Anne Geddes Baby Pictures

A conversation with Anne

Q: What led you to become a photographer?
A: I had always loved looking at photographs, but unfortunately when I was still at school, there were no photography courses, and I never really considered being a photographer myself. I didn't even think it was an option until I was 25, and in a position where I could make a career change.

It was then that I thought I might give photography a try. I had seen the way children and babies were generally being photographed. It just didn't seem realistic to me that people took their children along to photographic studios all dressed in their Sunday best, and came home with images of formal children or babies lying on sheepskin rugs--photographs which didn't really depict the personality of the child.

I used to say to my early portrait clients, "When your child has grown and left home, would you rather have a formal photograph to look back on, or an image which reminds you of the baby's wonderful and unique personality at the age of two?" There really isn't any comparison, is there?

Q: As an artist, your work is always evolving. What new avenues are you exploring now?
A: Little Thoughts with Love, upcoming calendars and Until Now, the retrospective book I have just completed, will reflect this. Many of the images will be quite unexpected in relation to books like Down in the Garden.

Q: Do you ever go into a photographic studio to experiment with new camera technologies or equipment?
A: Absolutely. If you don't do that as a photographer, then you're never going to learn. In my work, babies are the stars of the show. I only get 20 minutes or so with a six month old, so I have to be really fast and totally focused. If I'm interested in using new camera technology, best I get it right before we bring the babies in. We always rehearse the lighting, cameras, and equipment so on the day of the shoot the equipment is second nature. I'll admit, sometimes it's nice to be able to go into the studio and take my time without having a baby there.

Q: In your opinion, what are the elements that make the most intriguing or memorable photographs?
A: I think that emotional content is an image's most important element, regardless of the photographic technique. Much of the work I see these days lacks the emotional impact to draw a reaction from viewers, or remain in their hearts. The other key element is simplicity. Together, emotion and simplicity create a memorable image.

The hardest thing in the world is to create something very simple.

Q: How has your success changed or influenced you in your role as a mother to your two young girls?
A: It's changed my emphasis. I want to give my girls the understanding that they have career choices, instill confidence in them, and teach them respect and a sense of responsibility toward others. I hope that I'm a role model for them. As they see me working in a job that I truly enjoy, hopefully they will perceive the vast range of options they have in their lives. We never say, would you like to be a photographer? Instead, we say, we don't expect anything of you except that you do your best at whatever it is that you love to do.

Q: What is it about your images that strikes a chord with people and makes your work so appealing?
A: I photograph from the heart. I adore little babies and I think that shows. My images are really very positive, very simple, and from the heart. Babies speak a universal language.

Q: What inspires your images? Where do you get your ideas from?
A: Little babies are my inspiration, and I cannot imagine photographic life without them playing a major part. I have a deep love and respect for children. I hope that through my work as a photographer, I have been able to pass on my appreciation of their beauty and charm.

Q: Children are notoriously difficult to photograph. You must be very patient.
A: Children have absolutely no respect for photographers, but I don't really find them difficult to photograph at all. You just have to keep an open mind, and a sense of humor.

Q: How do you coax the babies into falling asleep?
A: We go to great measures to create a peaceful and comfortable environment for the babies and their parents, who are involved along with their children in all my photo shoots. Generally, whenever you see sleeping babies in my images, they are newborns (up to four weeks of age). Babies who are this young generally sleep a lot, and a change of environment doesn't bother them at all. As long as they are fed, they usually sleep for long periods of time.

Q: Do you have personal favorites among your images?
A: I have perhaps half a dozen personal favorites. I think the best images are the ones that retain their strength and impact over the years, regardless of the number of times they are viewed.

My idea of a perfect image is where I have created a beautiful environment, and the baby has given something of its personality. That extra spark in the image is always supplied by the baby. When you look at one of my images, your eye is always drawn to the baby's face, regardless of how complicated the setting is. The babies are always the most important aspect of the image, and so they should be.

"Cheesecake" would be one of my top two favorite images, because the baby has the most wonderful smile, but perhaps my all-time favorite would be "Maneesha and Jack," the black and white image of a tiny, premature baby who weighed two pounds, cradled in a man's very large hands.

Q: How do you select the infants and children for your photo sessions?
A: People send me photographs of their children, and I have my own model file which consists of hundreds of babies. I receive approximately a dozen photographs each day, so I know that everyone is enthusiastic and supportive of my work. As a result, it feels like a real team effort during the shoot.

Once a year, I travel to the United States, to create images which include African American babies. There is only a very small African American community in New Zealand, and it is very difficult to find many African American babies for our New Zealand shoots. This is my main difficulty with working from New Zealand, although there are also obvious advantages.