I don’t have children, and my maternal instinct is still asleep. I don’t get moved by other people’s children and I don’t have the desire to go out of my way and cuddle the kids of my friends... But I can tirelessly admire the work of this woman. Her photos are filled with such love and happiness that I wanted to tell you more about the amazing photographer Anne Geddes Anna Geddes was born on September 13, 1956 in Queensland (Australia). She began conducting various experiments with the camera, developing her own style of visual impact on the viewer, when she was about twenty years old. A talented and young woman, who was threatened by the so-called “career” of an ordinary, unfulfilled housewife, decidedly and abruptly began to work to change her destiny. And she really succeeded. Holding the most ordinary camera in her talented hands, she managed to conquer the world and become its celebrity. Anna had a daughter and she said to herself: “When your child is born, you must get used to the fact that from that day on your heart beats in another breast.” Anna Geddes was able to create an amazing world filled with magic and light, where its main characters are children. Anna Geddes' photographs were first released in New Zealand and Australia and are now widely recognized as classic children's images. Her works are published in books, photo albums, postcards and calendars. The unique style of her work was soon rightfully appreciated, and in March 1997 she was invited to join the Honorary Fellowship of the Institute of Professional Photographers of New Zealand. Which is especially honorable, since it should be noted that Anna Geddes became the first female photographer in history to be accepted into this partnership. The true reason for the tremendous success of Anna Geddes and her universal recognition lies in her sincere and very strong love for children. Gifted with a unique artistic gift, Anna Geddes could not help but talk about the children of the world and find a response in human hearts. As Anna Geddes said in one of her interviews: “I hope I am an example for my girls,” Anna admitted in one of her interviews. “They see me doing work that I enjoy.” Children are my inspiration and joy. I adore babies, I put my soul and heart into my work, which is probably why the pictures turn out so touching. 
It seems to me that the emotional content of a photograph is much more important than the technical data of the equipment. Photos should evoke a reaction from viewers and remain in their hearts. Another key point in my work is simplicity, which, together with emotions, creates a memorable image. There is nothing more difficult than creating something very simple. I have about a dozen favorite images. In “Cheese Pie,” for example, the child has an incredibly beautiful, charming smile. 
My favorite photograph, says Anna, will probably always be the black and white work “Manisha and Jack” - a tiny baby in the huge arms of a man...” After such words, it becomes clear how she manages to photograph such little fidgets. The children listen to her, and the most comfortable conditions have been created for them and their mothers on the set. There is even a special room “for mothers” with changing tables and wide soft sofas. Over the years of filming, Anna Geddes changed thousands of diapers. “I like to see naked babies, they are so natural...” she explains her desire to personally change babies.” Invaluable experience in communicating with babies and their parents (more than 2,000 mothers have visited Anne’s studio over 15 years) allowed Geddes to create a collection of clothing and accessories for children from birth to 2 years. Whenever mothers and grandmothers undressed their babies, Anne watched as adults struggled with the “uniform” and children suffered from rough, rough blankets. Large companies have repeatedly offered Anna Guedes to produce clothes for babies. But their products do not correspond to Geddes's ideas of what children's things should be. She creates her collections from high-quality, even luxurious, soft fabrics; clothing brands Anne Geddes as elegant, stylish, comfortable and beautiful as adults. Using the latest technology, Anne transfers photographs of children onto fabric, making the items original. 
In 1998, the World Council of Professional Photographers awarded Anna Geddes a special honorary prize for her contribution to the art of photography. Geddes is a lifetime member of the Professional Photographers of America. Anna Geddes and her husband, Kel Geddes, are co-owners of two companies, Especially Rids Company Limited and Kel Geddes Management Limited. The first of these companies was founded in 1991, it also includes a photo studio and is the copyright holder. The second company performs administrative and economic functions, is engaged in marketing, management, and production of books, calendars and other publications designed by Anna Geddes. Anna and Kel Geddes currently live in New Zealand with their two daughters. 
These two are my favorites: 
Official website
Australian photographer Anne Geddes has easily won the hearts of people around the world with her images of babies. Her work captures the beauty, purity and vulnerability of children, as well as Anne's firm belief that every child, without exception, should be protected, nurtured and loved.
In most of Anne Geddes's photographs, children are dressed in costumes of fairy-tale characters, flowers or animals. Babies are almost always asleep or staring into space, as if still in the womb.
