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cshimokita
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"Unreasonable Behavior: An Autobiography" by Don McCullin

"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." - Don McCullin (BBC Radio 3 - John Tusa Interview)

I am reading a revised edition of the autobiography by Penguin Random House UK (2015), the book was previously published in the US by Knopf (1990).  The final chapter of the revision is said to be softer and a tad more upbeat.

Sir Don McCullin, CBE (British photojournalist / 1935-present) is well known for his photographs of conflict, a war correspondent and the book is chock-a-block with short vignettes and a few photos... the book is an autobiography not a photo book, and it might be "unreasonable-ish" to have one of McCullin's early books on the "coffee table".

The story is about passion, be it in one of the world's hot zones or as seen through the landscapes of latter years and taken as a whole the book presents a fascinating insight to what is mostly an internal struggle with (interesting) back ground music.

There was a quiet period after his "Homecoming"...  during that time "My main preoccupation, however, was with landscape.  Previously, I had looked on landscape photography as a pleasant kind of hobby, occasionally light relief from my regular assignments.  But now I really wanted to make a go of it, and bring to the task the intensity and discipline that I'd had to show in war zones."

According to the autobiography, one of McCullin's favorites (albeit not his most popular work) was the result of a three year project titled "Southern Frontiers: A Journey Across the Roman Empire" by Don McCullin.

Would I recommend the "Unreasonable Behavior"... if you enjoy history and insight into historical events, this book completes the missing parts from McCullin's photographs - and by extension from the collective body of photojournalist's work.

One final quote for the mix: "I realized you could shoot photographs until the cows come home but they have nothing to do with real humanity, real memories, real feelings."

Thanks for reading,
Casey

PS (edited): looks like a Nikon F - book cover photo by Nik Wheeler

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