“The way I see photography . . . [is] it’s snatching magic out of the air that wasn’t there before,” says world-renowned photographer Anne Geddes. Geddes’ phenomenal 40-year photography career began in Hong Kong when she photographed families with her husband’s Pentax K 1000. Geddes was unsatisfied with the result, so after they returned to their homeland of Australia, she called up a photographer whose image of a five-year-old girl she saw in the newspaper, volunteering herself as an assistant. She was accepted and began to learn everything she could about the portrait business and photographing children of all ages.  

Geddes says, “Ever since then, whenever I go into a studio . . . I always have this sense of an empty space, where I’m going to create something from that day.” For Geddes, the most indispensable tool for a photographer is imagination and an alertness to capturing magic. 

Geddes’ pursuit of creative ambition in her studio work paid off big. After ten years as a portrait photographer, Geddes was approached by a card maker who asked her to put out a series of seasonal cards. They were a hit. Calendars and posters followed and then her debut photo book, “Down in the Garden.” When Celine Dion told Oprah on TV that the book was at the top of her holiday-gift-giving list, the book took off, and the rest is history. Geddes became a global sensation with her infant portraits, and she has continued to build on that success through the rest of her 30-year career – as an artist, a philanthropist, and above all, a seeker of the magic in children, who she believes must be “protected, nurtured, and loved.” 

Three Tiny Mermaids 

The images Geddes shares with Rangefinder today come from her series “Under the Sea.” Her favorite image from the series (above) is of three tiny mermaids. Geddes did a year of research and planning and worked with a very talented team to bring this shoot together.

As safety is the primary concern when working with infants, a special seat that was bolted into the floor was carefully constructed for each mermaid to individually be photographed in. The seat had a supportive back and a wide, soft seatbelt concealed with the costume fabric. Geddes photographed the babies first and then separately shot their tails in various positions suggesting the flow of water under the sea. She constructed the final image in post. 

One Day a Month to Be Creative 

Geddes has always had a strong creative drive. She encourages photographers to “go into every portrait session thinking, ‘What can I do that’s unique — that’s not going to make me feel bored, that they’re going to love?’ and so on. . .‘ And a little bit scared is good. Nervous is good. If you’re not nervous in any way going into a shoot, then you’re not trying hard enough to scare yourself.” Keeping this in mind, Geddes, over the years, consistently produced beautiful work that resonated with her clients.  

But after ten years, even with this ethos, as she became more successful and the pressure to produce increased, Geddes began to feel tired. Her solution was to take one day a month to do a purely creative shoot – just for herself. The first image she did was a baby hanging on a meat hook, which conceptually sounds strange, and yet Geddes loved it. The next month, she produced her iconic shot of twins in cabbage. These shoots, removed from all client pressures, sky-rocketed her creativity and rekindled her inspiration. Geddes encourages all photographers to also do creative shoots just for themselves – one a month! 

Strive for Magic 

Additionally, Geddes gives the advice for photographers to “strive for the magic.” She adds, “but you’ve got to be quick, and you can’t also photograph with blinders on.” She discourages photographers from holding too set of a view on what they will produce, saying “something can come out of left field so fast. That’s the magic. And you can’t miss it. . . especially if you’re dealing with children. They can give you the magic. You’ve just got to be on the lookout. ” 

Furthermore, Geddes says, “you’ve got to keep growing and going forward . . . And mistakes are great. Never be afraid to admit that you’re green about something because green is where the energy is.” 

Follow Anne Geddes on Instagram and on her website.  And don’t miss her appearance on The Portrait System Podcast, where she shares some of her seminal stories about the beginning of her career and offers advice and inspiration to other photographers.  

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