewing distance there. (It would be best laid on a table or put on a lectern...) Therefore I refrain from giving all five stars, and wonder: Will there be a smaller, soft-cover edition coming out in the future?

This book is a tremendous tribute to both the art of photography and bonsai art. Being somewhat familiar with both these art forms, and having previously seen some of the bonsai in the past (through photos and in real life), I must say that the chiaroscuro effects in the photography reveal aspects of the various bonsai to their great advantage. The bonsai have been selected from Japan and the USA, and some of the trees are really famous specimens that bonsai lovers would be familiar with, except that they would probably not have seen it in this light before! And some of the pages of photos are lift-outs, allowing the viewer to extend the page and enjoy the specimen trees. The book is good also for the fact that it gives ample information (size, age, origin of pot and a bit of a write up to each tree) at the back of the book, plus a bonus sample of antique chinese bonsai pots. There is also some information on the location of the nurseries/collections from where the trees have been photographed. And a very good introduction to the history of bonsai is written by Mr. Valavanis. Both Singer and Valavanis need no introductions in their respective professions, but if anyone out there who wants an introduction to the talents of these two consumate professionals, as well as an introduction to both bonsai and photography, this is an indispensable book at a very affordable price for its quality. Buy without hesitation, and breathe in the beauty of bonsai through breath-taking photography. You won't regret it.

This book is a monster! Huge, beautiful photos that are inspiring to anyone that appreciates the art of bonsai. Features mostly world class specimens. There are a few suspect filler trees that any bonsai aficionado might question as "fine", but overall an excellent compilation of the art.

A veritable photographic masterpiece! Singularly unique!