Anna is often asked why she chose children as the subject of her creativity. This is what Geddes herself says about this: “I simply adore children and everything connected with them. To me they symbolize hope. Children are incredibly beautiful and expressive, and as an artist, I am constantly inspired by them. From the moment I first picked up a professional camera, I never wanted to shoot anything else.”
Anna has no shortage of models: parents themselves send pictures of their children to her studio in the hope that she will invite them for her next photo shoot. The photographer says she often gets calls straight from maternity hospitals, and one excited and proud young father called when his newborn baby was only half an hour old!
Anne Geddes was born in Australia and currently lives and works in New Zealand. In addition to photography, she also designs clothes.
Anne maintains relationships with many of her models as they grow older. She admits that she loves receiving letters from teenagers and adults whom she photographed as babies.
It is interesting that Anne, being a member of the Association of Professional Photographers of America and the winner of many prestigious awards, studied the art of photography on her own and did not complete any courses.
Dolls from Anne Geddes ( AnneGeddes)
Are you familiar with this name? You remember something, but you are not sure. Believe me, you know her, or rather, you have seen her work at least once in your life. Because this woman “stole” the hearts of a multi-million audience with her creations. But we would like to tell you more about this “sorceress”, because she truly deserves close attention.
From the dry facts: Anne Geddes is from New Zealand and has been in the arts for over 30 years.
Geddes can hardly be called a photographer. Many people are skeptical about the art of photography, they say: “Here are the paintings, we understand this, this is a complex process, skill, and what a fantasy... What can we say about photography, click and it’s done.” Anne Geddes is rightfully considered a photo artist, because her photograph can be called a work of art, each one is born like a real child, from the idea, the implementation of costumes and scenery, to working with children.
Anne literally conquered the whole world. She was able to create such a subtle and bewitching beauty that could touch the hearts of people. What is the secret of success, where is the formula that gives such wide popularity? It seems very simple. Sincere love for children, the right path and, of course, hard work.
And it all started with the fact that Anna really liked children, she simply started photographing them, her own (Anna has 2 daughters) and neighbor’s children became the target of her photographic lens. And it became an insight, she realized that this is the business to which she would like to give all of herself and devote her life. For this we are very grateful to her, because thanks to the camera we took at the time, we have the opportunity to enjoy her work and even think about it.
Anne admits that she really loves working with children; for her it is such an exciting and natural activity that this is probably her key to success. Any photographer will tell you that photographing children is a difficult task, and in some cases even thankless, but we know that she is not just any photographer, she is an exception to the rule.
Please note, this is Anna's little plush assistant, who has been helping her for 20 years, his name is Roger, he has survived thousands of washes and even lost 1 ear, but this does not stop him from being the kids' best friend.
Behind a closed door
Anne Geddes, in addition to creating “masterpieces” of photography, also pleases her fans with very interesting projects.
One of them is called Inside the Studio, which gives everyone the opportunity to “visit” the filming and get a feel for the process.
As a rule, you see a photo or picture, you like it, it gives you aesthetic pleasure and, in fact, that’s all. But few people think about how much work it takes to get the results they see. Each photo taken by Anna is a labor-intensive and painstaking process.
Everything is used: pencils, felt-tip pens, paints, brushes and trowels, color printers.
“Children are the flowers of life.” Everyone is familiar with this phrase, and in the case of Anne Geddes it is a kind of pun; in her works this stable tandem, the flower child, is constantly encountered. But jokes aside, just think about how touching this allegory is. Children sleeping in buds, they are so similar, so fragile, incredibly fascinating, and also the changes are so fleeting. The life of a flower is very short, and a newborn baby grows so quickly. In Anne’s works, the moment of tender fragility “freezes.”
Anne Geddes releases a calendar every year. She recently announced the 2017 calendar, which is already in the works. 2017 – Zodiac signs.
Stories that last a lifetime
Anne Geddes says that she keeps in touch with many of her “little models”, and thanks to this, fans of her talent can observe the fate of many kids. Anna regularly publishes photos after ten years.
Here are some examples of the project “Baby, look at you now”
In 1991, Anne took a photo of 2 twins in cabbage. And here they are 25 years later! The Rice and Grant twins grew up so quickly. Rice became a successful marketer, and Grant devoted himself to science.
The boys, Cruz, Noah and Luca, were photographed when they were just 5 weeks old and are now 6 years old and well on their way to school.
