Renowned photographerAnne Geddeshas enjoyed a long, successful career thanks to her legendary photographs of babies.
Read on for My Modern Met’s fascinating conversation with this legendary photographer.
What first attracted you to photography as a creative medium?
I actually came relatively late to photography.
It simply never occurred to me that being a photographer was an option.
I was mesmerized by the documentary photographyhow the images virtually told the complete story.
I still believe in the power of a single image to this day.
I have no images of myself as a newborn.
And I didnt pick up a camera seriously until I was 25.
I loved the smell of those chemicals, and I wanted to learn more about the whole process.
Im definitely a studio-based photographer.
I love that concept of creating my own environment from scratchand I love lighting.
And those 10 years were invaluable in that I learned how to deal with children of different ages.
Whats your proudest achievement as a creative?
My proudest achievement has been the fact that Ive been able to be a storyteller.
Children are not only our hope for the futureby their very existence, they will be our future.
And yet, we so often take them for granted or underestimate their essential importance.
Because every newborn baby represents our eternal chance at new beginnings.
2015 was the last time you were in the studio doing the work youre so well known for.
What changed for you and what have you been up to since?
Im an Official Ambassador forMarch of Dimes.
One child dies every 20 seconds from a vaccine-preventable illness, would you believe?
Im also available for speaking engagements, which I really enjoy.
Theres a huge amount of pre-production involved before I even get to shooting in the studio.
Now how many movie houses would spend millions making a movie and then make it available for free?
Many people dont truly understand the setup it takes to create the throw in of imagery you shoot.
Can you explain a bit about the investment that goes into a shoot?
To createThe Signs of the Zodiacfor instancewowthat was a major project.
The pre-production phase would have taken around 6-8 months.
So, my research took about a month before I settled on what to feature with each image.
Cellphones are so ubiquitous today and their camera technology has vastly improved.
I hear all the time that everyone is a photographer these days but I dont actually believe thats true.
The millions of images taken this way daily are, to me, more of a fleeting thought.
I know youve recently opened up a Patreon account to let your fans inside your world.
What made you decide to jump on this platform?
But there are also many advantages for my patrons in return.
Its pretty much a win-win situation all around.
How do you hope that the platform will help you continue your creative career?
And I want to continue making a difference as well.
And I have so much more to say through my photography!
I think the public sometimes assumes that creative ideas come out of thin air.
And that creators will just continue to create because thats just what they do!
They dont equate the fact that creating costs money, the same as in any other profession.
If you cant sell what youve created, you simply cant survive as a creator.
Whats next for you?
