How to Recognize Art by Anne Geddes

Anne Geddes (born in 1956) is an Australian-born photographer who currently resides in New Zealand. Her photography focuses on babies who are dressed up as a variety of fantastic creatures, such as animals, fairies and even flowers. Her art was first recognized worldwide through a series of books and calendars. She can currently boast of combined sales of over 25 million, in addition to a wide line of merchandising.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. View galleries of Anne Gedde's photography through online resources such as Anne Gedde's official website, as well as the websites of many of her fans, such as Andrea Schroeder (see Resources below).
2. Note the posing of the babies in her photographs and recognize how they are usually either asleep or staring blankly, yet peacefully. Many people interpret these poses as depicting the babies while they are still in the womb. Geddes responds to this by saying she merely wants to capture the beauty and personality of each child she photographs.
3. Notice how elaborate and precise the backgrounds are in her photographs in relationship to the babies themselves. This is due to the fact that Geddes often only has a few minutes to shoot each baby, so everything must be adjusted, lit and rehearsed well in advance of the subject's arrival.
4. Recognize that even in the most intricate and busy environments, Geddes' camera is always focused on the baby's face, especially the distinct personality each child brings to the photographic image.
5. Concentrate on Anne Geddes' favorite photos, such as "Cheesecake," or more serious compositions such as "Maneesha and Jack," which features a tiny, prematurely born baby held in her father's large hands. The latter photograph is also noteworthy because it was photographed in black-and-white.
6. Take the quote by Pablo Casals that appears in many of Geddes' books ("You are a marvel . . . and when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel?") and see how it relates to each one of her photographic images.

Tips & Warnings

• You can currently order all Anne Geddes products, including photographs, calendars, books, stationery, clothing and baby accessories, as well as view galleries of her work, at her official website (see Resources below).

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