'Silly' selfies craze will die out, says Bailey

UK's Prime Minister David Cameron, Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt, and US President Barack Obama took a selfie during the memorial service for late South African President Nelson Mandela at the First National Bank stadium, also known as Soccer City, in Johannesburg Dec 10, 2013. [Photo/icpress.cn] Selfies of the year 2013

LONDON - The craze for taking "selfies" will die out soon, said British photographer David Bailey, famously known for capturing the free spirit of the swinging '60s.

The 76-year old, whose famous subjects include supermodel Kate Moss, Rolling Stone singer Mick Jagger and actor Jack Nicholson, said he had never taken a self portrait on a smartphone or webcam because he was too busy taking pictures of other people.

"I only just found out what selfies were. I thought it was something entirely different! It's just a silly moment," he told Reuters ahead of his latest exhibition at London's National Portrait Gallery.

"People won't be doing it in six months' time. There will be another craze, I can't see the point."

"Bailey's Stardust", which opens on February 6, features 250 portraits spanning his 55-year career but the photographer insisted the show was not a retrospective.

Organised into different groups, Bailey dedicated rooms in the exhibition to his wife Catherine, the Rolling Stones and fashion icons like Moss and Jerry Hall as well as his travels to Papua New Guinea and East Africa.

Whilst his show features colour photography, he is best known for his stark black-and-white portraits against a simple white background, which he says helps to convey the message of his work in a direct manner.

"When you look at a colour picture, you kind of look at the colour before you look at the message, whereas black and white cuts out the colour, so you go straight to the message."

Showing no signs of slowing despite his age, Bailey says he spends his time working on various projects across film, sculpture and photography, adding he never gets nostalgic.

"I'm only interested in now, this moment. Because that is the only thing we have in life, it's now, this moment. When this moment is gone, it's another moment," he said.

"But I'd thought I'd have a word with the devil at the crossroads and see if I can get a bit more time."