Al posted a few photos of this big black pine in another thread on choosing a shoku.  There's a good post in there contrasting the look of this great tree on two separate stands, taken 3 months apart.  He didn't mention that the pot was also changed during that span.

Part of the Bonsai Intensive involves pot selection and display prep.  This is done with 3rd year students, using the skills that they have learned to help prepare for the show.  Part of this preparation often includes repotting into new/different/show pots.

There were a few options for this big tree and I managed to snap a few photos during the work.  The following photos show it's current pot (before work began), a pot it once was in, and the final choice (photo before it was wired in and finished).  What do you think, did we make the right choice?  Why or why not?

Nope I don't mind at all and I would say Bravo! to who ever suggested this pot and stand combination for this tree.

I like the pot better due to the size (smaller) which gives the illusion of even a more massive trunk, and two, I think the color and shape is better for this tree. By shape I mean to say that I feel this is a more formal form and I think the pot is more formal.

The left picture of the pine with the informal pot and the informal stand with that highly stiff formal tree was so distracting...at least for me.

I have to ask...Did Scott Elsor buy a container of these pots, or did Boon?


Good job SOB's.

Very nice and muscular tree, therefore in my believes in a wrong pot. The pot its now in is not muscular enough, although it´s (as I look at it) a thick and heavy one. I would place it in a rectangular pot with outside rim or in a rectangular with big/thick edges.
I also believe that the table it´s on is too high and maybe a little too big. Too high because its almost higher than tree + pot itself. I would use a similar table but with less height. (tried too virtualize it)

Hope your not offended by my comments, I do like yr tree very much, its just the finishing touch......

Wessel

And a pot like for instance this one (it´s from Walter Palls galery www.walter-pall.de) Maybe with a little darker colour but thats up to you.

I'm leaning more towards the style Wessel is talking about but yes darker.
I was surprised a rectangle wasn't offered as one of the options to start with.

The table looked off to me as well. Not sure if it was the width or hieght, just didn't fit for me. The shorter one appeared to match the strenght and stocky nature of the tree better.