David Royston Bailey is a British photographer born in east London in 1938.
As a child he suffered a lot in school due to an undiagnosed dyslexia.
At 15, he left school to start working on his first job, as a copy boy for the newspaper “Yorkshire Post”.
David Bailey, Self-Portrait, 1957.
In 1957, he was summoned by the Royal Air Force (RAF) to serve in Singapore.
During his short time in the RAF he bought a Rolleiflex camera and started to practice taking pictures.
In 1958, he was dismissed from the RAF and then decided to pursue photography.
He bought a Canon Rangefinder camera and tried to enroll at the London College of Printing, but wasn’t accepted to it due to his bad school record.
Later, he got a job as a second assistant of David Ollins, but was not able to work with photography. He then was called for an interview to work with photographer John French.
In 1959, he started to work with John French as one of his assistants.
In 1960, he started to work in John Cole’s Studio Five.
David Bailey at Studio Five, for Daily Express, 1960.
Right after that, in the same year, Bailey was hired by the British Vogue.
Soon he became one of the most famous photographers in the world.
Catherine Deneuve by David Bailey for Vogue Paris, October of 1965.
Jean Shrimpton by David Bailey for Vogue, January of 1969.
In the beginning of his career, he discovered model Jean Shrimpton, and together both gained a lot of success. During this time, the 1960s, they became a couple and lived a romance that would later become a TV movie on the BBC called “We’ll Take Manhattan” in 2012.
Jean Shrimpton by David Bailey, New York City, 1962.
Soon he and two other photographer colleagues, Terence Donovan and Brian Duff, became known as the Black Trinity, and were credited as the ones responsible for the movement known as ‘Swinging London’.
Photographers David Bailey; Brian Duffy and Terence Donovan by Arnold Newman bromide print, around 1978.
The Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni was inspired by Bailey when he made the movie “Blow Up”. The main character, a photographer, and his life style were mainly inspired by Bailey and his life.
The most well know poster of the movie Blow Up.
A 1967 Italian poster of the movie Blow Up.
A 1967 poster of the movie Blow Up.
An Italian poster of the movie Blow Up.
David Hemmings as Thomas in the movie Blow Up.
A scene from the movie Blow Up – Black and White.
A scene from the movie Blow Up.
Models at Blow Up’s backstage.
A scene from the movie Blow Up.
A scene from the movie Blow Up
A scene from the movie Blow Up with actor David Hemmings and the model Veruschka.
A scene from the movie Blow Up with actor David Hemmings and the model Veruschka.
A scene from the movie Blow Up with actor David Hemmings and the model Veruschka.
Bailey’s work isn’t only focused on fashion, he’s also worldly famous for his portraits and original photos.
MICK JAGGER, FUR HOOD, 1964 by David Bailey
Although he’s more known for his well explored black and white photos, he also works a lot with colors.
Other than photography, Bailey also dedicated himself in directing TV commercials and documentaries.
In 1976, he started to adventure himself in the world of publishing by making the magazine “Ritz Newspaper”, that was initially supposed to be a mix of Andy Warhol’s magazine “Interview” and the magazine “Rolling Stone”.
“Ritz Newspaper” was published until 1991 and was responsible for introducing the paparazzi type of photograph to the United Kingdom.
Andy Warhol, Ritz Newspaper by David Bailey, 1980.His love life also gained a lot of attention. He was known as a conquerer, having gotten involved with a lot of models.
He got married four times: The first in 1960 to Rosemary Bramble; later in 1965 to french actress Catherine Deneuve; in 1975 to the model Marie Helvin; and lastly to the model Catherine Dyer, his current wife, in 1986.
Penelope Tree by David Bailey for Vogue UK, October 1968.
David Bailey was one of the main celebrities of his youth time (the 1960s) and is a renowned photographer to this day.
Cara Delevingne with Pharrell Williams for Vogue, September 2013. Photo David Bailey.
Some of the names that he was able to work with are: Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Margaret Thatcher, Terence Stamp, The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones (including Brian Jones), Peter Sellers, PJ Proby, Cecil Beaton, Rudolf Nureyev, Andy Warhol and the gangsters The Kray Twins; the models Jean Shrimpton, Twiggy, Penelope Tree, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Cara Delevigne; the designers Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen e Tom Ford; the brands Balanciaga, Dior, Chanel e Versace; the companies Volkswagen, Olympus e Nº7; and even the organization Greenpeace.
Catherine Bailey by David Bailey, 1989.
Primrose Hill, 1981 by David Bailey.
Catherine Deneuve, Vogue January 11, 1968 by David Bailey.
Alexander McQueen Portrait by David Bailey (2002).
Queen Elizabeth II by David Bailey, ink jet print on paper, 2014.
Jerry Hall, David Bailey and Kate Moss. – February 3 2014.
Diana, Princess of Wales by David Bailey, bromide print, 1988.
Margaret Thatcher, by David Bailey, Bromide fibre print, 1975.
Marie Helvin, Trouble and Strife series, 1980, by David Bailey.
Rolling stones contact sheet , 1968.
1961 – The East End 2 by David Bailey.
Jane Birkin, 1972, wearing Dior photographed by David Bailey.
Jean Shrimpton for Vogue, November 1963, Photo by David Bailey.
Jean Shrimpton by David Bailey, 1965.
Kate Moss by David Bailey, 2013.
Photo by David Bailey.
Catherine Deneuve for Vogue, November 15, 1966 by David Bailey
‘Elvis’ by David Bailey, 2004
Tom Ford Portrait by David Bailey (2006).
May, 2010 – David Bailey with his wife Catherine.
Jerry Hall and Helmut Newton, Cannes by David Bailey, 1983.
Jean Shrimpton Photographed by David Bailey for Vogue, January 15, 1970.
Catherine Deneuve for Vogue, 1966, Photo by David Bailey
1968 – The Rio Club by David Bailey.
Cara Delevingne for Vogue Australia October, 2013, Photo David Bailey.
Andy Warhol, 1965 by David Bailey.
Candice Bergen by David Bailey for Vogue, August 1967.
John Lennon e Paul Maccartney by David Bailey.
Candice Bergen for Chanel by David Bailey.
Reggie Kray and Ronnie Kray by David Bailey, bromide print, April 1965.
Twiggy by David Bailey.
1968 – An East End pub by David Bailey.
1983 – Catherine Bailey, Docks by David Bailey.
Michael Caine by David Bailey bromide print, May 1965.
Yves Saint Laurent by David Bailey (1970).
Jane Birkin Photo David Bailey for Vogue UK , June 1965.
Jean Shrimpton, 1961, Photo David Bailey.
1968 – Boxer, East End by David Bailey.
May, 2010 – Tom Ford with David Bailey.
Kate Moss with her portrait. – February 3 2014
John Galliano by David Bailey.
1961 – The East End by David Bai
Mia Farrow Photo David Bailey, 1967.
1961 – Jean Shrimpton at Bailey’s family home by David Bailey.
Jack Nicholson, 1978 by David Bailey
Bibliography: Allan, Georgina O’Hara; Enciclopédia da Moda: De 1840 À Década de 90: Companhia das Letras, 2010.
