Say YES to opportunity…
My office in Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii. Every day is spent barefoot on the beach.
Insights into what my office looks like on location, what my work entails, how I arrived there and who makes it all possible!
A run(A)way life
My Google timeline says (aside from home and Sainsbury’s) my most visited place is Antigua.
Then comes the Canaries, the US, three African countries (my mum is in Cape Town), and, most recently, Hawaii. Commuting never sounded so glamorous and no office boasts the views I get to enjoy for up to three months a year.
My cat Impi - whom I adore - giving me the cold shoulder when I get home.
Unexpected side effects include more frequent flyer accounts than camera lenses, owning two pairs of compression socks, experiencing leaving home in the morning - travelling for 24 hours - and arriving on another continent the same day(!), becoming an expert at packing my kit in under 10 hours, realising how ‘samey’ the inside of airports can be, and having a very grumpy cat who refuses to speak to me for weeks after I get home.
You need a passport and a pelicase
My camera, a treasured Canon R5, is my golden passport to the most wonderful adventures around the globe; the much coveted World’s Toughest Row - a series of premium ocean rowing events spanning the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans where I am fortunate to photograph hundreds of inspirational humans at the start and the finish. I’ve also worked with a dog charity and agility champions in the US, product lifestyle destination shoots for various clients, volunteered for a charity sports event crossing three countries and a canoe marathon. All this, on top of a wonderful, sustaining client base in the UK. A new client, Marisha, gave a unique perspective in her review of my work recently:
“I’ve hired over 200 photographers in 15 years, for my clients and myself, so I know how rarely professional competence and creative thinking attributes are found together. Add to this a calm, highly perceptive, gentle spirit, able to take control and do what is needed to achieve the task. Penny rates in the top five for me.” Marisha Romer, Aug 2023
My seat and tray table
My assignments away have redefined work for me. I spend my time barefoot on a beach, wading up to chest height in the sea (fully clothed with camera held aloft), clambering aboard a motor boat in the dark, or for sunrises and sunsets - sometimes in the heat of the day - bouncing through waves, winds and squalls, travelling through game park dust for hours, lying on the rocking dockside trying to get a low shot or being winched up a boat mast for a high shot (I keep swearing to buy a drone but never do!), following a winding river through it’s various stages, watching cyclists cross dry river beds and crocodile infested rivers in flood on the same day, and marvelling at the size and texture of US cities and the strangely familiar rural landscapes.
Destination shoot for Black Tot Rum photographed at the 1Hotel Hanalei Bay, Hawaii.
Destination shoot for The Panama Hat Company at Fisherman’s Pier, Monterey, California.
Destination shoot for Lintbells. Jenn Crank ambassador for YuMove in New York State.
Destination shoot for Sens07vest in English Harbour, Antigua.
The Nedbank Tour de Tuli four day cycle through through three African countries for Children in the Wilderness. My brother took part with the SwissRe team.
Destination shoot: Lorima travel towels photographed in Hermanus, South Africa.
Destination shoot for Ivan Bar at Misty Cliffs in Cape Town, South Africa.
Mariesa Hughes from The Mr Mo Project, a charity for senior dogs in Clifton Park, New York.
Dusi Canoe River Marathon photographed in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Yes! That’s my brother Cam again.
Fasten your seatbelt
I’m often asked how I landed these photography gigs. Adventure and endurance challenges are part of my brother’s DNA and when I followed him to La Gomera in 2017 (say YES to random invitations) and saw the World’s Toughest Row set off for the first time, I knew I wanted to be part of the media team (dream big), sharing the athlete’s wonderfully inspirational stories. I kept turning up at the race, capturing different angles, (show up as your best self every time) and by the 2019/20 crossing got the call I had been wishing and hoping for. My life changed overnight - and, as you can imagine, this gig has led to many more opportunities.
World’s Toughest Row: My brother Cam and his team Pacific Discovery arriving into Hanalei Bay after 34 days at sea.
Dreams-come-true stuff is only possible with my cabin crew
My family. My friends. My clients. My colleagues. And iconic photographers who inspire me with their work. Thank you for putting your trust in me and giving me the freedom to dream big, say yes, and turn up for crazy adventures with my camera.
My last evening in Hawaii. Watching the sunset from Hanalei Bay Pier (both in and out of the water) is a daily ritual for locals and visitors to this iconic, historic place.
