Philosophy: Though David Bailey’s photographs were mainly for his profession, his photos greatly influenced the world we see today. What makes Bailey’s career so compelling is his past. Coming from a working-class family to a world renowned photographer, Bailey’s past embodied the 1960s. The Swinging Sixties was a time of cultural revolution and modernity, and Bailey took right to it. But Bailey said his photos were never about his personal ideals: “I just made the selection for the show by choosing the best ones. It’s always easy – people say how do you make a choice but you know this picture is better than that picture. It’s always aesthetic with me; it’s never emotional or personal.” Bailey’s reasoning for becoming a photographer in the first place was to make a living for himself: “Well it wasn’t really like the war because it was the first time the working classes had a mass voice and lots of people were doing really interesting things. But I was never that interested in fashion. It was just the only way that a photographer in those days could earn a living creatively. Back when I was an assistant I had to go and look at fashion shows so I’d do it with another assistant and we’d take turns sleeping.” Bailey was not at first drawn to fashion photography however, his work as a fashion photographer shaped modern day obsession with celebrity and fame.
Influence: Throughout the experience of recreating and researching David Bailey’s work, I was definitely inspired. His photos gave me perspective on how each photograph should be shot. Many of Bailey’s photo utilize shadows to highlight the subject. In my own work now, I look to see how shadows contribute to the overall emotion that is being conveyed.
As the class comes to an end, there are many things that I would like to reflect upon. The inspiring and enriching projects, editing in photoshop, and the many learning experiences I undergone. I feel that I have learned many things, improving my photography skills as well as my editing skills. I also enjoyed the class very much. The balance between working outside the classroom and inside the classroom instruction was perfect. After this class is over, I want to continue to improve my skills as a photographer.