SuicideGirls

Get To Know A Photographer Q&A - @penny

1. How long have you been a photographer?
A: I have been shooting for SuicideGirls since 2018 so about 3+ years now.
2. Why did you choose to pursue a career as a photographer?
A: I decided to pursue a career as a photographer since I was in the Midwest and not near an SG team photographer, I had started recruiting girls locally in my city, but found it hard to get them shot for the site. I also was starting to travel more and attend shootfests and wanted to become a model/photographer like @milloux and @saria who were inspirations to me! I had gone to a private art school for college and had taken a basic photography class, but had all the background in art with regards to composition, aesethetics, and having an "eye" for art. I had drawn and painted for the majority of my life before that, but found it was not always deemed as a "practical" skill unfortunately. Photography was applicable to where my life was going so I made the switch. My good friend @writeboy mentored me and taught me how to shoot in the "SG style". I hosted a small shootfest with my recruits @kahlia @denvermaxx and @skyy (all turned pink from that event) and second shot behind him, while he gave me a crash course in shooting and I learned from that experience, then kept practicing over the years.
3. Besides photography what are your interests/hobbies?
A: I love to travel -- I think everyone can tell from my Instagram or stories I am usually jet setting as much as humanly possible I love seeing the world, meeting new people, visiting my friends all over the world, making memories, living my life, etc. I enjoy playing D&D, a lot of you may know about my all SuicideGirls D&D campaign called "Roll Like A Girl" we stream that on Twitch, I'm a bit too busy at the moment with my positions with SG to actively stream right now, but I hope to find the time to play again soon as it's really fun and I love breaking the stereotypes that table top rpgs are for boys only. Modeling is of course a large part of my life too, when I'm not behind the camera, I'm in front of it. Fitness is big for me too, I love to do acro yoga (look it up), gogo-dancing, pole dancing, aerial circus arts (I used to perform), I enjoy jogging through my local cemetery #healthgoth, going on hikes, swimming, etc.
4. What are your 5 favorite SG shots?
A: @sash in Fawn -- Such an iconic SG and ultra muse! I adore Sash every time we collaborate, she's such a doll! I love how she is 100% genuinely herself and comfortable in her sets. She has the baby blue eyes, perfect pout, amazing charisma, and poses automatically. Makes it so easy to shoot, and she is down to earth and so sweet. I love this shot in particular for the eye contact and sultryness.
@arachnie in an upcoming set in the queue -- Arachnie is another model I have shot multiple times now and I just adore her! She looks like pink is her natural hair color, her smile is infectious, gorgeous eyes, and is a model's model entirely. I really enjoy this shot with the foreground blurred and focusing on her looking so comfy and cute. It looks very natural, which I like a lot. I also just really enjoy Arachnie which helps me like the photo even more because I feel like I captured her personality in the shot.

-- Hex looks like if a model were a Renaissance painting. She makes me feel what a Rembrandt feels like: dark, moody, dynamic, and historic. If that makes sense. Like if a figure from an oil painting jumped out and was moving around in modern day. This set I really love in general for the sensual shapes and poses we got. This shot in particular I tried to pay homage to The Girl With The Pearl Earring by Vermeer. With the earring dangling, the face angle, and expression. It's like a page out of my art history book from college. I borrowed Hex those earrings for this shoot as they reminded me of Lost Boys dangly earrings, which also fit her look. I was definitely geeking out about art history while I shot her, she looks and feels historic to me.

@dollyd in Lush -- I have a few favorite things Dolly, water, and plants and they all collided in this set. I love how the motion and flow of this set is so epic, the moving water translated really well and worked in this set. I love shooting through and hiding behind plants when I shoot. This shot in particular I love because it feels very voyeuristic as if you're walking upon her doing her thing and you glimpsed something you shouldn't have.
@denvermaxx + @sunniejones in Sleeping In -- I have very particular and strong feelings about multis. I think they should be shot with models that are actually into each other OR models that are very good friends and comfortable with one another. Or a combo of both. My least favorite thing in a multi is when the models stare vacantly at the camera with deer in the headlight eyes, limply holding hands and loosely touching one another half heartedly while they focus more on their individual poses vs. posing together. That did not happen in this multi. Here we have Maxx and Sunnie with deep gazes, lots of touching, passion, sensual kisses, playful smiles and enjoyment. This shot in particular has all of my favorite elements in it, it is naturally backlit to hell with soft light enveloping the models, crisp white background like a canvas, the girls are focusing in the heat of the moment and the shot oozes anticipation and feels like a fuzzy dream. I love this multi as well because we shot in in 45 minutes at 7AM in Chicago right before I had to get on my plane home, which I literally almost missed, I walked onto the plane and they shut the cabin door behind me with one minute to spare. I really hope this one makes it to the Front Page one day 🤞

