David Bowie Diamond Dogs Contact Sheet by Terry O'Neill - limited edition print

David Bowie Diamond Dogs Contact Sheet by Terry O'Neill, 1974

Terry O'Neill was asked to shoot photos for the promotion of Bowie's new album Diamond Dogs. As Terry remembers Bowie walked into the studio with this giant, beautiful dog. He sat in a chair, all stretched out, with the dog standing next to him. But every time we took a photo, the dog would bark at the strobe light. The dog got so excited by the light, he started to leap at it. That image, with David just sitting there, completely unaffected by this large, imposing, soaring dog, has become one of the most iconic shots in rock-and-roll. I was behind the camera, Bowie was on the chair but everyone else ran.

Terry O'Neill came to prominence in the 1960s with the new generation of photographers including David Bailey and Brian Duffy who rejected the static formality of the posed photographs of the 1950s and went instead for spontaneity and unusual settings. Terry O'Neill worked with David Bowie a number of times creating some of the most striking images of him.

The estate prints were introduced following the photographer’s passing in 2019 to complete unfinished editions. They have a digitally printed signature and edition number on the bottom front border, embossed over the signature, and estate-stamped and authenticated on reverse.

Limited edition of 50

© ICONIC IMAGES / TERRY O'NEILL