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I started to become interested in photography in my second year of my three year stint at college, where I did Interactive Media. I used lots of photography in my work and immediately got hooked. During this time I went on a trip to the Imperial War Museum in Salford, not far from my hometown of Warrington. At the time they had an exhibition featuring Don McCullin’s work from his war photographer days, which really helped sparked my interested in photography.
If there was one photographer I could pin my interest on, I’d have to say it was Don McCullin.
McCullin is mainly known for his war photography, especially in Vietnam & the Northern Ireland conflict. His work isn’t confined to just war photography though, he has also done photojournalism in the UK, and been a foreign correspondent for the Sunday Times Magazine, taking him far and wide including, but not limited to, victims of the African AIDs epidemic.
You may also know him for being the photographer who got saved by his camera, 1968 in Cambodia his Nikon F took an AK-47 bullet which was intended for him. The camera didn’t do so well but the important thing was that he came out of it alive.
The majority of the last 50 years of my life has been wasted photographing wars, what good have I done?
As you may expect, photographing so many conflicts and seeing so much takes its toll. McCullin now shoots landscapes primarily, and has spoken in an interview with Alfred Dunhill about how troubled he is because of what he has seen. The interview is quite hard hitting and really makes you think about the impact such a job has on your mind.
The landscapes he takes now reflect this, they are quite dark, grim, and very moody.
Needless to say, all images ©Don McCullin.