by Denise L'Hommedieu

Created on: March 31, 2009

When looking through iconic images of the twentieth century, many can be attributed to David Bailey. His subjects include celebrities, royalty, and gangsters and his talent opened doors wherever he chose to work.

Born in 1938 in a suburb of London during World War II, his family relocated to the East End, just a block from where Alfred Hitchcock was born. While he was still young, his father left home and his mother was left to raise her children on her own. David did not do well in school, having undiagnosed dyslexia, and left at the age of fifteen to seek employment.

His first jobs were short lived but exposed him to the print industry such as his copy boy job that the Yorkshire Post. He was eventually inducted in to the Royal Air Force, where he began his interest in photography and purchased his first camera, a German made medium format twin lens Rolleiflex. His interest continued after his release from the RAF so he tried to enroll at the London College of Printing, where he was rejected due to his poor grades in school.

Luckily, he landed a position as second assistant to photographer, David Ollins at Charlotte Mews. Shortly after, he was offered a position as assistant to John French, a leading fashion photographer of the time. He learned from both men and went on to shoot for Vogue along with freelance work.

His eye created almost magical images of his subjects and he built a solid reputation within the key social circles of the sixties. During this time, he teamed with Terence Donovan and together they played a pivotal role in creating the culture "Swinging London". In 1965, he sold his "Box of Pin-ups", a series of poster prints that depicted rock stars and famous gangsters such as the twins, Ronnie and Reggie Kray.

The movie "Blow Up", 1966, is largely based on David's life, which had become as interesting as his subjects. By this time, despite his cockney accent and rough beginnings, all doors were open to him. He did the photography on many album covers including the Rolling Stones. He broadened his work to include directing commercials and documentaries but remained rooted in photography.

In 1976, David teamed up with David Litchfield, another well-known photographer, to launch the "Ritz Newspaper" featuring gossip, celebrities, and fashion. This paper was successful through the eighties through 1990, when it lost its readership to a new paper on the scene.

In 2001, David Bailey received the CBE award, an award given by the British Empire to recognize its outstanding citizens. In interviews, David Bailey is a colorful man who has little patience for so-called status, saying people who had little to offer have often impressed him, yet he also says some of the "most important" people he has met are nothing but disappointment.

On his website, http://www.davidbaileyphotography.com, his portfolio shows how clearly his works is separated from the masses. Whether the shots are scenery or portrait, the lighting and color offer a surreal effect that has been compared to a fine, renaissance painting. His pictures are magical and show his long experience in the field. To this day, David Bailey does not use digital cameras, claiming they make everyone look the same and, in a CNN interview, says he admires photographers who show some personal view in their work. Clearly, when viewing his photography, David Bailey's personal eye is in all of his work.

"I've always tried to do pictures that don't date. I always go for simplicity." David Bailey.

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