Betsy Cameron: In Her Own Words
"When looking back at my career as a photographer, designer and artist, each transition in my life brought the experience and knowledge necessary for growth, and kept me moving forward to the next step in my journey.
"I began working on the far side of the camera lens, As a Ford model, I was privileged to watch some of the finest photographers in the world at work. From them I learned the fundamentals of photography and lighting and perspective. A chance meeting with 12-year-old Brooke Shields and Lisanne Falk stimulated my interest in friendship and childhood. This first first foray into photography ended up as a book, a made-for-TV movie and a number of magazine articles.
"Now officially on the other side of the camera, my interest in photographing children to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Three months in Cambodian refuge camps gave me the opportunity to share what I had learned to help others, and I was able to help reunite over 2,000 'unattached minors' back with their families.
"Returning to to the US, I began my own family, and I was determined to give my children healthy, happy childhoods. As time progressed every child who stopped by ended up in front of my camera. Their openness, honesty and love of dress-up brought a playful energy to our home. Cards, calendars, books and gallery shows resulted, and I am proud to say, my posters of childhood replaced hot cars and celebs in many college dorms. A particular black-and-white image, Two Children, became internationally popular and appealed to generations of all ages.
"My hand-painted images of innocence and childhood caught the caught the attention of Lexington Furniture, and working with their designers I created childrens' furniture and home accessories branded 'Betsy Cameron's Children.'
"I believe God has given me talent and opportunities meant to be shared. Therefore, my aesthetic is a reminder of the gift of friendship, the timelessness of childhood and the beauty of the natural world around us.
"My proudest achievement is being a working mother. But, like old age, it is not for sissies."
