David Bailey Quotes

A positive attitude can really make dreams come true - it did for me.

- David Bailey

Attitude, Me, True, Dreams

The best advice I ever got was that knowledge is power and to keep reading.

- David Bailey

Knowledge, Ever, Advice

I was ten when I got my first serious beating. It was rough.

- David Bailey

Serious, Ten, Rough, Beating

I didn't know a time when there wasn't a war because I spent all my time from the age of two or three to eight in a coal cellar really.

- David Bailey

War, All My Time, Spent, Cellar

I didn't try and do fashion pictures. I tried to do portraits of girls wearing dresses.

- David Bailey

Tried, Wearing, I Tried, Portraits

My friends are all megalomaniacs - from Damien Hirst to Jack Nicholson - all of them.

- David Bailey

Them, Jack Nicholson, Nicholson

The skull is nature's sculpture.

- David Bailey

Nature, Skull, Sculpture

Kate Moss is the best thing since Jean Shrimpton, really.

- David Bailey

Best, Moss, Kate, Jean

Fortunately I didn't get educated because if I'd got educated I'd be an educated fool now.

- David Bailey

Fool, Educated, Get, Fortunately

Instead of putting someone in prison for being a hooligan, give him a choice. He may have beaten someone up and he's got eight years, but tell him you can do eight years inside or spend five years in the Army. Put him in the Parachute Regiment, they'd soon sort him out.

- David Bailey

Inside, Tell, Putting, Parachute

Botticelli would have made a very good fashion photographer. He did eight heads instead of seven heads in a body, which is fashion illustration.

- David Bailey

Made, Very, Which, Illustration

I know everything should be photographed. It helps me make sense of my existence.

- David Bailey

Me, Should, Photographed, Helps

I'm not mad about movies, there are too many people involved in the making of them, and they lack a definitive creative focus.

- David Bailey

Focus, Making, About, Definitive

All I could do at school was paint and draw and that was the only time I ever passed any exam. It was the only thing I ever got right at school.

- David Bailey

Paint, Could, The Only Thing, Exam

John Parsons, the gay art director at 'Vogue,' really started my career.

- David Bailey

Art, Career, Director, Vogue

When I die I want to go to Vogue.

- David Bailey

Die, Want, Go, Vogue

Actors are hard to photograph because they never want to reveal who they are. You don't know if you're getting a character from a Chekhov play or a Polanski film. It depends what mood they're in.

- David Bailey

Play, Mood, Reveal, Chekhov

It always amazes me when people ask you to do something and then tell you how to do it.

- David Bailey

Tell, How, Always, Amazes

The Sixties was a time of breaking down class barriers, although I think class still exists today in some areas.

- David Bailey

Think, Some, Still, Sixties

I hate being so nostalgic about the Sixties.

- David Bailey

Hate, About, Nostalgic, Sixties

Journalists never make it clear when you are joking.

- David Bailey

Never, Clear, Journalists, Joking

In '73 I photographed the cannibals in New Guinea. They treated me OK but they didn't make you feel relaxed... I managed to escape unscathed though, I'm pretty good at that.

- David Bailey

New, Pretty, Treated, Guinea

I never tried to revolutionise photography; I just do what I do and keep my fingers crossed that people will like it.

- David Bailey

Will, Like, Fingers, Crossed

Fashion often starts off beautiful and becomes ugly, whereas art starts off ugly sometimes and becomes beautiful.

- David Bailey

Beautiful, Art, Sometimes, Whereas

I was dyslexic, so I was put in the silly class at school.

- David Bailey

School, Silly, Class, Dyslexic

Being dyslexic, I was told that I was an idiot all the time.

- David Bailey

Time, Idiot, Being, Dyslexic

It is a sign of a dull nature to occupy oneself deeply in matters that concern the body; for instance, to be over much occupied about exercise, about eating and drinking, about easing oneself, about sexual intercourse.

- David Bailey

Over, Drinking, Instance, Easing

Rockers are the nicest people to photograph. They have no inhibitions.

- David Bailey

Photograph, Nicest, Rockers

It's not about composition. It's the way you feel about how your objects should relate to each other. I've got lots of African statues and things, and the cleaner arranges them like soldiers, which drives me mad. So I have to rearrange them, and I must drive her mad, because I'm doing anarchy and she's doing military manoeuvres.

- David Bailey

Doing, Other, Objects, Rearrange

The only thing they can't teach you at art school is art.

- David Bailey

Art, School, The Only Thing, Art School

The trouble with people like Tony Blair is they get confused, they think intelligence is education when they're two different things.

