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Conversation With Anne Geddes and Card Reveal

The print will also be available at find out america yes we haven't talked about that is great you know I mean they do such beautiful prints and all of my photographic libraries there so if you go to find out america tomorrow you'll be able to order that prentiss will order the morning put it on your wall absolutely. I love doing previously so that is a fine art america dot com yes print that's where you go to order prints which is so cool as well it is it's great and you know I grew up in that posted generation was you know, beautiful photography on wolves and things out that nothing that's all coming back now which is fantastic yeah a lot of people have my prince in the nurseries and niko unit around the world it's like I've gone into I've done special shooting for nikki units and I go in there and my images are already on the wall you know it's great let's talk a little bit about your work and working in nikki you know because I know that's something that is near and dear tio let's ...

let's talk to people about what it is like to shoot in in a nick you yeah well I'm a volunteer ambassador for much of dimes was a wonderful organization you know who do a lot of work in terms of research just finding out why some babies are born too soon and too many of them are born too soon but I've shot in for nickel units around the world in a one in auckland and two in sydney and one in doha in qatar and they're really extraordinary environments you know it's it's very, very intense being in there and uh you know, just to I had the privilege on dh have the trust of these people you know, taking in the team and photographing babies who were just so incredibly tiny I was just live feeling so emotional it's just uncredible thing that I don't and the people who work in the sneaky and it's a just awesome absolutely awesome now I know you have a very special friend who s so you know little baby little little one little shot way actually, stephanie your daughter was able to connect and get an image to give a shout out to asher on camera so we can show everybody else who's watching all over the world, baby yeah, yeah tonto look at him and he's tonto oh, I'd love to give him a cuddle is the most adorable little guy his twelve months old he just turned twelve months old his weighs ten pounds and it's got two teeth so go isha that's you know he's just or something and it's great to see families like this you know who are just really appreciating their children and there's so much to appreciate with that little guy you know he's got the most amazing smile beautiful face, lovely eyes my daughters in love with him how did you develop the relationship with with well they just came to our facebook page you know when we heard about him and we've been following his progress and you know it's just really nice to see that that wonderful spirit that's behind a lot of these babies and who comes through the nicu unit sonia on dh out the other side and he's you know he's still got his challenges but you know he's getting on with life and he's loving it and he's bringing so much joy to so many people and he's watching preview on cradle I e I love it I love it it's really just such a special sort of magic that permeates through everything that you d'oh even just know that that's just like it's just that how just being around you just exudes it's no it's lovely man and I think that and he's a high miss got pneumonia at the moment and so they're spending the day watching us so you know it's a great privilege. Yeah, well, we are all wishing you well yeah, sure certainly a quick human um how did you what we know you do a lot of work for march of dimes um I think it's amazing that you give back on that you put so much emphasis on that what was there other advice that you have for other photographers or other things that people sort of ways to give back importance of giving back and personal projects? I think it's very very important and creativity is not something that comes naturally to a lot of people and so if you are a photographer in your community, you know certainly volunteer your your time and energy to local hospitals and things like that nickel units it's very, very difficult to shoot in there, so I'm not suggesting that, but I'm just saying that there are so many children in hospital and you know so much that you can do to give back and it's very, very important to be able to do that and your talent is very, very special and it's unique so and so many people will love love what you and appreciate it. I think that's for we do talk a lot about especially if you're a poor portrait photographer because that is something where you are giving back to people too represent images which represents us and our families and things that we can leave for generations as well get so much joy out of it yeah right, we're for today joined that so we've been talking about you know such a joyful morning photographing babies is so joyful to be able to come up with this mother's day imager come went to see this print that we're doing is great. It's just, you know, it's been a fantastic day. It has been and a first for me. Teo, do this ever proving a greeting card to, like, turn up this morning and get to this station photograph five baby, um photoshopped the image and be able to have it available to people there later today. Yeah, it's, great it's! Wonderful days images will go into the homes of always moms around the world or something. It is it is an actual I wanted to read off some of the feedback some comments that people had given you and then go to some more questions. But stephanie v had said, no question here just wanted to say that I got into photography because of you you're a true inspiration. Thank you. And you're very welcoming that's happy to be an inspiration that I think very terribly inspiring absolutely of and then I don't know I don't know about you all but being a part of this beautiful work of art has brought tears to my eyes. It's a dream come true thank you, an incredible I've for including us as wallflowers. Oh, that's kind of intended. Everybody cries, you know, I just I did a