As you’ve probably already heard, the iconic Anne Geddes is a Mother’s Day calendar on CreativeLive. We’re so excited to have her in our studios — and, to share our joy, we’ve rounded up a few things you might not yet know about Anne:
She dropped out. In her autobiography, Anne details her difficult relationship with her early life on a cattle farm. Eventually, at age 17, she dropped out of high school and moved away from home.
She’s self-taught. After moving with Kel for work, Anne began to become interested in photography. However, there were no photography classes available, so Anne had to teach herself with a simple Pentax K1000. She practiced by photographing the kids in her neighborhood.
She started in a garage. Just like Apple and Google, Anne got her start in a garage.
“In 1986…Anne and Kel moved to Melbourne where their second daughter Kelly was born. That same year Anne set up a small studio, reclaiming an old run-down garage at the back of their garden. Anne still has the brass sign that Kel bought for her that said, “Anne Geddes Photographer” to hang on the door to the garage,” reads her official biography.
She’s big into personal days. One of Anne’s most recognizable images — the one of twin babies in cabbage leaves looking at each other — was the result of a day of personal exploration and creation. Anne says she dedicates one day per month to personal work.
She was mentioned on Friends once. In “The One With Ross’s Teeth,” a subplot unfolds that includes Joey’s roommate, Janine, decorating their shared apartment with an Anne Geddes image.
She is a philanthropist. In addition to the Geddes Philanthropic Trust, through which Anne and her husband Kel do incredible charity work, Anne has also been involved with organizations and campaigns which help domestic abuse survivors, children fighting cancer, and survivors of Meningococcal disease. She was also a speaker at the launch of the Shot@Life campaign, which aims to provide access to basic life-saving immunizations to children in the developing world.
Want to get to know Anne even better? Check out this interview she did with our own Kenna Klosterman at CreativeLive. Then, be sure to join us for her Mother’s Day card shoot, where you can watch the master at work — live!
