Smartphones have put photographers out of business says legendary 81-year-old snapper to the stars David Bailey who captured iconic images of The Beatles, Mick Jagger and Twiggy 

• Photographer David Bailey, 81, found fame after working for Vogue in the Sixties
• The snapper said his 'wife takes much better pictures than I do on her Instagram' 
• Speaking in London, he said the 'star photographer thing' is over since phone era

Photographer David Bailey has said that smartphones have ended the era of great snappers as cameras on mobiles can take 'amazing' pictures.

The star, who found fame after working for Vogue in the Sixties and taking pictures of The Beatles and Twiggy, made the comments while promoting his book Sumo. 

When asked if everyone thinks they're a photographer during an appearance in London, Mr Bailey replied that many are 'better' than him, reports the Telegraph.

He said: 'They're better than me! My wife takes much better pictures than I do on her Insta-whatever-it's-called … Instagram. The pictures are amazing.'

The editor of GQ Dylan Jones then asked Mr Bailey if the age of photography was over, with the camera great saying: 'There'll be no more David Baileys.'

He added: 'I think it's so over, that star photographer thing has gone. Like in everything. There's no star fashion person any more, it's all spread out.' 

Mr Bailey is known for his eye-catching black and white portraits and among his images is one taken in 1989 of Diana, Princess of Wales.

He also photographed the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2014 to mark her 88th birthday.

At the time Mr Bailey told the BBC: 'I've always been a huge fan of the Queen. She has very kind eyes with a mischievous glint. I've always liked strong women.'

Other famous subjects of Mr Bailey's work include Ronnie and Reggie Kray, George Michael, Mick Jagger and Bob Geldof with Paula Yates. 

Mr Bailey was appointed a CBE by the Queen in 2001 for services to art and has been married for 33 years to Catherine Dyer, 58.

His comments come after the death of photographer Terry O'Neill who died at the age of 81 last week.

Mr O'Neill, who rose to fame capturing the explosion of London's youth culture in the 1960s, died at home following a long battle with prostate cancer.

He photographed celebrities including Judy Garland, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra and Kate Moss. 

His photographs of Elton John are among his most well-known, and among his famous images is on of Faye Dunaway reclining by the pool with her Oscar - with whom he was married.

One of his last major public appearances was when he collected his CBE for services to photography from the Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace in October.