Don McCullin is one of the most famous and successful photographers alive, and has been knighted for his efforts in documenting some of the most brutal conflicts the world has seen in his generation.
On a hill in Da Nang a priest hears soldiers’ confessions
Born in 1935 in London, he was evacuated to a farm in Somerset during the Blitz. He was awarded a scholarship to attend Hammersmith School of Arts and Crafts, however, following his father’s death when he was only 15, McCullin left school for a job on the railways. He was then enlisted in the RAF in 1953 for his National Service.
Having been posted at the Suez Crisis, McCullin worked as a photographer’s assistant after failing the written theory test to become a RAF photographer (possibly on account of his mild dyslexia) and he was mostly in the darkroom during his service. It was during this time that he purchased his first camera (a Rolleicord) for £30 whilst working in Nairobi, pictured below.
His photographic career began in 1958, after his image of a local London Gang was published in The Observer.
The Guvnors
From 1966 to 1984, McCullin was employed by the Sunday Times Magazine to document the man-made and ecological disasters happening across the globe, and his coverage of human strife in a multitude of settings is famed for its raw and honest nature.
McCullin’s images of the Somerset landscape depict a dramatic, isolated perspective and use the defining nature of the film camera to the fullest extent. Their consistent employment of the ethereal cloudscapes and rolling hills of the countryside combine to create quintessentially Romantic images.
The River Alham that runs through my village in Somerset, mid-1990s
Good progress overall…evidence of hard work throughout
To be able to improve and highlight key areas of exceptional ability you must refer to the marking criteria and 10 Step Process too…here is the link https://hautlieucreative.co.uk/photo24al/2022/09/30/assessment-criteria-2/