攝影師植田正治最著名的，是一系列攝於弓浜沙灘上的作品。黑白的照片裡，以如絹的沙丘與萬里無雲的天空作為舞台，舞台之上，是他、妻子和兒女。照片中，他們看似在互動又似乎不，作品看似是紀實照片，只是紀錄的不是生活，而是一齣舞台劇的演出。
植田正治的大部份作品也真的是一場演出，人物動物也是他指導下完成的，眼睛看哪裡，往哪邊移一點，手再抬高一點點，拉著母親的手得再用力一點⋯⋯道具方面，他會任孩子自己挑選，有時則有自己的執著。哥哥帶腳踏車、弟弟帶手槍，女兒要帶娃娃卻被禁止了，植田正治要她捧著花束。因為安排得太過細致，植田正治不大會請別人當模特兒，怕別人生厭，繁瑣的要求，還是家人才能吞下。
東京的Books and Modern書店，現正舉辦植田正治的攝影展《另一種風景》，展出的正是他於歐洲拍攝的作品。植田正治的攝影風格很謹慎，因此當看到他於歐洲拍攝的旅行照時，有種難以言喻的新鮮感。
植田正治曾說，自己年輕時很討厭旅行，59歲時卻毅然決定到歐洲去。目光在異國裡特別敏銳，截然不同的文化吸引著他，令他不自覺地按下快門，將奇異的經驗收在照片裡。於是，我們看到了植田正治，離開了他自己細意安排的舞台。沙丘上的照片都是注滿了貪玩的喜樂情緒，在歐洲拍攝的則極為復雜，好奇、興奮、雀躍、不安等心情滿浴照片裡。「另一種風景」，是指弓浜以外的風景，同時也是植田正治的另一個攝影世界。
The beaches in Tottori under photographer Shōji Ueda’s lens are a continuous flow of velvety sand dunes against a backdrop of a clear sky that seems to stretch to eternity. In his most acclaimed series of work, the photographer, his wife and his children were posing in front of this beautiful stage of Tottori’s beaches. At first glance these characters appear to be interacting; at next glance they seem to be completely unrelated. Ueda’s series resembles the style of documentary photography, although what he recorded was a theatrical play rather than everyday life.
Most of Shōji Ueda’s works are indeed theatrical plays. Be it human or animals, every character was acting according to Ueda’s direction. He guided their gaze, their posture, the angle of their hands, and the intensity of the child’s grip on his mother’s… He usually let the children pick their favourite props, except the times when he had his own preference. The big brother brought with him his bike, the younger brother was with his toy gun. However, he restricted his daughter from bringing her doll; he made her hold a bouquet instead. Ueda arranged everything on scene in such minute details that he seldom invited people outside of his family for portraits. He was well aware that only his family members would tolerate his irksome requests.
Books and Modern bookshop in Tokyo is currently hosting a Shōji Ueda photo exhibition called “Another Scenery”. The exhibition is showcasing photos by Ueda taken in Europe. The discreet style of Ueda’s photography brings to his travel photos of European countries a distinct originality.
Shōji Ueda once mentioned about his distaste for travelling in his youth. Despite his reluctance to travel, he went on a journey to Europe when he was 59 years old. A person acquires an enhanced sensitivity while being elsewhere; Ueda was deeply fascinated by foreign cultures. He pressed the shutter like a reflex action, and archived his exotic experiences in photos. The Ueda that we are seeing in this exhibition is another face of his, who departed from his carefully arranged stage to a world of spontaneity. Photos set on the sand dunes display a vibe of playful joy; his shots in Europe are remarkably complicated. The photos are filled with curiosity, excitement, enthusiasm and anxiety. “Another Scenery” can be interpreted as scenery outside of Tottori, but it can also be perceived as another realm of Shōji Ueda’s photography.
