Anne Geddes Baby Pictures

Anne Geddes Biography

Born and raised in Queensland, Australia, Anne Geddes has always been interested in the strength that a photographic image could hold. In her mid-twenties, she began experimenting with the family camera, developing her signature style of simple structure and immediate visual impact.

One of the world's most respected and successful professional photographers, Anne has captured the imagination and hearts of people around the globe. Her distinctive, award-winning images of children have become classic icons celebrating life and birth. They grace greeting cards, calendars, books, stationery, photo albums, and an array of other fine products, and are currently published in over 50 countries, spanning North America, Europe, the British Isles, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and Asia. More than 13 million books plus many more millions of other non-book products have been sold worldwide.

In November 2001 Anne's Baby Clothing Collection was launched exclusively online. At the heart of Anne's success is her deep and abiding love of children. Her images have become classic icons celebrating birth and life.

Until Now, Anne Geddes' stunning retrospective of classic images personally selected from her body of work, took Europe by storm. Printed in seven languages, it became an immediate popular and critical success, appearing on The Sunday Times Bestseller List in the UK, becoming the #1 Best selling Illustrated Book on the Livre Hebdo List in France, and a bestseller in the Netherlands. In Germany, it was reprinted four times in four months, and was selected from a field of 445 worldwide entries to receive the "Kodak Fotobuchpreis 1998." Famous German publisher Heyne called this "the most prestigious award an illustrated book can receive in Germany."

Until Now was released in the United States and Canada in late 1999 to immediate praise. "The book is wonderful. . . really marvelous," said "Good Morning America." "Artfully composed, exquisitely produced. . .(these) always clever, often touching, sometimes hilarious images . . .are the work of a vivid imagination-but never doubt they are the work of real work, as well," noted Newsday. The New York Daily News called Anne "the most popular and successful baby photographer in the world. Her photos of infants are the shots seen 'round the world". Until Now has more than 700,000 copies in print worldwide.

Anne's previous bestseller, the critically acclaimed gift book Down in the Garden, has more than 1.5 million copies in print worldwide. Widely touted as the #1 gift book in the United States in 1996, it swept to #3 on The New York Times bestseller list, and remained on the list for more than 3 months. (It returned to The New York Times bestseller list in May 1997). Rising to #2 on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list, it was named a "Best Bet" book by publications across the country and included among the best books of the year in the Entertainment Weekly '97 Yearbook.

Time noted Down in the Garden's "whimsical and colorful collages," and People magazine said Anne "does wonders with minor models and a fertile imagination."

Released in 1998, Little Thoughts With Love combines Anne's remarkable images of children with her favorite quotations from Eleanor Roosevelt, Hans Christian Andersen, Mother Teresa and others, selected especially by Anne for her book. The sayings reflect the joy and wonder of life that she captures in her stunning images. It has sold more than 500,000 copies.

Anne's work continues to garner praise and citations. She drew one of the largest and most enthusiastic audiences ever to attend a keynote session at the 1998 World Council of Professional Photographers General Assembly, held during the bi-annual Photokina exhibition in Cologne, Germany. Rewarded with a standing ovation for her speech, Anne was presented with a specially engraved award for her contributions to photography.

Anne was awarded a Lifetime Membership in the Professional Photographers of America in 1997, following a speech she gave to the national assembly in Las Vegas. In March of the same year, she received in Auckland, New Zealand, an Honorary Fellowship with the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photographers (NZIPP) in recognition of her unique style of photography and her success in the publishing industry in New Zealand and abroad.

In addition to accumulating the most merits ever awarded an individual photographer at the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photographers competitions (formerly NZPPA), Anne was the first woman to have earned a Fellowship from the Institute through its awards system. Additional gold and silver merits have added the prized "Gold Bar" to her Fellowship status. She also has won a number of honors in the Agfa Photokina competition, as well as the AGFA/NZIPP Professional Photography competition.

In 1997, she applied her artistic expertise to another venue, directing two television commercials inspired by her images for a leading United States retailer. These commercials garnered Gold Awards for the Best Retail Commercials in the United States at the Annual Retail Award Presentations in Chicago in 1997.

Her 1997 A Collection of Images calendar ranked #1 in sales in the United States, according to the Calendar Club. The Calendar Marketing Association awarded her 1996 calendars and date books two gold awards and one bronze. There are now more than 2.123 million Anne Geddes calendars and date books in print worldwide.

In late 1991, Anne combined her interest in creating a calendar of her images with her commitment to "giving back". Assisting a prominent New Zealand personality in her fund-raising efforts on behalf of the prevention of child abuse, Anne raised over $50,000 for this cause through sales of her 1992 calendar. Since then, annual Anne Geddes calendar editions have been bestsellers, and designated funds totaling over US$1 million have been donated to help prevent child abuse in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

At the heart of her success is Anne's deep and abiding love of children. Her unique artistic vision distills all we cherish in babies. Created by a photographer with special gifts, her images reflect enduring values that bring added meaning and joy to life.

Together, Anne and her husband, Kel Geddes, are directors of two companies: The Especially Kids Company Limited, founded in Auckland in 1991, which includes Anne's studio and is responsible for all image creation, and Kel Geddes Management Limited, which has the responsibility for all marketing, promotion, business administration, operations, and the production of books, calendars, and other items.

Anne and Kel live in New Zealand with their two daughters.