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About the Photographer:
Julia Margaret Cameron was born in Calcutta, India, in June 1815. She was known for creating “fancy portraits”, which is the art historical term for an imaginary portrait of a real or literary character. Cameron was inspired by the poets of the 19th century, such as Lord Alfred Tennyson and Lord Byron the 6th. She also alluded to mythological and biblical themes. Some examples of this include her portraits of Circe (1865), Cassiopeia (1866), King Lear Allotting Kingdom to Three Daughters (1872), and the Parting of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere (1874). Sometimes, she purposely softened the focus, or allowed the subject to move slightly, in order to create a blurred effect that would demonstrate the life of the subject.
We chose Julia Margaret Cameron because I, as an avid reader and aspiring author, really love to understand the story behind the pictures. Thus, Cameron's style of recreating characters of history or literature with her portraits really appealed to me. I realized while making the project that, as much as I would like to put solely my own influence and ideas into the photography and my writing, I must also leave room for the observer and reader to interpret my work for themselves. Thus, selected ambiguity is important.