- David Bailey

Education, Think, Like, Different Things

All my ex-girlfriends or wives are all kind of great friends and I've never understood somebody who can live with somebody for five or six years and then not like them.

- David Bailey

Kind, Like, Six, Understood

I never cared for fashion much, amusing little seams and witty little pleats: it was the girls I liked.

- David Bailey

Never, Witty, Cared, Amusing

If I have any sexist feelings they are aimed at men: I hate manly men.

- David Bailey

Hate, Men, Sexist, Feelings

The first half of the 20th century belongs to Picasso, and the second half is about photography. They said digital would kill photography because everyone can do it, but they said that about the box brownie in 1885 when it came out. It makes photography interesting because everyone thinks they can take a picture.

- David Bailey

Box, About, Half, 20th Century

I don't think my work does reflect my nationality - I don't like the idea of nationalism.

- David Bailey

Think, Reflect, Like, Nationality

I've always been a bit flip.

- David Bailey

Always, Been, Bit, Flip

I had a terrible time with feminists in the Seventies. They hated me, those women. I think they hated everything.

- David Bailey

Think, Seventies, I Think, Feminists

My exploits are nothing now to the average person.

- David Bailey

Nothing, Person, Average, Average Person

You have to kind of be invisible when you photograph children, so you use a longer lens.

- David Bailey

Children, Photograph, Longer, Lens

I was a terrible father. The most I ever did for my children was to teach them chess. At least they got that.

- David Bailey

Father, Chess, Teach, Terrible

I don't like any sport except boxing and bull fighting.

- David Bailey

Boxing, Like, Except, Bull

I like change. There's something Buddhist about it - continuous change is wonderful.

- David Bailey

Change, Like, Buddhist, Continuous

When I stop working, I go out and start working again. Most people paint a picture, or whatever they do, and go home. For me, it has to be continuous.

- David Bailey

Go, Again, Go Home, Continuous

I suppose because my work was so popular people didn't really look at it.

- David Bailey

Work, Because, Suppose, Popular

My first influence obviously was Picasso.

- David Bailey

Influence, First, Obviously, Picasso

I've been used by women all my life, fortunately.

- David Bailey

My Life, Used, Been, All My Life

It's only a few nutcases who do art for themselves, like Van Gogh.

- David Bailey

Art, Van, Van Gogh, Gogh

People want security in this insecure world.

- David Bailey

World, Security, Want, Insecure

Rather than knowing more, I think I've got more open-minded.

- David Bailey

Think, Knowing, I Think, Open-Minded

My paintings are rubbish.

- David Bailey

Paintings, Rubbish

I have always wanted to live in the present and never the past.

- David Bailey

Never, Always, Wanted, Present

I used to love the '20s.

- David Bailey

Love, Used, To Love

I have never met an ugly woman.

- David Bailey

Woman, Ugly, Never, Met

The reason I did fashion was it was the only way to get paid to do anything creative. You couldn't support yourself as an 'artist' - I hate that word. The only way you could be 'arty' was as a fashion photographer, because it still had a certain amount of integrity involved.

- David Bailey

Reason, Artist, Had, Paid

I don't think it matters where I came from any more.

- David Bailey

Think, Matters, More, I Came

You adapt to who you're photographing.

- David Bailey

Adapt, You, Who, Photographing

I sort of fall in love with them when I'm photographing them - men and women.

- David Bailey

Love, Men, Fall, Photographing

I don't see the point of photographing trees or rocks because they're there and anyone can photograph them if they're prepared to hang around and wait for the light.

- David Bailey

Wait, Prepared, Hang, Photographing

There's nothing wrong with being a fashion photographer, but it's a bit limited.

- David Bailey

Nothing, Limited, Being, Fashion

To get rich, you have to be making money while you're asleep.

- David Bailey

Money, Making, Get, Making Money

The only thing approaching art in a movie is the script.

- David Bailey

Art, Movie, The Only Thing, Script

Being trendy is dangerous. I've never been trendy, which is why I've never really fallen out of favour.

- David Bailey

Never, Been, Which, Fallen

I could develop a picture by the time I was 12.

- David Bailey

Develop, Could, By The Time, Picture

I just thought it was magic that you could stick a bit of paper in some coffee-type liquid and a picture comes out.

- David Bailey

Magic, Thought, Some, Picture

I won't do advertising if they bring a layout and say, 'This is what we want to do,' because anybody can do that; it's not interesting. They've got digital and the computer; it's not taking pictures, it's not magic - it's a picture done by committee.

