The moment Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) got her hands on a camera for the first time, she started on her path as a pioneer of photography.

Her work comprises powerful portraits of men, women and children in dreamlike worlds – scenes that powerfully evoke Shakespearean, biblical or historical atmospheres. Technical excellence was never Cameron’s priority, and some critics ridiculed her work. But she continued to follow her own unique path, and paid no heed to technical norms or commercial influences. Today she is regarded as one of the most important and interesting figures in British photography.