Photographing Bonsai
Angle
There is usually a front to the tree and the trunk is very important, shoot the tree at the ideal angle for viewing.
Keep adjusting the angle and take a new shot, a little higher, lower, more left more right, closer and farther away. [Start with 1/3 distance from lip of the pot to the apex]. Make small adjustments to the angle; moving the camera even a little can reveal or cover a key branch.
Do not digitally zoom in as the resolution will degrade. If your phone has the option, use 2x camera enlargement as a farther
Lighting
Outdoors in natural light is usually best.
Time of day is important. If using sunlight, early morning or evening when the sun is lower and less intense can help illuminate the trunk and lower parts of a tree as well as not overexposing parts while leaving others in deep shadow.
Overcast days also make for good photography. Alternatively, photograph in light shade
Background/backdrop
Avoid distracting backgrounds
Contrast is key to highlight the tree’s characteristics. Using a considerably lighter or darker background is ideal.
If the camera has a wide depth of field the background will be in focus and competing with your subject. Try moving the tree farther away from the background, change the background or use the portrait mode if available on your smartphone.
Use neutral colors such as black, white or gray. Contrasting colors can also be fun, consider a red or orange background to make green foliage stand out.