speech at the u n foundation last week. Everybody cries in the studio changed and people crying in a good way. Yes, yes. And, you know, I was talking I came off doing this speech, which I was really nervous about. This is in new york, and I went up with the went out the back afterwards and the u n foundation woman said that was fantastic if you're almost crying said harper was in a good way, never people really moved by a new life, you know, they moved by the imagery, but it's the subject matter that's really moving them, and everybody has this really deep feeling about new life and new babies and and and what they actually represent, you know, and which is just new beginnings, our chance at new beginnings, every new life, it just speaks to so much promise. That's what I love about for all of these thousands of babies that are photographed over the thirty years I've never, ever tire off the sight of a naked new born baby that's so wonderful, this awesome, awesome, you know, life is awesome, really it's, so important to remember that, yes, absolutely, because we all get so caught up a in things that are so trivial and when you look at this and look a newborn and it just brings you back to being sent to begin it does and that's I think that's why your work and why people have loved you for thirty years and why it continues because no mother, what in the chaos of life in the world you khun, bring people back to that moment of how special oh, absolutely! And two new parents are home at three a m in the morning just keep remembering how special some tarts of no ask you some more questions just about you in general people want to know non day had asked this and some other people had voted it up which you khun dio on our site uh but what inspires you most treat it as a lot one inspired the most now now certainly my work inspires meant like my subject matter inspires me. I get a lot of my inspiration from nature because, you know, I think united states a cliche, but mother nature's the the most gifted artist of off the mall letter, you know, it's, it's, it's all around us and we tend not to notice so much when we get about a busy days, you know and you know that's that's totally where I get my inspiration, I did a carpet I will what called beginnings and which come in twenty ten on dh it was all related to elements of nature that bring forth new life and a lot of people have seen beginnings but you know we had a little birdsnests and bids eggs and buds and seeds and um you know all of all of those those elements that cocoons and it was such an inspirational time to able to do it because it's new life and new energy and really I mean it's it's endless in terms of nature what we're doing today is based on nature it isthe it is and it is under colors so awesome you know it is endless I appreciate that mother nature never gets her colors wrong oh say if you're watching she'll be having a little chuckle now but this was sitting out on our balcony one nine years ago and looking at a sunset and reflecting on the fact that colors of sunset never I'm really supposed to go together but they always do you know, boys that's a good one thank you um I love it so so once again I mean you've been doing this for like we say thirty years um what is still the most challenging for you? What do you think you're still what are you still learning? What do you still hoping to learn? I think that there's something that's quite challenging about working with babies and I learned very early on that it's very very important too not try to do too much with some particularly with newborns you have to going with the concept of what you're wanting to achieve but don't photograph with blinkers on because those official little moments that happened with babies they're so fleeting that you have to be prepared to go with the flow on guy was remind myself of that you know, even even today it happened you know, with the little baby who was the last one who was it was a little bit fidgety and everything and now it's end up in the final image because these babies have characters so always be prepared to actually photographed with an open mind I think that's really, really important yeah it sees it like you said it's easy to put your blinders on and say this is what I'm doing this is this is the way it's going to be and babies really have no respect for photographers I'm telling you nobody is I'll see everybody but you feel like saying I'll give you a million dollars it's just gorgeous like like no, I'm sorry newborns don't really go for the bribes either you know they do not do not there you look at it it's a military that's for sure oh that's good um can we talk a little bit more people want to know a little bit more about no diary and the works that you do because you mentioned it and I know we've talked about it inside the studio but you talk a little bit more about what you collect when you start a project what's you're sort of you're always looking for something or something just sparks you how do you use your journal diaries for well, I always you know I've got a I've got a couple of dollars here like a carry them around I find it actually quite comforting to carry these things with me or boys always have a journal that is not related to the specific project that I'm shooting like I've got the twelve zodiac signs in this idea what we're going to call it you know, in the stars and we don't know what we're gonna call this project yet but you know, I just put all these little things in here I could paint charts s o I can talk, you know, withdrawing on skype about different colors and um you know, various illustrations from old images that I've done little notes that I like little quotes that I love you know look, we've got to polaroid's him when we're here creative large last time I saw them earlier I mean is that it's nice it's like a little comfort you know? You go to the team that yeah fantastic it's like a little time capture it isthe and something you know I love doing that I love just sort of you know the fact that you can scribble anything in there and go back in ten years time my lighting diagrams from a restaurant the other night um you know it's all in there yeah it's just yeah I can just