A Letter from Julia Margaret Cameron
Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–1879) 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.
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I like to think of it as a letter but it’s really just an email, and I like to think of it as coming from her but it is really from the curator of the 20th Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers.
In May of 2023 I responded to a call for submissions to this award series by submitting a small collection of recent photographs from my project, The Everyday of Life. The call was open only to women photographers worldwide, both professional and amateur, working in all mediums, styles, and schools of thought.
“Dear Annie. We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations for having been selected at the 20th Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers, receiving an honourable mention award in the professional category.”
The idea of receiving an “honourable mention” has delighted me more that you can imagine. It’s kind of like someone saying that even though you didn’t win a top prize, we just couldn’t ignore how great your photographs are and just have to let everyone know.
The letter goes on to remind me of the series of six images I submitted, and tells me that “this prestigious accolade was juried by esteemed individuals including Elizabeth Avedon (Chair), Ann Jastrab, and Elizabeth Krist.”
It then goes on to say:
“We are truly honoured to recognize your outstanding achievement in the field of photography. Your talent and dedication have earned you this well-deserved recognition amidst a pool of incredibly talented female photographers from all around the world.”
What I haven’t told you yet is that the Julia Margaret Cameron Award is hosted by The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards and by FotoNostrum.
Since 2010, The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards has selected and exhibited hundreds of artists from all over the world helping them to further their careers, and promoting photography appraisal. In 2019 established FotoNostrum, a global gathering site in the heart of Barcelona, with an exhibition space of 9,150 square feet and features solo and collective exhibitions of established photographers and emerging talents.
You probably know what comes next.
“We cordially invite you to participate in the exhibition that will take place in Barcelona in April 2024,”
That’s right. The letter (email) goes on to say:
“And now, for the best part! We cordially invite you to participate in the exhibition that will take place from April to May 2024 at the FotoNostrum Gallery located in Barcelona. An inauguration reception is included.”
“In this 20th edition of the Julia Margaret Cameron Award, we are proud to recognize exceptional talent and dedication in the field of photography. Your work has stood out among numerous submissions, and we are thrilled to include it in our prestigious exhibition.
“The exhibition, gala dinner, and award presentation will take place in Barcelona in April 2024. This special event will be hosted by FotoNostrum, Mediterranean House of Photography, and it will provide a platform to showcase your outstanding photography alongside that of other talented photographers.”
The are lots of other details about the exhibition and how it all works, including how FotoNostrum will cover all the gallery and setup expenses while photographers will be responsible for the cost of printing and framing their work, but the upshot of all this is that – baring any unforeseen issues – I am going to be exhibiting six of my photographs from The Everyday of Life at the FotoNostrum Mediterranean House of Photography in Barcelona, Spain. How great is this?
— The Photographs I’ll be Exhibiting In Barcelona —
Below are the six photographs I’ll be exhibiting at the FotoNostrum Gallery in Barcelona in April and May of 2024. They are all from my current photography project, The Everyday of Life, and were photographed in 2020 and 2021.
This Place Where We Live
— Patuakhali, Bangladesh, 2020
Just outside the town of Patuakhali in southern Bangladesh there is a small, planned residential district where Muslims and Hindi families live side-by-side in small homes along narrow streets. Though poor and sparse, it is a model neighbourhood with everyone working hard to keep it clean and vibrant. This man stands proud in front of his beautiful home.
Unwinding like the Mountains Around Him.
– Quba, Azerbaijan, 2021
The small Azerbaijani city of Quba rests comfortably to the east of the Caucasus mountains, sitting right at their base, right where they begin to unwind and settle down to the shores of the Caspian Sea. Within the city of Quba itself, and resting just as comfortably, this man is enjoying his own moment of peace, unwinding like the mountains around him, taking every in and nothing for granted.
No One Spends the Day Alone.
– Antalya, Türkiye, 2021
The neighbourhood where these women live is a small, close-knit community of lower income families who all seem to know one another well. During the day, when someone is home, front doors are left open and replaced by curtains that are more about shade than privacy. A few chairs are always kept outside as a standing invitation to stay a while. No one ever spends the day alone.
Garbage Collector Entrepreneur.
– Gaziantep, Türkiye, 2021
The rugged terrain and unique motorcycle culture of Gaziantep city have given rise to a small group of lone, rogue bikers who make their living on their bikes, collecting recyclables from garbage bins and city dumps to then sell by weight at the recycling depot.
In other cities throughout Türkiye this is usually done by foot. Men and women wheel a cart up and down the streets, collecting only one of the many types of recyclables out there. But here in Gaziantep, these men, maybe ten or fifteen of them in total, have modified their motorcycle sidecars to be able to carry every type of recyclable they can find. They ride through the city day or night, covering as much ground as they can to earn as much money as they need.
Waiting for You.
– The Town of Lin on Lake Ohrid, Albania
On the highway into and out of the small town of Lin this man sells his fall harvest of onions, potatoes, and his home-made hot pickled peppers preserved in small plastic water bottles. He waits comfortably in the shade throughout the day, but whenever anyone approaches he promptly buttons his jacket and stands straight and proper behind his goods — the perfect gentlemen waiting to greet you.
Man with Arms Outstretched.
– Old Dhaka, Bangladesh
In Old Dhaka everyone is an entrepreneur. Unless you are very well off or very poor you probably own a small shop or workspace, like this man does, and focus your business on a very singular task. Everyone works hard for their money, and most, like this man, are proud of their successes.
— Thank You —
Thank you to The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards, FotoNostrum, and to the curators and judges of this 20th Julia Margaret Cameron Award for giving me honourable mention in prestigious award.
To end this post I’m including links to more information about Julia Margaret Cameron, the awards and award hosts. It’s all great reading:
Julia Margaret Cameron
Julia Margaret Cameron's Wikipedia page.
MoMa’s Arts & Artist has a lots of information about Julia Margaret Cameron’s work, pexhibitions and publications.
Getty Publications’ Virtual Library has posted an online version of Julia Margaret Cameron: the Complete Photographs Julian Cox, Colin Ford, Joanne Lukitsh, Philippa Wright.
Britannica also has a page on Julia Margaret Cameron and photography in the Victorian era.
Fotonostrum Mediterranean House of Photography
Their official website is here at Fotonostrum.com
The FotoNostrum Magazine is available by subscription but some issues are also available online for free.
Worldwide Photography Gala Awards
The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards continues to showcase their award winners and exhibitions. You could spend hours on their site.
— The Everyday of Life Photography Project —
This post has included photography from The Everyday of Life photography project. I invite you to visit my project website and enjoy the photo series from Bangladesh and other locations. I also invite you to visit and follow my Instagram posts @theeverydayoflife.
