Julia Margaret Cameron
We rarely present photography, mostly because of the copyrights. But tomorrow is World Photography Day so let's talk about legendary 19th century photographer Julia Margaret Cameron.
Julia Margaret Cameron was a British photographer who is considered one of the most important portraitists of the 19th century. She is known for her soft-focus close-ups of famous Victorian men and women; for illustrative images depicting characters from mythology, Christianity, and literature; and for sensitive portraits of men, women, and children.
Toward the end of August 1874, Alfred, Lord Tennyson suggested to Cameron that she attempt a photographic illustration of his Idylls of the King (1872), a collection of poetry he had written over a period of nearly 40 years. Her response was typically enthusiastic: “Now you know, Alfred, that I know that it is immortality to me to be bound up with you.” The enormous production costs and labor involved in such a venture were no deterrent—Tennyson was the finest poet in the land, and Cameron, by association, hoped for both financial gain and further validation of her status as an artist. She was determined to demonstrate that photography was the equal any other form of book illustration.
Cameron began a search for models who would exactly personify the character in the Idylls. She employed her husband, nieces, friends, and visitors and went to great lengths in order to fit them to the most appropriate narrative. For The Parting of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere she purportedly expended 42 negatives before she achieved the desired result. Her principal difficulty was in finding the right model to perform the role of Sir Lancelot; she eventually found a porter at the local Yarmouth pier whom she considered suitable.
Cameron’s picture describes the final embrace of the tragic lovers before they part forever.
P.S. Here you can discover 13 groundbreaking female photographers!