How to Take Better Photos of Your Baby

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Anne Geddes’ name is synonymous with colorful images of babies in flowers and toddlers dressed in incredible costumes, all surrounded by fantastical props.

“You walk into an empty studio and you create your own world,” says the Australian photographer who has sold more than 30 million books and calendars in the last 20 years, making her one of the most successful living photographers.

As she worked on her most recent calendar – one featuring infants personifying the 12 signs of the zodiac – Geddes shared with TIME LightBox some of her secrets, revealing tips on how to take better photos of your baby.

For Geddes, babies represent purity. “I hope to represent all of this purity and promise that these new human beings are bringing to all of us.”

To learn Geddes’ secrets, watch the video above.

Anne Geddes is an Australian photographer based in New York.