Penny Stephens

Bio 

I've been a photographer for 25 years. Most of that time has been at The Age in Melbourne; I got my start there when the picture department was short and needed someone to cover the lawn bowls.

I've been to Afghanistan with the Australian army. I covered the Black Saturday fires and the Beaconsfield mine disaster. I've also covered sport, fashion and features in my time, but my passion is news.

Most of all I love meeting everyday people in their homes, seeing and sharing a little slice of their lives and hopefully making a beautiful portrait of them. Often I meet them at a defining moment in their lives.

Expertise

· News, editorial, photojournalism and portraits.

· Shooting and filing photos and video from breaking news stories as they unfold for any medium.

· Strong editorial judgement.

· Video and audio as well as pictures for  longform platforms.

· Operate Phantom 4 and Mavic Pro drones

· Advanced lighting, with speedlights and Elinchrom portables.

· Persuasive when required but also able to put people at ease.

· Know the right story angle.

· Work quickly and calmly.

· Highly organised, practical and creative.

· Proficient with Photoshop CC and Lightroom CC to edit, crop and colour correct large volumes of photos.

· Strong and productive professional relationships.