make little notes in china it's really nice or is in pencil like him and and again is that sort of away tio to not keep everything just bouncing around in your head but letting it getting it out it also developed an idea because you can have a little thought like I was sitting there three other donor right two pages of actual thoughts for words that are that are important you know just when I when I did this coffee table book pure and it started here today you know look here you see where you have to shoot this is this is just words that inspired me yeah things that get the creativity going to read some out of that yeah um you guys can have a look you know this was one night last week wasn't it kill yeah last week yeah things to be inspired by things tio encouragement got forward when you're feeling a little bit last store you know you don't quite know what to do or you just want to lift your spirits I think it's a great thing to do I just want them words and that's fantastic I'm going to read some of these off outside yeah empathy the bedouins empathy sharing family just starting out just a thought before you even imagined they would be riel that's good history talking about you have history and future are both you've you've kind of scratched and even further history and future what does bring the some purity hope beautiful clouds togetherness family renewal now life yeah I mean it's all yeah just music cows ipad counts we've got a little cows like cows so we get her out she's in my bag I got come on steve cohen gear up counts is it a baby cow no it's a little shit over here on this side their border today which she travels with us all the time and board hearing today to the studio for good luck for five babies going to sleep life well the cow did us well she did she did people who care and your chance every time a baby is born yeah I mean that's not it wasn't expecting everyone to be looking at what I appreciate it yeah um but you know it's very very I want to pick a word very very what are um I believe everybody should do it you know the first first thoughts that come to mind he's the cow everyone getting how good luck cow hope that you're right so she's here is well ok she travels with us oh that's fantastic. All right, we've got more questions. I was good one. Thanks for questions. Keepem coming artist of a hard one what's the funniest thing that has ever happened during a shoot. Ah, lots and lots of funny things. You know, it's, I get asked this question all the time and you know what? I really there's so many funny moments with babies, you know that they six month old of the funniest I actually really working with them because, you know, the real characters and they kind of they have got if any adult has a sense of humor really connect with a six month old and they really put smiles on your face, you know, and just the way that they don't just so basic and in terms ofthe what they laugh at things that that's, why there's so many videos on the on the internet? Oh, yes, for six month old babies and they laugh just bring so much joy, you know, there's that word again, you know, so lots and lots of funny moments, but I think people also asked me to tell us something you know, funny do that babies do you know, do they, you know, do terrible things, you know what I mean diapers and all that sort of thing, and I turn I really like to talk about them in that way because I mean that's just what babies do and that's the way they are that just comes with the they don't know what they're doing now that they know what they're doing, you know, um just trade off with everything's in there, right? So yeah, but working with six month olds is just I just love it, you know it and I just put a smile on people's spices they really do putting a smile on my face just thinking about what you think about the little things they do uh oh, it's good. Ok, here's, another question. And do you ever shoot levi's and natural light? Thank you so much for sharing your workflow for some of us. It's like watching coco chanel working or picasso painting contest. Thank you. Thank you. So so you have you, uh, my work is all studio based because, you know, my work is really about story telling, and I like to control the environment and particularly when you're photographing with little babies, I really like tio, you know, have the studio warm and all the facilities around for them. My creativity is triggered by, and I was talking about this earlier today, walking into this empty studio and with the sense of possibility in terms ofthe it's all coming together you know with the lighting and hell how I can paint with light how I can create an image with this baby so for me to take them out side and do that sort of thing is just not something that is my my way of working and you know, I touched on this earlier that if you're starting out or even if you're not setting out, you need to find your own style and my style or the medic you've clicked into place when I walked into a photographic studio because then it was like oh well, I can tell my story um and have some control over it as well as much control as you have with babies yeah so you know everyone's got their different way of doing things and we should celebrate that celebrate all the differences that's right? And I think and you know, light is light it's like a cz we've talked about on I think it's it's interesting to some people think that natural light might be easier and some people think that studio light is easier because of the control and that you can have and I think it's about learning those tools and then being able to visualize okay if I know that I'm going to use this light in this site and what I can create from that and some of you are you going to tell your story harry it's like but there really is I'm great believer and keeping life simple you know there really is one we've seen light source basically on dso you know, just build around that you know, it's I always keep the light soft and it's just my way of doing things here and so people can actually go on and have a look at me shooting and through the various saudi action since the first story that we did that people can already access and these three that I'm