Julia Margaret Cameron 1864–1875

Julia Cameron, the first famous woman photographer. She began he career as a photographer at a late age of 48 after receiving a camera as a gift. Julia made everyone model for her whether they were friends, family, servants or residents of her hometown Freshwater. She had connections through her husband and was able to move up into some of the highest circles of society in England and take their portraits. And overtime became well known for her celebrity photographs. Most of her photography was not appreciated at the time and went away from the norm of portraits but she did many close ups and tried to capture the essence of the models which helped inspire more modern photographers.

Francis Firth 1822-1898

An English man who came from a Quaker family. Firth is most notable for his photographic concentration in the Middle East as well as creating the biggest photography firm.  In 1843 he suffered a nervous breakdown but after a few years of travel he began to become more stable and made himself a very successful businessman. Firth help founded the Liverpool Photographic Society in 1853. Firth is most notable for his traveling and exotic (mainly architectural) photography. 

Roger Fenton

Fenton is most recognized for being the first photographer to go out and get extensive photographic documents of war. (More specifically the "Crimson War"). Fenton became the official photographer and with his assistant set up their darkroom in a wagon. They used Acher's wet-collodion photographic process and took around 360 pictures of the war. The pictues were not really about emotions of agony of the war but more of the simple more factual things of war. When returning back home to England his photographs were displayed in both England and France. He finally retired from photography and went into practicing law.

Frederick Scott Archer 1813-1857

Frederick Archer is most well known for his single achievement that made photography available for the general public. This achievement is called the "Wet Plate Collodion Process" published in The Chemist in 1848. In publishing this article he knowingly didn't patent it and gave this discovery as a gift the the rest of the world. Archer later became a sculptor using photography as a very useful way t capture the images of subjects. Sadly because he did not patent his process he made very little money off of it and died impoverished.

Hill and Adamson

Hill was originally a landscape painter and had made a name for himself at the age of 19. He helped found the "Royal Scottish Academy" and helped run it for 40 years. Hill decided he wanted to do portraits and asked for the help of Adamson, who at this time was a chemist. Adamson had been experimenting calotype photographic process. Because of Hill's status, they made portraits of some of the most prominent delegates who, other prominent Scots watched and wished to have their portraits made. Hill and Adamson preferred the Calotype because a) it was less expensive. b.) it got rid of extreme detail so they could control lighting better c.) gestures and expressions could be the focus and d.) overall they were able to emphasize the models's personality rather than the technicalness found in Daguerretype photography. Hill after Adsamson died at a young age. Went back to painting and abandoned photography temporarily.

Henry Fox Talbot

Henry Talbot was a chemist, linguist, archaeologist and considered another pioneer photographer. Henry had taken Daguerre's process and had created a better version of it in 1840 called it the calotype. Unlike Daguerre's processes Henry's processes used "paper negatives". Where were essentially contact prints on paper that was highly light-sensitive that multiple prints could be made. If he had made his announcement he instead of Louis Daguerre would probably have been known as the founder of photography. In 1841 Talbot patented the process and lost many friends because he refused to share his knowledge of the process. He also created the first book with photographic illustrations.

Louis Daguerre 1787-1851

Louis was a initially a French inventor who was a scene painter for the opera and in 1822 opened an exhibit of viewings that he created that were affected by changes in lighting. In 1826 Nicephore found out all about what Daguerre was doing and in 1829 signed a partnership with Louis. Sadly it was a very short one, due to Nicephore's death in 1833. After Nicephore's death however Louis continued experimenting. And 1835, an accident happened a very important accident as some of the most famous inventions happen. Louis discovered that by exposing an iodized silver plate (which he had placed in his chemical cupboard) that a image had developed on the plate. The description of this process was announced at the Academy of Sciences.

