I've seen my own blood and broken a few bones. I've been hit, which isn't an entirely bad thing, as at least you have a glimpse of the suffering endured by the people you are photographing. And in a sense, crumbling empires and war have been with me all my life.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the personal sacrifices and experiences that come with being a war photographer, emphasizing empathy for the subjects' suffering.
Don McCullin's quote reveals the profound connections between a photographer's personal experiences and the realities of the subjects they capture. By enduring physical pain himself, he gains a deeper understanding and appreciation for the suffering of those in war-torn regions. This perspective suggests that real artistry in photography comes not just from technical skill, but from a deeply felt emotional resonance with the struggles depicted, allowing for a more authentic representation of human experience amidst chaos.
In practice
In a presentation about the impact of war photography, this quote can highlight the emotional weight behind the images.
I've spent most of my life embracing violence in wars and revolutions. Even a famine is a form of violence. Because I photograph people in peril, people in pain, people being executed in front of me, I find it very difficult to get my head around the art narrative of photography.
I started out on photography accidentally. A policeman came to a stop at the end of my street, and a guy knifed him at the end of my street. That's how I became a photographer. I photographed the gangs that I went to school with.
In my photography, I always lean towards the underprivileged because that's where I came from. When I went to the wars, I attempted to go and stand by those who were being trodden on. By that, I mean people like the Palestinians. When I go to India, I see really the poorest people, and I tend to be drawn to them.
I am sometimes accused by my peers of printing my pictures too dark. All I can say is that it goes with the mood of melancholy that is induced by witnessing at close quarters such intractable situations of conflict and joylessness.
Photography is the truth if it’s being handled by a truthful person.
When I take a black-and-white portrait, it's not particularly meant to please you. It's meant to talk to you; it's meant to shame you. It's meant to scream out at you, and it has a message.
Mention the gothic, and many readers will probably picture gloomy castles and an assortment of sinister Victoriana. However, the truth is that the gothic genre has continued to flourish and evolve since the days of Bram Stoker, producing some of its most interesting and accomplished examples in the 20th century - in literature, film and beyond.
If you find a note tonight that sounds good, play the same damn note every night!
I have tried to remove weight, sometimes from people, sometimes from heavenly bodies, sometimes from cities; above all I have tried to remove weight from the structure of stories and from language.
I think it's our job to write about what we're going through at the moment, and being 41, I'm not going to write about the same things I wrote about at 20. I don't think artists should be farmed out to pasture just because they're in rock n' roll.
It's easy to photograph light reflecting from a surface, the truly hard part is capturing the light in the air.
Elmore James only knew one lick, but you had the feeling that he meant it.
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