5: Which is your favorite lens? Why?
A: I'm a one trick pony, I only use a 50mm 1.4 😅 I always am meaning to upgrade and expand my lens collection, but glass is very expensive! The 50mm 1.4 is great though gives me the prettiest bokeh, awesome for portraits (which is really what an SG set is), the fixed / prime lens is crisp. I know it inside out like the back of my hand at this point. Sucks to be in a small location in my bts photos you will always see me squished up against a wall or in the corner LOL. Because I can't zoom with my lens I am the zoom I have to walk forward and backwards. I would love to get a 20-70mm at some point to give me a bit more range in those tight places, send tips plz lol 😂
6. Whose work has influenced you most?
A: @writeboy was my mentor and I always look to his work as the gold standard for an SG set. I also looked up to @cherry for her photography, she shot a ton of girls during the time I was admiring SG and the idea of modeling was just an idea in the back of my head, but she was shooting the girls who inspired me to become a model. She has a really special way of capturing the girls and making it feel like you could reach out and touch them or like you were in the same room as the girl, which is super cool. I think the girls look so natural in her sets as well. I always strive for that. I would love to pick her brain about photography sometime.
7. What one superpower would you want and why?
A: Teleportation, easy. No more airplane rides or Ubers/Lyfts! ✈️I would save so much time with commuting and could accomplish so much more! I could pop in and check up on my friends all over the world whenever I want. Also, how rad would it be to be able to teleport away from any award situation, hook up, or date if you weren't feeling it/didn't want to be there or do a walk of shame. Priorities lmao.
8. What kind of gear do you use?
A: I use a Nikon D850, a 50mm 1.4 lens, and the natural light of whatever the ☀️ is giving me that day. And my imagination 🧠I keep it so simple. I've never shot with flash or lighting gear and have no interest in that. Wouldn't mind another lens or two to add to my camera bag!
9. What is the most rewarding part of being a photographer for you?
A: Forever, it will be seeing a model's confidence boost in front of me and giving them the gift of seeing themselves as perfect exactly how they are. Their face lighting up and smiling. That makes it so worth it. Sometimes, a model starts a shoot nervous/unsure of themselves or self conscious about having stretch marks, cellulite, weight they want to lose, a part of their body they are self conscious about etc. all the bullshit society makes women obsess and freak out over and create insecurity about. As I shoot seeing them become more comfortable and gaining confidence is so rewarding. Showing a girl back of camera and seeing their face light up and go "OMG THAT'S ME?!" or "I CAN'T BELIEVE I LOOK LIKE THAT!" in a positive way because they haven't viewed themselves as beautiful before. I've had girls cry tears of happiness over accepting their bodies/faces/image etc. and feeling body positivity. And for girls who are already confident and comfortable I love to continue to build their self love. I think having this relationship with yourself and loving yourself allows the girls to be more successful and assertive in all parts of their life and it is a ripple effect that makes them more independent and bad ass. It really is an honor and a joy to shoot women and empower them. And to shoot women as a woman is also important to me. A lot of 18+/adult imagery is put out by men, which I am not speaking poorly about men -- that is not the point of this topic. But, it is important to have representation from a woman's perspective in the industry and not just the "male gaze". I am so happy to lend my creative eye as a female artist.
10. What kind of tools do you use for post processing?
A: Sort in Bridge, color correct/light adjust in Lightroom, touch ups for skin/blemishes/eyes etc. are done in Photoshop. No secrets there. I don't use filters I try to keep my images true to color as much as possible. I am just a perfectionist so it takes me a long time to edit.
11. What does photography mean to you?
A: To me it means expression of a moment in time, made tangible and immortalizing it.

12. If you could time travel, when/where would you go?
A: I would time travel to a Type O Negative show when Peter Steele was younger and alive/in his prime and shoot my shot for my ultimate groupie fantasy. Haha! ;)
13. What is the most difficult part of being a photographer for you?
A: Time for editing. I'm a perfectionist and my sets take awhile to edit, but a pretty good amount land on the Front Page, so I would rather keep the quality high than churn out a bunch of lower quality sets quickly. I juggle so many elements in my life and a lot of things I never have publicly shared on social media that I am obligated to in my personal life, so it is hard when models are upset with my editing process if my turnaround time is longer. I try to be very upfront and tell girls it just takes time, but is worth the wait.
14. What makes the good picture stand out from the average?
A: I think that everyone has their own taste. Art is subjective, I learned that the hard way in art school. One teacher would tell me they hated my work and I needed to change everything, while another loved it and said change nothing. Some people prefer an impulsive shot and other want perfect focus, quality, framing, etc. To each their own. If someone likes something they don't need to explain why, they just like it.
15. What inspires you?
A: I get inspired over so many things, the way a girl's hair falls just right, a smirk, someone's gorgeous eyes, the shapes models can make that shows off the stunning beauty of the female form. There is a lot going on in my mind, but at the core it is to create art and express female sexuality / the female form and show the essence of what makes that model in the photo uniquely her.
16. What is your favorite shot someone else has taken?
A: @cherry 's multi of @annalee + @gogo The Wolf Caught The Bird really every photo from this set as it absolutely crushes it, and it's one of my first photosets I saw from SuicideGirls I think it was shared on Tumblr back in the day and I was so impressed and said wow I want to do that when I'm older.

17. Is there an image that sums up you best?
A: Usually, in a cuddle puddle surrounded by awesome babes!
From a past shootfest snuggled up for post-shoot movie night featured are: @saturn @loveless @skella @sierhaus @eydis @bizzy @graysin @lady 💖
18. Tell us something about yourself that no one would guess?
A: I have been through a lot of hardships (that I won't go into detail about) and rose above them and came out stronger because of it. Very traumatic things. That is why I always try to be as kind as possible to everyone and seize as much of life as possible. I don't let those events define me.
19. What is your favorite shot you have ever taken?
A: @maud - in an upcoming set to the site, this is actually one of the first photos I ever took! Way back when, but I love her intensity!
20. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
A: You can't please everyone.