19 years ago Anne Geddes took this wonderful photo. And now, after such a long time, the same gentle Alexandra, who was captured at the age of 2 weeks, looks at us. Her cherished dream was to become a ballerina. She steadily follows this course, crazy about dancing. And now she already dreams of dancing in the American Ballet Theater.
It seems to me that everyone knows Anna Geddes. And if the name doesn't mean anything to you, then after looking at a couple of photos you'll understand what I mean. This is brilliant. A talented woman photographer and mother of two children, she dedicated her life to showing us how beautiful children are. And, you see, she does it very well. Ahead is the story of the life and career of Anna Guedes, as well as many, many photos. Have a nice time)
Anna was born on September 13, 1956 in Queensland, Australia, becoming the third daughter in the family. Anna grew up as an ordinary village child, raised with her four sisters on a huge farm where her parents raised cattle. The children spent their time riding horses, riding around pastures, and swimming in the river during the rainy season. At the age of twelve, Anna drove a jeep slowly through a sun-baked paddock while her sisters stood in the back and tossed hay to the cows.
Since childhood, Anna loved to look at magazines such as National Geographic and Life (her favorite), because these magazines always attached great importance to the power and quality of photographs. Most of all, she liked photographs of people, and Anna was fascinated by the idea of perpetuating moments of human life that could no longer be reproduced.
At the age of 17, Anna got a job at a chain of tourist hotels in New Zealand and went abroad for the first time. To document her daily adventures, she took literally hundreds of photographs, observing and assessing the different qualities of natural light. At the age of 22, Anna tried to open a clothing store, then got a job as a secretary at a local television station, finding herself in an environment where entertainment was at the forefront. In such a rich, creative environment, Anna simply blossomed, and also met Kel Geddes, the program director of the television station. Anna and Kel married in Hong Kong in 1983.
Living in Hong Kong, Anna rethought her career options. She quit her job in marketing and advertising for a chain of department stores and decided to create a small photography business, taking photographs of neighborhood children and friends right in their homes, as well as in gardens and parks. After posting a handwritten ad on a supermarket notice board, she slowly began to gain clients.
After two years in Hong Kong, during which she built up quite an impressive portfolio, Anna and her husband returned to Sydney, where their first daughter was born in 1984. Working from home, Anna created the first photo greeting card for her family. Later, cards for friends appeared, and soon postcard making became a small business. Thanks to her husband's career advancement, the family moved to Melbourne in 1986.
Here Anna set up her first studio, using an old, dilapidated garage behind the garden. Working as a pro bono assistant to a local photographer, Anna developed her ability to work in a studio environment. She also took part in a photo competition for the first time and took second place. In 1986, Anna and Kel's second daughter was born in Melbourne. The family moved to Auckland, New Zealand, as Kel was commissioned to create the first independent television network in that country.
In 1988, a photograph of Gemma, a little girl in a ballerina costume, taken in Melbourne, was published in a local Auckland magazine and became the first published photograph of Anne Geddes. A magazine article about Anna and a photo of Gemma aroused interest in this very unusual, for that time, portrait style. After a short (and, in her words, “excruciating”) experience as a wedding photographer, Anna decided to specialize in children's photography, working out of her small studio, Specially Kids, in Auckland.
Anna's portrait photography business flourished, and in 1990 she decided to devote one day of every month to her inspiration and work on photography for herself. The first two images from this personal series are “Joshua” and “Rhys and Grant” - twins better known as the Cabbage Kids. This photograph became one of her most famous works.
In 1992, Kel enjoyed a successful career on Australian television's Channel 10 and became Anna's business partner. In the same year, Anna Geddes's first collection of postcards was released in New Zealand and was a huge success. Among other awards, Anna took first place in two categories at the Photokina competition from AGFA in Germany. The high level of professional recognition, the appeal to raise money to combat child abuse and the success of Anna's cards all led to the idea of creating a calendar with photographs of Anna Geddes.
Between the first photographs of Anna as a child, taken for friends in Hong Kong, and the release of the first calendar in 1992 in New Zealand, ten years of hard work lie. When Anna was asked why she raised the issue of child abuse, she recalled her emotionally difficult childhood. The opportunity to convey something to a wider audience through my photographs combined with a long-standing desire to help and support children - the most vulnerable part of our society. Anna and Kel were unable to attract publishers or distributors, so they sold the calendar themselves, distributing the calendar manually and through camera stores. They managed to collect 20 thousand. dollars to fight child abuse. This action marked the beginning of Anna Geddes's charitable activities, which later led to the creation of the Geddes Philanthropic Trust.
