Anne Geddes always knew there was something she was meant to do. But it wasn't until age 25 that she considered a career in photography. And it wasn't until she picked up a camera that she knew who her subjects would be.

"I could see the way people photographed babies," she says. "In these photos they were getting them all dressed up and getting in formal poses and you look at them and you say, 'I can't even see myself in there.'"

Geddes was drawn to infants, and immediately knew that snapping frames of these tiniest of humans was what she wanted to do with her camera. Yet her photographer's eye didn't see babies in frilly clothes and shoes, cajoled into rigid poses. Instead, Geddes photographed infants in their natural state – often sleeping and unclothed. Now, her unique style is known the world over.

In fact, the only thing more recognizable than the images she creates is the obvious love heard in her voice when she speaks about them.

"[Babies] represent so much potential because they're brand new minds," she says. "And nobody's told them that they're not beautiful or they're not clever or that different skin colors can be treated different ways. I see myself as a voice for the babies."

From the Mouths of Babes
If Geddes is a voice for the babies she photographs, they seem to be speaking of perfect contentment. Cushioned within vividly colored, plastic watermelons or cradled in a pair of large, steady hands, Geddes' quiet subjects have captivated millions in more than 50 countries.

Her book, Until Now (Cedco Pub., 1999), is a potpourri of some of the most enduring images from her career. Newer fans may be surprised at the artistic span the collection covers; there are plenty of well-known photos of babies dressed as brilliant, laughing flowers and tiny fruits and vegetables. But favorites from her earlier work round out the book with black and white images of tiny infants – sometimes premature babies – sleeping angelically in the most unassuming of poses.

Geddes' use of black and white is notable for the aesthetic value of the contrast it provides. But the theme is carried further through her subjects, hinting at social commentary.

Based in New Zealand, where the black population is extremely small, it can be difficult to find a diverse enough group of babies for Geddes' photo shoots. As she likes to say, babies have little respect for the wishes of a photographer. To compensate for this fact, Geddes brings in three babies for a shoot that calls for one infant. If one baby starts to cry, a baby who is temporarily less fussy is brought in to complete the shoot. So to get enough babies – and backups – Geddes comes to the United States each year where babies of many different races are more plentiful – an element of her photography that is very important to Geddes.

"To get three African American babies in New Zealand all the same age would be impossible," she says. "African American babies are so divine and they're so beautiful. If I was African American and I picked up Until Now I would feel that the babies were represented. It's wrong what's available to them out there. A very small percentage of them are African American and I'm trying to do something about that."

Geddes' deep care for babies and children extends beyond the lens. Though she's reluctant to talk about it, a portion of the sales from products goes toward the prevention of child abuse and neglect. This started with a calendar in 1992, and now, with Geddes' images being recognized and loved around the world, the money donated to the cause has increased significantly.

"It will always be that cause," she says. "We don't make such a big deal about it. The more we are involved in charity work, the more I want to do it quietly."

A Magic Touch
When asked about her phenomenal success, Geddes points out that there's something about tiny humans that draws people in.

"Babies are the great levelers, aren't they? Everybody loves a baby and babies are common to everybody," Geddes says. "I think a lot of the reason for the success of my images is that most people in their daily lives never come across a newborn baby."

Geddes acknowledges that she also owes her success to Mother Nature, which, in an infant, provides a naturally beautiful image and certain developmental milestones which can help a photographer capture a particular effect.

"Newborn babies do a lot of sleeping. All of the sleeping babies are newborns. I love the idea of a sleeping newborn, particularly at 3 in the morning. They're gorgeous with their heads falling to the side," she says, admitting that her youngest subjects are often eager to sleep. "They've all got very full tummies and they're all in very comfortable positions.

When it comes to the delightfully vivid photos of attentive babies interacting with objects and each other, Geddes photographs 6-month-old babies who are just sitting up and discovering the world around them.

Geddes says the message she's conveying in her images is one of love and potential – a theme that carries over into the one piece of advice she offers new parents: "I would say just relax and love your babies. Give them everything you've got and tell them everyday that you love them. For children to grow up with the absolute confidence that they're loved is the absolute most important thing to them."