Don McCullin Finds New Depth in Still Life Photography

Oct 22, 2025

Matt Growcoot

A small, circular pond reflects a dramatic, cloudy sky in a grassy field. Bare trees and distant hills are visible under the moody, low light, creating a tranquil and slightly somber rural landscape. — A beautiful dew pond in my village with a strange sky, Somerset © Don McCullin

War photographer Don McCullin is best known for his images of shell-shocked U.S. Marines or harrowing pictures of famine victims. His new book represents a change of pace.

The Stillness of Life coincides with McCullin’s 90th birthday and finds the photographer in a contemplative mood as he showcases his still life and landscape photos that he continues to take on black and white film while also delving into his vast archive.

McCullin’s still life arrangements were shot in his garden shed at home in Somerset, England. He’s been shooting them since the early 1980s and imitates the Dutch masters by using soot from his chimney to create a background texture for his chosen objects.

Many of the objects are mementos from his travels: a bronze dragon from East Asia, a junk shop vase, a Hindu goddess. He arranges disparate inanimate objects with fruits and flowers as a way of interplaying transience and permanence.

The landscape photos in the book are taken in the Industrial North of the U.K., to India, Africa, and more recent images taken closer to his home in Southwest England. All in all, the book is a departure from the human-focused work McCullin is best known for.

A still life scene on a stone slab features a glass dome covering a bird, a small figurine, fruits, flowers, and grape clusters, with ivy hanging against a textured, weathered wall in the background. — Copying the Dutch masters in my garden shed © Don McCullin

A dead bird lies on its side in the snow beneath a tuft of frosty grass, its wings partially spread. The scene is cold and somber, evoking a sense of stillness and loss. — A winter’s victim. The end of a day in a village where I once lived, Hertfordshire © Don McCullin

A black-and-white photo of a small wooden table with a glass vase of tall foxglove flowers, three small figurines of people, and a decorative dragon sculpture against a textured wall. — Foxgloves with Chinese figures and dragon © Don McCullin

Silhouetted children run up a steep dirt mound near industrial chimneys, with a truck and vehicle tracks in the foreground, under a hazy sky. — Industrial playground, the disused steel town of Consett, County Durham © Don McCullin

Boats with standing and seated people are silhouetted against a dramatic cloudy sky at sunrise or sunset over a calm river, creating a peaceful and scenic atmosphere. — Early morning, Gandak River, The Elephant Festival, Sonepur Mela, Patna, India © Don McCullin

Two people walk hand in hand across a vast, empty beach under dramatic clouds, with sunlight streaming through gaps, illuminating the sand and distant water. — Fishermen collecting worms, Hinkley Point, Somerset © Don McCullin

A snow-covered rural landscape with a path leading to a wooden gate, flanked by stone walls and leafless trees in the distance beneath a cloudy sky. — Hadrian’s Wall moments after a snowfall, Northumberland © Don McCullin

A group of various marble and plaster busts arranged closely together, depicting men and women with different facial expressions, hairstyles, and clothing styles, all lit dramatically against a dark background. — Self portrait in Crowthers reclamation yard, Islesworth © Don McCullin

Black and white photo of gladiolus flowers with long stems and trumpet-shaped blooms, set against a textured, shadowy background. The lighting highlights the delicate petals. — Gladioli in my garden shed © Don McCullin

McCullin is something of a glum figure as he continually questions the purpose of his career covering conflicts. In an interview with The Times of London this week, McCullin declared that none of his photographs has made any difference.

“It’s silly when anyone says, ‘Your pictures make such a difference.’ They’ve made no difference whatsoever. I’m preaching to the converted,” he tells the newspaper. “I’ve spent all these years covering wars and they’re never going to end.”

The Stillness of Life is published by GOST Books. The publication of the book coincides with the exhibition Don McCullin. A Desecrated Serenity at Hauser & Wirth, 443 W 18th Street, New York on display until November 8, 2025.

Update 10/22: Updated with exhibition info.