NEON TREES Spring 2024

A kusamono artist who studied traditional art in Korea before earning her BS in horticulture from the University of Maryland, Young Choe traveled to Japan to study this unique art form with master kusamono artist, Keiko Yamane. She worked for many years with the USDA, including the U.S. National Arboretum. Young is considered a leader in the field and enjoys conducting workshops and lectures internationally.

Joe received formal photographic education from the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences at the Rochester Institute of Technology. In conjunction with his teaching career, he initiated the first academic photography program at the high school level in the state of Connecticut. He then joined the faculty of the School of Printing Management and Science at RIT teaching Reproduction Photography with special courses for art and photography students. As technology changed, he specialized in electronic color imaging and color reproduction.

For 32 years Joe has photographed workshops, led demonstrations, worked as a guest artist at bonsai conferences, seminars, shows, and conventions. As a technical person, he began photographing bonsai out of frustration after seeing multiple poor photographed examples in publications. Many might believe that photographing bonsai is an easy task, but in fact there are several technical issues that must be considered. Lighting is a main factor in achieving good results along with the post processing of the images. Someone observing bonsai enjoys seeing the detail and refinement of the tree, accuracy of color, the clarity of the image and the beauty of the tree. Attention to the fine details of the photographic process makes this possible.

Joe’s artistry and years of experience with photographing bonsai has brought joy to hundreds of viewers over the years. You can find his photographs in ten books on bonsai that he has helped publish: the International Bonsai magazine, ABS magazine, BCI magazine, and Bonsai Today. His photographs have been cherished by bonsai artists who know that they can have a beautifully and accurate captured memory of their trees. We are thrilled to have him photograph the displays for our exhibit.