Soon Anna and Kel decided to take a chance and print a second calendar. It was released in 1993 in New Zealand and Australia. They risked everything, sold their house in New Zealand and, with two daughters in their arms, invested all the money in publishing 20 thousand copies of the calendar in Australia. The calendar sold out in three weeks. They spent the profit on printing another 20 thousand, which they sold out just as quickly. Soon after, they received a call from an interested publisher. Anna's calendars were extremely popular. So she expanded her charitable activities. Now a portion of the cost of each Anna Geddes product goes to charity.
Anna and Kel often read bedtime stories to their children and Anna came up with the idea of telling the story using photographs. This is how Anna Geddes’s first large-format gift book, “Down in the Garden,” was born. In the book you could see many of Anna's early photographs, as well as newer ones. In 1996, the book was published, after which Anna Geddes first appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Anna's performance and the display of her photographs on The Oprah Show aroused enormous interest in her work in the United States. The book Down in the Garden has taken the world by storm. Anna and her work have received international recognition.
In 1997, Anna used her skills to create two commercials for a popular retail chain in the United States. American viewers really liked the videos - Anna received a gold medal in the category “Best commercial in the retail industry.”
Her skills developed and Anna discovered new facets of her deep belief that we should surround all children with protection, love and care. In 1998, Anna and Kel officially founded the Geddes Philanthropic Trust and established a grant for research into child abuse. Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney was the first to receive the grant.
Anna's works and achievements, in particular her calendars and books, have gained worldwide popularity. As one of the international awards, Anna received the prestigious Kodak Fotobuchpreis.
The book Until Now, published in 1998 in eight languages, included previously unpublished, exquisite black and white compositions, revealing to admirers new facets of Anna Geddes's creativity and originality. She went on her first international tour in support of the book, meeting with representatives of leading magazines, newspapers and television. Thanks to this, more and more people around the world learned about her work. Anna's photographs became an example of glorifying childish beauty, purity and vulnerability. Until 2000, more than 14 million Anne Geddes books had been sold worldwide.
Over the years of working with children, Anna communicated with more than 2,000 mothers and often saw how they suffered while dressing their babies. This inspired Anna to create an elegant and timeless collection of clothing and accessories for children. The clothing collection from Anna Geddes was presented in 2001 and is distinguished by its concern for the comfort of children. Anne Geddes products can be purchased on her website www.annegeddes.com. Created in 1999, the site attracts over 2.5 million visitors a year from more than 213 countries.
Soon Anna released two more best-selling books. In 2002, Anna’s new book, PURE, was released simultaneously in Europe and the United States. The book demonstrated new directions in color and black-and-white photography and received international acclaim. In this work, Anna depicted the innocence of newborn babies and the chaste beauty of pregnant women.
The joint project between Anna Geddes and Celine Dion began with Anna's desire to give joy to a nine-year-old girl, Stacey, who was suffering from cancer. Anna and Kel were very close to this girl and knew she was a big Celine Dion fan. Anna heard that Celine was a fan of her work, so she decided to ask her to contact the girl. As a result, Celine called Stacey directly to the hospital. Anna decided to thank Celine for her help, and during the conversation it became clear that both women shared common values. This is how the Miracle project was born. In this project, a book with new photographs of Anna is sold in one set with a specially released Celine Dion CD. The project was released in 2004 simultaneously in 22 countries in 11 languages.
Continuing its charitable activities, in 2005 the Geddes Philanthropic Trust allocated $83,400 to the tsunami relief program in South Asia under the auspices of UNICEF. After Hurricane Katrina, Anna and Kel donated over 20,000 items of clothing to affected children.
In 2005, Anna and Kel opened the first retail store at the Disney Resort in Anaheim, California. For the first time, visitors had the opportunity to enjoy selected works of Anna in a large format, which were placed in the gallery at the store. Anna from time to time leaves her cozy home in Australia and flies to the USA to chat with friends and fans and sign books. Often her visits were broadcast via webcam.
