c. 1863
A camera from her daughter
For Christmas her daughter and son-in-law gave the 48-year-old Cameron a camera, to amuse her in her solitude at Freshwater while her husband was in Ceylon; a hen-house became her studio and the coal-house her darkroom. She took a lesson from the photographer David Wilkie Wynfield, to whom, she said, she owed “all my attempts and indeed consequently all my success”.
1864
Elected to the Photographic Society of London
In 1864 Cameron compiled albums of her photographs for Watts and Herschel, registered her work and prepared it for exhibition and sale. She was elected to the Photographic Society of London, showing at its annual exhibitions and remaining a member until her death.
1864–1875
Eleven years of photography
Cameron's career as a photographer lasted from 1864 to 1875: in that time she made more than 900 photographs, portraying great Victorians — Darwin, Tennyson, Browning, Longfellow, Herschel, Watts, Trollope, Carlyle and the actress Ellen Terry. The Virgin Mary in her religious scenes was most often played by her housekeeper, Mary Hillier.
1865
Sales through P. & D. Colnaghi
In 1865 Cameron joined the Photographic Society of Scotland and arranged for her prints to be sold through the London dealers P. & D. Colnaghi; demand for them was strong.
August 1865
The South Kensington Museum buys 80 photographs
In August 1865 the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum) bought 80 of her photographs.
November 1865
First solo exhibition
In November 1865 Cameron held her first solo exhibition; her work was shown throughout Europe.