Anne Geddes.

A photographer who I have always been influenced by is Anne Geddes. I remember when I was little, my mom had an address book which featured Anne Geddes' photos. For each letter of the alphabet, there would be a photo featuring a baby or young child who was dressed up as something that began with that letter. I remember spending hours looking at the pictures in that book. I thought they were some of the most beautiful images I had ever seen back then, and I still do today.

Anne Geddes was born in September 1956, in Queensland, Australia, where she was also raised. She is one of the most famous baby photographers in the world. In her mid-twenties, she began experimenting with her family camera. Until then, she had never considered photography as a career. "I had always loved looking at images. Unfortunately, there were no photography courses at the school I attended, and I never considered that career for myself. I didn't even think it was an option until I was 25 and in a position where I could make that change." (Anne Geddes) Anne states in an interview with Photo Insider, that she got into photographing babies because she thought the way they were portrayed was unnatural. "The whole reason I got into photography was because I thought the way babies and young children were portrayed was unnatural. It reflected the old-school mentality that said you photograph a baby in a sheepskin rug in it's Sunday best. Babies are my inspiration and my joy. In them, I see innocence and the precious possibilities of each life unfolding. In my images, I hope to convey a measure of beauty that exists in all children." (Anne Geddes) In most of her work, the babies are posed as fictitious characters such as fairies, flowers, or animals, like bunnies. In almost all of her photos, the babies are seen sleeping or stating off into space, as if they are still in their mother's womb. Since deciding to become a photographer, her images have been published in over 50 countries around the world and she has sold over 16 million books in 23 languages. Her pictures can be found in greeting cards, calendars, books, stationary, photo albums, and more.$50,000 dollars was raised for child abuse with the sale of her calendars in 1992. Her works include, Down In The Garden (1996), Until Now (1998), Pure (2002), Miracle (2004), Cherished Thoughts With Love (2005), and Anne Geddes An Autobiography: A Labour Of Love (2008).

Anne Geddes would be classified as a portrait photographer.

Sources
http://www.artpromote.com/anne_geddes.shtml http://www.annegeddesbabypictures.com/article3.html http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/anne_geddes http://www.photoinsider.com/pages/AnneGeddes/AnneGeddes.html