Julia Cameron

Julia Margaret Cameron was born on June 11th 1815 in India. She was the second of seven daughters. Her father, James Pattle, was an Englishman, and her mother Adeline Pattle was of French descent. In 1838 she married Charles Cameron. She was educated in France and England traveled to South Africa with her parents, returned to India with her husband, and then took her family to England after her husband’s retirement in 1848.
Julia Margaret Cameron was among the most original British photographers of the 19th century. Ms. Cameron was very distinguished in contrast of her sisters due to her generosity, ardent enthusiasms and artistic talents. When Julia was 48 years old her daughter gave her a camera as a gift and consequently she started photography very late in her life. She found that photography was an ideal outlet for her creative talents. She produced most of her work from home and she developed her own darkroom. Most of the people that she photographed were from her own family, personal social circle and many prominent figures in the community. The collection of her works indicated the ambition of an artist whose career lasted little more than a decade. In less than ten years she was able to produce a collection of art contributing significantly to the world of photography.
She photographed people, historical scenes and literacy works. She experienced her inspiration from literacy works and paintings by Raphael, Giotto, and Michelangelo. Her photography was unconventional and she consistently created a blue hue due to exposure time that was too long. The subject would move and she would leave the lens out of focus purposely. She used the soft-focus lens and very dramatic lighting effects. She was more interested in the spiritual depth of her art, than in technical perfection. Her technical ability was often criticized, but her portraits were considered exceptional in quality. She remains known for her unique portraits of famous men and romantic, allegorical images of women. She quickly gained mastery of the art of photography and developed into one of photography’s most noteworthy pioneers and innovators.
I love this photo by Julia Cameron. It’s so intriguing. Even though the lighting is a little dark the details, with such a contrast of light and shadowing, gives the photography a 3 d effect. The way that the young lady is resting her head on the background is phenomenal. The background is interesting but not overwhelming to the photo’s main subject. Looking at her holding the necklace with her hand gives me insight that maybe she misses someone or she is waiting for someone to come for her, a lover perhaps. The young lady and her dress are very beautiful and I feel that Ms. Cameron really captured her beauty and the emotions that the girl is experiencing.