When baby photography is mentioned anywhere in the world, one name that often surfaces is Anne Geddes. This Australian-born photographer, who currently resides in New York City, has spent over three decades capturing countless adorable and intricately staged photos of newborns and young children. Her work has been featured worldwide in calendars, greeting cards, and books.
Geddes developed a deep love for children’s books, recognizing them as a beautiful art form that can be cherished for generations. During the time when her own daughters were at the age of reading children’s books, she found herself drawn to the idea of creating something for herself after years of photographing babies and two-year-olds for clients. She craved a creative outlet where she could explore her own vision without any constraints.
To maintain her sanity and fulfill her creative desires, Geddes started dedicating one day each month to create something purely for herself. One of her earliest and most iconic images was that of a baby nestled inside a cabbage.
This black-and-white image, featuring a baby named Joshua hanging from a hook and wrapped in fabric, captivated Geddes and gave her a sense of freedom in expressing her own artistic vision. This marked the beginning of her foray into the genre of storytelling through photographs.
Her success story began with greeting cards and calendars, leading up to her breakthrough book, “Down in the Garden.” Geddes incorporated elaborate staging and themes, drawing inspiration from various occasions such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s and Father’s Day.
However, she had no idea how people would react to her work, as is often the case for artists when they create something truly personal.
Geddes, who sees herself as a storyteller, chose to present “Down in the Garden” as a children’s storybook. In this magical and enchanting book, her tiny baby models portrayed fairies, gnomes, sunflowers, water lilies, field mice, ladybugs, and peas in a pod. The book’s success can be attributed not only to its charming images but also to the touch of adult humor that resonated with a wide audience.
Her journey took an unexpected turn when she was invited to appear on Oprah Winfrey’s show, which had a dedicated book club. Although Geddes hadn’t been familiar with the show since she lived in New Zealand at the time, the appearance proved to be a turning point. During the interview, Oprah carried out two newborn babies dressed as bumblebees, and at the end, she picked up “Down in the Garden” and declared it the best coffee table book of the year. The book quickly soared to the top of the New York Times bestseller list, surprising Geddes herself.
However, Geddes felt somewhat confined within that particular genre afterward and realized she needed to demonstrate her versatility. Her husband, Kel, a marketing guru and TV executive, advised her to lead her audience gradually. So, her second book served as a bridge between her previous work and her desire to create something simple and pure. It featured a mix of classic imagery from “Down in the Garden” and some nudity, which led to its launch in Europe, where such artistic expression is more accepted.
Geddes describes the process of her photo shoots as transforming a blank space into a world of possibilities. She meticulously crafts each set, bringing her vision to life, and then dismantles it once the shoot is complete. This sense of control and the potential for creativity is something she cherishes, possibly influenced by her Virgo nature.
During the first decade of her career, Geddes primarily focused on private portraiture of families and children, moving from Sydney to Melbourne and eventually settling in Auckland, New Zealand. Her love for young children grew as she realized their inherent promise and purity. Capturing the beauty of
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