Anna chronicled her life and art in her long-awaited autobiography, A Labor of Love, published in 2007. In the book, she shared memories of her childhood, career, stories about the creation of individual photographs, and also talked about the fight against child abuse. Anna also released the book Cherished Thoughts with Love in 2005 and Be Gentle with the Young in 2008.
In 2009, the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) awarded Anna Geddes a lifetime membership for her achievements. Anna has begun work on one of two new projects in her Sydney studio, where she works with her two daughters.
To date, Anna Geddes' photographs have been published in 83 countries. Over 18 million of her books have been sold worldwide in 25 languages.
Biography of Anna Geddes.
Future photographer Anna Geddes was born and raised in Queensland (Australia). She began conducting various experiments with the camera, developing her own style of visual impact on the viewer, when she was about twenty years old. A talented and young woman, who was threatened by the so-called “career” of an ordinary, unfulfilled housewife, decidedly and abruptly began to work to change her destiny. And she really succeeded. Holding the most ordinary camera in her talented hands, she managed to conquer the world and become its celebrity. Anna had a daughter and she said to herself: “When your child is born, you must get used to the fact that from that day on your heart beats in another breast.” Anna Geddes was able to create an amazing world filled with magic and light, where its main characters are children.
Photos of the kids simply could not help but captivate the viewer. They are simply incredibly filled with love, there is a lot of goodness and meaning in them. In her works, Anna seems to be saying that children are our only real joy, showing how kind and sincere children are in their feelings. As Anna Geddes herself said: “My heart tells me that I have no other choice but to photograph babies. It's so natural to love them and communicate with them. After all, I was even lucky to have two beautiful kids myself. Naturally, at the beginning of my work I didn’t know where this would lead, but as soon as I started working with children, I realized that there was no turning back.”
Anna Geddes' photographs were first released in New Zealand and Australia and are now widely recognized as classic children's images. Her works are published in books, photo albums, postcards and calendars. The unique style of her work was soon rightfully appreciated, and in March 1997 she was invited to join the Honorary Fellowship of the Institute of Professional Photographers of New Zealand. Which is especially honorable, since it should be noted that Anna Geddes became the first female photographer in history to be accepted into this partnership. The true reason for the tremendous success of Anna Geddes and her universal recognition lies in her sincere and very strong love for children. Gifted with a unique artistic gift, Anna Geddes could not help but talk about the children of the world and find a response in human hearts. As Anna Geddes said in one of her interviews: “I hope I am an example for my girls,” Anna admitted in one of her interviews. “They see me doing work that I enjoy.” Children are my inspiration and joy. I adore babies, I put my soul and heart into my work, which is probably why the pictures turn out so touching. It seems to me that the emotional content of a photograph is much more important than the technical data of the equipment. Photos should evoke a reaction from viewers and remain in their hearts. Another key point in my work is simplicity, which, together with emotions, creates a memorable image. There is nothing more difficult than creating something very simple. I have about a dozen favorite images. In “Cheese Pie,” for example, the child has an incredibly beautiful, charming smile. And baby Neil, whom Tuli is holding, has wonderful curls. But my favorite photograph will probably always be the black and white work “Manisha and Jack” - a tiny baby in the huge arms of a man...”
After such words, it becomes clear how she manages to photograph such little fidgets. The children listen to her, and the most comfortable conditions have been created for them and their mothers on the set. There is even a special room “for mothers” with changing tables and wide soft sofas. Over the years of filming, Anna Geddes changed thousands of diapers. “I like to see naked babies, they are so natural...” she explains her desire to personally change babies.” Invaluable experience in communicating with babies and their parents (more than 2,000 mothers have visited Anne’s studio over 15 years) allowed Geddes to create a collection of clothing and accessories for children from birth to 2 years. Whenever mothers and grandmothers undressed their babies, Anne watched as adults struggled with the “uniform” and children suffered from rough, rough blankets. Large companies have repeatedly offered Anna Guedes to produce clothes for babies. But their products do not correspond to Geddes's ideas of what children's things should be. She creates her collections from high-quality, even luxurious, soft fabrics; Anne Geddes brand clothes are as elegant, stylish, comfortable and beautiful as those worn by adults. Using the latest technology, Anne transfers photographs of children onto fabric, making the items original.
In 1998, the World Council of Professional Photographers awarded Anna Geddes a special honorary prize for her contribution to the art of photography. Geddes is a lifetime member of the Professional Photographers of America.
Anna and Kel Geddes currently live in New Zealand with their two daughters.
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