- David Bailey

Magic, Digital, Committee, Picture

London changes because of money. It's real estate. If they can build some offices or expensive apartments they will, it's money that changes everything in a city.

- David Bailey

London, Will, Some, Offices

I love learning new techniques.

- David Bailey

Love, New, I Love, Techniques

I don't think global warming is to do with us, I think it's a natural circle. I don't think a few Ferraris make that much difference.

- David Bailey

Think, Natural, I Think, Circle

I didn't know I was going to live for 50 years. It has come as a shock.

- David Bailey

Know, Going, Come, Shock

My father was a tailor, my mother a machinist.

- David Bailey

Mother, Father, Tailor

Girls are more attractive to me than dresses.

- David Bailey

More, Attractive, Than, Dresses

Nothing wrong with retouching - nothing new about retouching.

- David Bailey

New, Nothing, About, Nothing New

It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the extraordinary.

- David Bailey

Learn, Need, Before, Less

In France they don't think I'm difficult.

- David Bailey

Think, Difficult, France

In New York, everyone's desperate for success, desperate for money and desperate to be accepted, but in London they're more laid back about things like that.

- David Bailey

London, New, Laid, Laid Back

If something becomes old-fashioned, it was no good to start with. Think about it. Michelangelo is not old-fashioned.

- David Bailey

Start, Think, Old-Fashioned, Michelangelo

You can't really copy what I do because I don't do anything.

- David Bailey

You, Because, Really, Copy

Being handsome wasn't much of a burden. It worked for me.

- David Bailey

Me, Handsome, Worked, Much

I'm never shocked, I'm not the shockable type!

- David Bailey

Never, Type, Shocked

I was surrounded by strong women so it had never even occurred to me that women were anything other than equal to men.

- David Bailey

Strong, Other, Surrounded, Occurred

Every man who is high up loves to think that he has done it all himself; and the wife smiles, and lets it go at that.

- David Bailey

Wife, Think, Smiles, Lets

I did painting before I did photography.

- David Bailey

Painting, Before, Did, Photography

Photography is more about money now but then so are most things.

- David Bailey

Money, More, Most, Photography

I'm not a philosopher, I'm just a simple boy from East Ham.

- David Bailey

Simple, East, Philosopher, Ham

All pictures are unnatural. All pictures are sad because they're about dead people. Paintings you don't think of in a special time or with a specific event. With photos I always think I'm looking at something dead.

- David Bailey

Dead, About, Photos, Pictures

I've always tried to do pictures that don't date.

- David Bailey

Date, Always, Tried, Pictures

I am not responsible for all the journalists in the past that have told lies.

- David Bailey

I Am, Past, In The Past, Responsible

I don't really like the term 'artist.' I'm not sure what it means. It's a bit like 'love.'

- David Bailey

Love, Sure, Means, Term

I think about death all the time. I know there's nothing out there, but I'm curious. There's a 300 billion-to-one chance that there might be an energy that goes somewhere else, but I doubt it.

- David Bailey

Curious, Think, I Think, Somewhere

I'm not political and I don't judge.

- David Bailey

Political, Judge

I guess I'm the last of the Cockneys.

- David Bailey

Last, Guess

Anybody can be a great photographer if they zoom in enough on what they love.

- David Bailey

Love, Enough, Anybody, Photographer

I never set out to be a photographer.

- David Bailey

Never, Out, Set, Photographer

Good shoes are important. I wear English brogues in a wide fitting. They last me years.

- David Bailey

Good, Last, Wear, Wide

I love people for giving me their time. It's a privilege - I make the most of it.

- David Bailey

Love, Most, I Love, Giving

I hate men who are in touch with their feminine side.

- David Bailey

Men, Touch, Side, Feminine

I always look at people and think how I would cast them.

- David Bailey

Think, How, Always, Cast

I've had some weird experiences.

- David Bailey

Weird, Some, Had, Experiences

I am mad about my wife.

- David Bailey

Wife, I Am, About, Mad

I don't feel very optimistic in London.

- David Bailey

Feel, Very, Optimistic, London

If you're curious, London's an amazing place.

- David Bailey

Amazing, Curious, Place, London

I'm not really one for regrets.

- David Bailey

Really, Regrets

I always go for simplicity.

- David Bailey

Go, Always, Simplicity

Sometimes I still can't believe my luck.

- David Bailey

Believe, Sometimes, Still, Luck

I left school on my 15th birthday.

- David Bailey

School, Left, Birthday

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