Don McCullin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don McCullin
|
|
|---|---|
McCullin on TV Brasil, 2011
|
|
| Born |
Donald McCullin
9 October 1935 St Pancras, London, England
|
| Occupation | Photojournalist |
| Years active | 1959–present |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 5 |
Sir Donald McCullin (born 9 October 1935) is a famous British photojournalist. He is especially known for his powerful pictures of wars and difficult city life. His career started in 1959. He has focused on showing the lives of people who are unemployed, struggling, or poor.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Growing Up in London
Don McCullin was born in St Pancras, London, England. He grew up in Finsbury Park. During the Blitz, which was a time of bombing in London, he was sent to a farm in Somerset for safety.
School and Early Jobs
Don has mild dyslexia, which means he sometimes finds reading and writing tricky. However, he was very good at drawing in school. He even won a scholarship to an art college. But when his father passed away, he left school at 15 without finishing his studies. He then worked cooking on trains for British Rail.
Joining the Royal Air Force
In 1953, Don joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) for his National Service. He worked as a photographer's helper. He bought his first camera, a Rolleicord, while stationed in Nairobi.
Becoming a Photojournalist
The First Published Photo
In 1958, Don took a picture of a local London gang in a bombed-out building. His friends told him to show it to The Observer newspaper. They published the photo, and this was the start of his amazing career as a photographer.
Working for The Sunday Times
From 1966 to 1984, Don worked for Sunday Times Magazine. He traveled the world to photograph important events. He covered wars, like the one in Biafra in 1968. He also showed the effects of the African AIDS epidemic. His photos from the Vietnam War and the Northern Ireland conflict are very well-known.
Famous Moments
In 1966, some of his photos of Maryon Park in London were used in the film Blowup. In 1968, something incredible happened: his Nikon F camera stopped a bullet that was meant for him!
He also photographed the famous band The Beatles in 1968. This was during the time they were recording The White Album. These photos, taken in London, are known as The Mad Day Out. Many of them are famous images of the band.
Later Work and Recognition
In 1982, the British government did not let Don cover the Falklands War. He thought it was because they worried his pictures might be too upsetting.
Don has written several books, including The Palestinians (1980) and Don McCullin in Africa (2005). His book Shaped by War (2010) went along with a big exhibition of his work.
A documentary film about his life, called McCullin, came out in 2012. It was nominated for two BAFTA awards. In recent years, Don has also taken pictures of landscapes, still-life scenes, and portraits.
In 2018, he visited Palmyra in Syria for a BBC documentary. He saw the damage caused by conflict there. He has often spoken about the dangers of working in war zones. He said he always tries to stay alive and is aware of hidden dangers.
Personal Life
Don McCullin lives in Somerset, England. He is married to travel writer Catherine Fairweather. He has five children from his marriages.
Awards and Exhibitions
.jpg)
Major Awards
Don McCullin has received many awards for his photography.
- 1964: He won the World Press Photo of the Year for his pictures of the war in Cyprus.
- 1977: He became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.
- 1993: He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He was the first photojournalist to receive this honor.
- 2006: He received the Cornell Capa Award.
- 2017: He was made a Knight Bachelor for his services to photography. This means he can be called "Sir."
Exhibitions of His Work
His photographs have been shown in many important art galleries and museums.
- 2010–2012: Shaped by War was shown at the Imperial War Museum North and the Imperial War Museum in London.
- 2019: A large exhibition of his work was held at Tate Britain in London.
- 2020-2021: Another exhibition was held at Tate Liverpool.
Quotes
Don McCullin has shared many thoughts about his life and work.
- "I grew up in total ignorance, poverty and bigotry, and this has been a burden for me throughout my life."
- "Photography for me is not looking, it's feeling. If you can't feel what you're looking at, then you're never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures."
Famous Quotes
Don McCullin has shared many thoughts about his life and work:
- "Photography for me is not looking, it's feeling. If you can't feel what you're looking at, then you're never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures."
- "I have risked my life endless times, and ended up in hospital with all kinds of burns and shell wounds. I have those reptile eyes that see behind and in front of me. I'm constantly trying to stay alive. I'm aware of warfare, of hidden mines."
See also
In Spanish: Don McCullin para niños
