Uminari no fūkei Teiko Shiotani

This is a photobook by Japanese photographer Sadayoshi Shiotani.
Born into a well-off family in Akasaki Village (now Kotoura Town) in Tottori Prefecture, Shiotani first encountered photography as a child through the Vest Pocket Kodak, the world’s first mass-produced camera made by Eastman Kodak in the U.S. He quickly became fascinated by the medium.

In Japan during the Taishō era, it was popular to remove the camera’s lens hood to achieve a soft-focus effect, which reduced the blurriness and distortion that early cameras often produced. Shiotani, too, was captivated by this look, and in an age when both cameras and photographic materials were still underdeveloped, he continued to experiment daily until he found his own distinctive style.

Shiotani’s works went on to receive international recognition. They were featured in Japanese Photography: Today and Its Origins, which toured 12 countries in Europe in 1979, as well as in Photography 1922–1982 at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, West Germany. In 1988, he held a solo exhibition that traveled to seven venues across the United States, and he was even awarded the Honorary Prize at Photokina, the world’s largest photography fair.

This book was published for members of the Nikkor Club, run by Nikon. It was supervised by Jun Miki—the only Japanese photographer to work as a full-time staff member for LIFE magazine—and presents a comprehensive selection of Shiotani’s works. It also includes a conversation between Shiotani and fellow San’in-based photographer Shoji Ueda, offering insights into the creative processes behind their shoots and darkroom practices.