NEVER before seen pictures of David Bowie have been unearthed.

Brighton photographer Roger Bamber took the candid behind the scenes snaps showing the rock icon applying his elaborate make-up prior to going on stage as Ziggy Stardust in 1973.

Mr Bamber, 71, said: "I was incredibly sad when I heard he had died.

"I hadn't seen him or spoken to him for more than 25 years but I just thought what a loss to the music world and what a loss to humanity because he was such a nice man.

"I never heard anyone say a bad word about him."

Mr Bamber started photographing Bowie while working for The Sun newspaper in the early 1970s.

The award-winning photographer had been working on an exhibition of his archive work when the Thin White Duke died following a secret battle with cancer last week.

Mr Bamber had been a hard news photographer at The Sun prior to being moved over to the pop desk and starting to snap stars including Bowie, The Who, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed.

Of all the legends Mr Bamber has snapped over the years he said the Ashes to Ashes singer was one of his favourites.

"His face was just incredible," he said.

"It was really something to see him doing his make-up.

"I was really lucky to be in that situation.

"I thought he was brilliant, a very affable man. I worked with him over a few tours, we went to Amsterdam and did some shows in Lewisham.

"With him there was never any ego and if anyone had the right to have an ego it would have been David Bowie.

"We just got on so brilliantly and had a fantastic relationship.

"Not like Andrew Ridgley who I just couldn't get on with."

The two-time World press photographer's collection of previously unpublished pictures of the Starman, called Unseen Bowie, will go on display at the Eve Gallery, in Edenbridge, Kent, from January 30.

Mr Bamber will also be giving a talk about his memories of the early Bowie shoots.

See more of the pictures of Bowie in tomorrow's Life in The Argus.