Butterfly baby

This Anne Geddes postcard is from Lucía (Czech Republic), through FB-swap.
(Received in June, 2012)

Anne Geddes does not audition babies for use as models because they are "too unpredictable". Instead, she keeps in touch with multiple birth and twin clubs, and has thousands of photographs on file that parents have sent her. Geddes travels to the United States every year in search of black infants to photograph, as New Zealand has a very small black population. A typical sitting takes place in the morning when the babies are well-rested, and lasts about half an hour, otherwise the babies get too bored or fussy. "You have to be really fast," Geddes says about getting good shots. She sets up her studio in advance—props, lighting, cameras and equipment—so that all the baby or babies have to do is sit. Many of her props are custom made, such as over-sized shoes and flowerpots. She keeps the babies' parents nearby for extra assistance with expressions.