shooting this time in creative life will be available in photo week and see the way I like in the studio and hopefully it'll inspire them to something yeah absolutely for people who aren't familiar with that inside the studio with and getting this is what we're what we're talking about that you can see on on the site all right, well I'm going toe um look over there and not yet look over there ok before we get to the big reveal let me ask one more question decided I e everybody off camera there is coming out okay um what would you consider your most successful or favorite image either for all the prep work that went into it or because you didn't think it would turn out and then it did I kind of really that's a really good question and I have to go back to my work with the premise and that first image that I did with little baby manisha and I didn't think it would be especial I didn't think it would touch me as much as it did being in that scenario for the very first time to see a baby that was so so tiny um just really well I was just in or off it and that's why um you know, I don't know I had no concept that I would be able to create that image that would people would treasure that is motivated seventy people and keep them going with their babies in nika units around the world so um yeah I mean, that would be an image that I just really had no concept of the power off um and um, you know, I'm ever so grateful that I shot that image why back in nineteen ninety three? Well and I think what's amazing as well is that the story has developed so you talk about telling a story in one image but but her story has developed over the many, many years as well and so the importance of that to you as an artist I think it's but also, you know, I mean she's very much we've kept in touch over the years um a lot and she's like family to us and so we hear from here all the time and I know what this question that this business asking it that I could you know, give you another answer in terms of there's, a very famous image that I did call cheesecake off the little baby he's smiling and lying in the bed of roses. Yes, and I just quickly, you know, it was it was something working with babies is or some when they provide a spontaneous moment that lifts an image to another stratosphere. Yes is just awesomeness again, right? And that's, what baby's provide right? You can have the most incredibly beautiful environment, this lovely bit of roses that we had and and so on and win this little baby came into the studio. Her mother bought all of those roses, right? She beautiful rose garden and she traveled for two, three hours. It is in new zealand and bought little philip or into the studio and she put her on the floor when she went and she was just a little girl sitting there and the mother gone downstairs to bring up the buckets of roses. And I walked out and said hi. And she looked at me with that smile, right? And her mother communities it hide it when she smiles like that and I said, but it's just it's our beautiful and she said, well, if you want that then if you smaller here like that she'll do it so you know, we should have a video of us up in the ceiling looking through a hole and she's lying in this bed of roses and we're all going it's crazy, you know? And then eventually she just did it and were banned in you know, and it just came together and here she is holding a rose and just gotta links in the right position it's got this most joyful smile on her face you know, and it's just delighted people for years and years on dh that's only babies can do that you know, there's this innocence in spontaneity and joy and that's just what I love about what I did and it permeates through all of your work well, we have another fun to add too your body and we look at these are live show excuse me, mrs cow, you can just wipe oh, look, isn't this fantastic? Oh, well, now what we're gonna do, we gonna hold it up for people let's do actually way want to do that? Wow. You know, you got to let her know what you want us to dio look at that. What do you think and foursome that is awesome I have to say that about my own work, but I mean, I just think the whole tortoise from being here this morning and creating this and getting to this point and all of the moms on sunday are going to be looking thiss and you all deserve it something beautiful yeah congratulations and thank you rated this anybody out there were what isthe yeah so so amazing I'm going to put it down and as we do that we have you know we are celebrating mother's day and just so happens that we have well the reason that you are a mother and a very special thank you a little moment from my baby green mother's day thank you everybody this is definitely get you the very first daughter and yet this is motherhood yeah so having another today to all the mothers around the world and I hope you I love my image and it's created because mothers should be cherished in love thank you got connections in here thank you so much. Stay here thank you everybody so much for joining us for this very special mother's day card shoot with an gettys what a day it has been you know everybody if you haven't already go r s v p for this free print that you're going to be able tio get the pdf furs and you're gonna be able to email it put it on facebook to all those important mother and in your life that's the main thing enjoy and enjoy enjoy being part of for the creation of it, you can also purchase any time access to the entire event today and truly be able to take it all in and learn and grow yourself from what we have done, what anne and her team have done today can do that by clicking on the blue by button is fifty nine dollars to be able right now to be able to own any time access to all of that. We're so happy that you all have joined us once again. I thank you, too. Absent that find out america was just gonna say that. Find a man, have dot com is where you going to be able to purchase prince of this as well, eh? So everybody, once again, thank you for joining us. Thank you and gettis and your team and stephanie and everyone for letting us host you for the mothers make it really beautiful. Thank you. Write for today, everybody, that's, a wrap, thank you.