A photograph of the photographer; Source: Britannica

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Julia opened the Christmas present. She unwrapped with a joy that knew no bounds, after all, it was a gift that was given by her daughter. She didn’t really care about the contents of the box but this gift was to change her life. It was a camera. For years she had harboured an interest in photography, and this camera was going to turn it into a burning passion. At the age of 48, Margaret Cameron finally found her calling.

Born to a British family working in the East India Company on 11 June 1815, Julia had a rather fancy upbringing. She was schooled in France but never caught on to the timid demeanour of French elite woman. The Pattle sisters were confident young women who did not shy away from baffling men with their wit and outspokenness.

Once Julia fell sick and went to Cape Town with her family. There she met Charles Hay Cameron, a lawyer 20 years older than her and the love of her life. The couple got married in Calcutta and settled down in India.

During those times, the city was a kernel of a budding social culture of the British where elites, both English and Indian, threw lavish parties flaunting their money.

> It was a performance that would stamp a family’s position as the high class of the town and like a good homemaker, Julia devoted herself to hosting the best events.

A regular guest at these parties was photochemist Sir John Herschel, a friend and the godfather of her daughter. They would talk about new developments in the world of photography and he once sent her calotypes and daguerreotypes. These were the first pictures that Marget lay her eyes on; needless to say, she couldn’t take them off.

> Fate then took Julia back to London where she was plunged into a culture of art and literature. It was only in the 1860s that she began working in photography. A chicken coop became her studio and her career as a portraitist got initiated.

While she was an amateur, she worked extensively to copyright, publicise and publish her work.

After clicking pictures of various high profile clients, she was admitted into the Photographic Society of Scotland. Julia’s first exhibition, *The Fruits of the Spirit*, proved to be a huge success and people all over Europe became fans of her prints.

> The Victoria and Albert Museum did not only purchase her pictures but also offered a place in its building to be used as a studio.

As her career ascended to new heights of success, tragedy soon gripped her. Julia’s daughter died in childbirth, her husband fell ill and the family plantations in Sri Lanka were attacked by fungus. Along with her husband, she travelled to Sri Lanka in the hope of living with her sons.

Margaret took her equipment with her but this move turned into a move away from photography. Her interest in it decreased and so did the number of clicks. She fell sick and eventually gave in to the illness on 26 January 1879.

In her lifetime, her work remained debated. Many pointed out the amateurish roughness in her portraits. It was only after her death that Margaret got the praise that she deserved. The 900 pictures that she clicked in a span of 12 years had a significant impact on photography and her close-ups have been labelled as pioneering. Cameron was a driving force in many ways, no wonder why the photographs clicked by her remain a piece of art in themselves.

With a camera in her hand and a desire to make something out of her love of it, Margaret produced beautiful frames of some of the influential people of her time. Her story proves that there is no right age to chose your passion. The key is to go where your heart is