Legendary photographer David Bailey captures Nagaland

Photo: He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in 1979. After the Nagaland sojourn, Bailey will leave for New York on another assignment.

Internationally acclaimed legendary British photographer, David Bailey has fulfilled one of his many “curiosities” by being a guest in the land of festivals Nagaland since October 22. For the last few days, the camera wizard has been spinning vignettes of Nagas according to his own tastes and sensibilities.

The 75 year old celebrated photographer along with his two assistants and a facilitator Amrit Sharma from Anglian Holdings, Delhi, visited seven villages in the Land of Anghs – Mon district, including Lungwa bordering Myanmar.  He also visited some villages in Kohima and Hebron in Dimapur.

In an exclusive interview with Nagaland Post at Razhu Pru, Misison Compound Kohima, Bailey said he was really curious to visit Nagaland for quite some time now. 

But the British legend’s facial expression could not betray the fatigue and hardship he had to go through while travelling to his destinations in Nagaland. With an unmistakable affirmation, he said, “There was no road at all” when he was asked about his sojourn and the journey he embarked on. 

Though, he did not disclose much about what he did in Mon, one could be sure the legend must have created magical images out the thriving lives of the people in the Eastern Nagaland district.

In Kohima, Bailey has captured assorted pictures of people from various walks of life at Razhu Pru. While praising Razhu Pru for its commendable hospitality, he said he “found the best place”. 

According to Bailey, Nagas here were “good and smart”. The legendary photographer also disclosed that he wants to work on a book on the life of Nagas but added that he would avoid focusing on cultural and economic differences.

David Bailey, following a year-long service with the Royal Air Force in Malaysia in 1959, began his long and distinguished career when he was appointed a photographic assistant at the John French Studio in London. Bailey had recently released “Delhi Dilemma”, a two-volume work documenting the capital of India in 2009, just before the Commonwealth Games. Anglian Holdings supported Bailey’s trip to Delhi to shoot “Delhi Dilemma”. 

However, this renowned ace photographer is known more for his works on the “swinging sixties”. It is worth mentioning here that Mick Jagger, the Kray Brothers and the Beatles, Bailey captured them all. Bailey’s association with British Vogue and contributions to fashion photography have been acknowledged worldwide. 

He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in 1979. After the Nagaland sojourn, Bailey will leave for New York on another assignment.