National Geographic Photographer Brings Her Kids to Work
Posted on June 24, 2008 - Filed Under News, Photo | Visited 192 Times
Balancing work with a social life can be a challenge even for single photographers, but adding a husband and two kids to the mix can lead to disaster, or worse, a desk job.
Annie Griffiths Belt found the perfect solution, bringing her family along for the ride. After 20 years of marriage and 18 years of parenting, the 55-year-old National Geographic photographer’s plan is a proven success. Her daughter Lily, 18, is about to begin her freshman year of college with plans to become a physician and Charlie, 15, is attending high school.
Lily and Charlie Belt spent much of their childhood away from home, living for months at a time on every continent but Antarctica. Griffiths Belt says that spending all that time away from school, while difficult, was a positive influence in her children’s development. “I think it enhanced both their education and their social lives,” she said. “They’re very flexible kids; they’re very open to new cultures and new experiences.”
As her kids developed open minds and a level of flexibility many parents could only dream of, Griffiths Belt continued to develop as a photographer. She explored the world with her camera, while Lily and Charlie explored with their nanny, never far from their parents.
A year before her first child was born, in 1988, Griffiths Belt married National Geographic correspondent Don Belt. As a family the Belts travel together whenever possible, often working on the same assignments. But now that her children are growing older, missing school is no longer an option. Staying together is no less a priority now, however, so Griffiths Belt says she’s adjusted her schedule to accommodate those of her children, traveling for long periods of time only during the summer.
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