Nicephore (Josheph) Niepce 1833-1765

Nicephore came from a wealthy family (his father being a lawyer), so durning the French revolution him an his whole family fled. He is most famous for the world's first "photograph" that was produced in 1825. Nicephore was a pioneer in the field of photography creating photographic etchings in the 17th century, such as a man with a horse and a woman spinning a wheel. Nicephore was around when the camera obscura was out but he had a very uneasy hand and couldn't race the images from the obscura. By this frustration it attempted to create an image permanently, experimenting with lithography.

Letter #4- Nesta

Hello my dearest cousin. I know we don't see each other as much as we used to, but  I want you to know, no matter what you will always be just as important to me. You have always been like my brother and all of my best memories are when I was little with you and my Dad. We were raised side my side by very special and unique people and we wouldn't be who we are today without them and one another. I hope you know I will always be right there by your side when you need me. We may both be in a very busy and formative time in life, but know when the crazy climb of "growing up" levels out again, we will be just as close as we always were. I think about you and how you are everyday and no matter what I will always be your little sis that will hide behind you when I feel shy or scared. Just like when we were little. I love you.
-Lizzy

Letter #3 Dad

Dear Papabear-
 cWhen I'm writing this I am envision your cheshire cat, contagious smile in my mind, 3 long agonizing years have passed since I heard your voice and laugh. I can alway recollect every moment; every second and memory between us. They were our happiest. Most of the time.. I get flashbacks every once in a while, when we pass our favorite restaurant, or hear a joke you used to tell, when I see any cowboy boots I smile. The other day I saw a pair of cowboy boots with a dragon engraved on them. You would have loved them. You are my inspiration in life, no one could be so creative or inventive as you, loving or kind. I remember hours you spent playing guitar to me, rocking my on Tookie Tookie (pictured above). You did everything for me when I was little, you made me feel like a princess..always. Since I was born till now, you have been my hero. You were my entire world growing up and although I couldn't always be there I know I was yours as well. In reality we were in our own little world. But one day I stepped out of "our" world and into the real world, or friends and being a teenager. I know that broke your heart and I am eternally sorry. But Dad you are the best Dad I could ever have, I love you with all my heart. It was easy to love you we all knew that. But letting you go was the hardest thing I have ever done. In my eyes you were perfect. My goof ball of a dad, you are the most creative person I could ever meet, you had so many unfulfilled dreams, but I knew you had weaknesses and you did try to hid them so well. I know you tried your best to be the best dad you knew how to be. There are so many things to say, but this letter could go on forever. Losing you, Dad, has caused a colossal emptiness inside. But I am still working out my anger,  I'll get there though. I'll forgive you. I swear. For as they say "Forgiveness is the final form of love" and I will never stop loving you. I love you as your daughter, your best friend and your world. Forever and always. Muah. 
Your one and only baby, 
Lizzy


P.S. I can't seem to keep "I Can't Keep My Eyes Off Of You" out of my head. 

Letter # 2 Chloe

Chloe, my love-

Who would have ever thought we'd be best friends? What two children could be more different? But growing up with you has been one of the best gifts in my life because you have been my rock. I know you say I am yours but you have kept me grounded when my life fell apart. I don't know where I would be without you. No matter how crappy my day is, or how upset or angry I am or hating the world, you always are there for me. To listen to me rant, to let me cry on your should when I needed you the most, and the rest of the world walked out on me. You were there the moment my world came crashing down, and you are the only one who saw my pain that day. I know we never talk about it, but it is something I always remember. But I don't think we could find more different best friends. I was practically a boy, in my oversized t-shirts, knee high socks and boy hair cuts who could name any fact about goats, dogs or horses. (god help me) and you in your preppy polos and skirts, and packing on make-up the second you got a chance. It was you sole goal to make me wear a dress and look at us now.  If it were not for countless hours at family functions I doubt we would even be friends. Do you remember how much we hated one another when we were little? We finally found a mutual love of horses and you brought me into the world of fashion and I brought you into the world of well...weird organic foods and hippie incense haha. You are one of the strong most beautiful person I know. You stood by me and my lowest point and never left my side, and when I couldn't celebrate my 16th birthday because of unfortunate circumstances? You planned a surprise 16 1/2. Who does that? An angel perhaps. Chloe, you have always made me feel welcomed among your friends, and I cannot wait for us to get back for Thanksgiving and share everything. I miss you so terribly darling. Thank you for being a part of my life.
Love your cousin,
Lizzy

