Don McCullin is currently a landscape photographer living in Somerset. previously, he was a war and urban strife photographer. 

 

Don's background

Born in 1959 Donald McCullin was evacuated to Somerset during the Blitz. He was found to be dyslexic but had a natural talent at school for drawing. He won a scholarship to an arts-specific school, however, following the death of his father, he left school at the age of fifteen.

Without any qualifications he found  a job working in catering on the railways, then he was required to join national service.

 

He served in the Royal Air Force.

In the RAF he worked as a photographer's assistant, as he failed to pass the theory paper necessary to become a photographer in the RAF. After a while, McCullin finally saved up enough money to buy his own camera,  it was a Rolleicord. When he arrived home he was forced to sell his camera, in order to buy food and energy. later on, however, his mother used her own money to redeem the goodwill of McCullin.

 

In 1959, a photograph he took of a local London gang was published in a newspaper called the Observer. After this he became an overseas correspondent for the Sunday Times Magazine.  From 1966-1984, he recorded ecological and man-made catastrophes such as war enriched areas, amongst them Biafra, in 1968 photographing victims of African AIDS epidemic.

After this he photographed the Vietnam War in great detail, many hundreds of photographs were taken by him. Then he travelled to photograph the Northern Ireland conflict, where some of his best photographs were taken.

 

 

McCullin now

Today McCullin takes photos of the Somerset area landscape in black and white. His photos are very well taken with a meaning, almost making the photo look like it was taken 30 years ago. He also does not photograph urban areas.

He takes photos with a Nikon camera, as back in 1968 his Nikon camera took a bullet that was intended for him! So this is mainly his own personal preference.

 

The three gallery's below are some of McCullin's  photo's - followed by  my interpretation of McCullins work.