Bailey spent 11 years apprenticing as a crew member with cinematographers such as
Vilmos Zsigmond and
Néstor Almendros, working on
Two-Lane Blacktop,
The Late Show,
3 Women,
Winter Kills, and
Days of Heaven. He earned his first credit as director of photography for
Boulevard Nights, followed by
Ordinary People and
American Gigolo. In 1985, Bailey shared the
Cannes Film Festival Best Artistic Contribution Award with
Eiko Ishioka and
Philip Glass for
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. He was nominated for the
Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography for ''
Tough Guys Don't Dance and the Camerimage Golden Frog Award for Best Cinematography for Forever Mine. He was a member of the American Society of Cinematographers and member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 1987. He worked on numerous comedy films such as Groundhog Day,
As Good as It Gets,
and The Producers.'' He was a veteran documentary cameraman. Bailey's credits as a director include
The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,
China Moon,
Mariette in Ecstasy, and
Via Dolorosa. ==Personal life and death==