Letter #1 - Mom

Dear Mom-
 To simply put it I love you. You are the most beautiful person I have and will ever have the privilege of knowing. Your entire life you've been forced to be strong, and you've proven to be one of the strongest rocks in my life. And you never give yourself the credit. Don't ever question the way you raised me, you helped me become the person I am to day and have done so much for me. You gave me strength when I needed it most. And you had to be strong for me, you had to do what was right for me, for us, when I was little and even though we had nothing you managed to make me feel like I had the entire world. Even though we struggled up until a few years ago, remember I always loved you and always will. You have become my role model mom, and more recently my best friend. Our talks have come to be some of my favorite times with you. We can talk about anything, something I'd never thought we'd come to be able to do. Watching you struggle with your health has been one of the hardest things on me. I know you try to hide how sick you are and I appreciate that I do. I want you to also realize that I'm not that innocent little girl anymore. I am here to love, help and support you. Remember that always. You have helped me with any conflict in my life, and you became my greatest support three years ago. I don't know what I would have done without you there Mom. It was one of the hardest things we both went through but you were there holding my hand 100% of the way. Like I said to you when I was 6 I will still always need to snuggle with you. You may be anciently old and I may have gained 400 lbs but listening to your heart will always be my greatest comfort. Just know I love you. And you are the cutest woman alive. I tell people this constantly, I'm sure it annoys them but till my last breath I will never stop telling people and I will never cease to love you even after this life. And like we talked about that one day, no matter the life time we will be with one another.
I love you forever and always.
-Your daughter.

August 13, 2011
Went on a walk today scouting out good places to try to take some pictures, out of no where this Setter mix comes out of the ocean log in mouth and runs up to me, shakes of course and then just comes up to me and sat with it's head against my hand. He proceeded to then fall asleep. I spent the day with this dog on the shore, until it's owner called it from a few houses down. He was such a love, and something felt so familiar with him. Reminded me of my dogs I suppose.

August 12th, 2011
So we arrived in Maine. It is BEAU-tiful, absolutely breath taking. We got in right at sunset and pulled up to this brilliant white house at the waters edge. I ran inside made myself a cup of tea and sat on the porch with my family and watched the sun radiate on the ocean while it set. There was something so calming and tranquil about this, not a sound in the air but the wind. All silently enjoying each others company. This scene created a moment of pure nirvana in my day, a time, a moment in my day I just sat and existed. It was blissful.

August 11th, 2011
So it's my last day in Tucson until we leave for Maine with my family. So what better way to spend it outside with my two dogs Maggie aka "Moose" (195 pound mastiff) and Lexy (pictured above). It was so simple, to be with my two girls. To be around unconditional love is something of a treasure and these two give it constantly but most of the time I've been to busy to pay attention to them. Sitting out on the porch with them enjoying the day was amazing. To look at them and see nothing but love in another beings eyes, no hate, judgement, jealousy. Simply love. And to be in a relationship of only love, it is the greatest gift to be given. I just need to remember to: stop, breath and appreciate and remember how simple things like this can melt away any worries and troubles. And all they ask in return is to be loved. I can do that.

                                                                       August 10th, 2011
This is a picture I had taken of my Grandfather, who recently passed away from Cancer. (writing this presently) This is him in his last phase, what really amazed me was this peacock was absolutely drawn to him no matter where my Grandfather went this peacock followed. I found it symbolic and beautiful. Here is a man his whole life who has been a proud man, never needing help and stubborn as hell. But once cancer began to spread the weaker he got, he had to rely on everyone else, do what people told him and his youth gone, along with his pride. But here was this beautiful, proud creature who was magnificent. It was such a bold contrast. And almost a representation of the past and the present. My grandfather could not stop smiling at this bird, it was one of the first times he seemed amused and curious. I will remember this always.