Penny Ryan sees you

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The Nugget
May 23, 2025

★ Penny Ryan sees you ★

Penny on the porch of her “old lady” house.

Penny Ryan's photos have probably given you FOMO at one time or another.

She has a gift for capturing the vibe, the light and making everyone look hot.

Her event photos make me want to buy a ticket so I can be in the shot next time, with a bevvie in hand up the front.

Penny has teamed up with Ali Troup from Handpicked Ethical Floristry on a very special photo project. Their exhibition, Form, is on now at Corner Store Merchants.

The two friends bonded over a love of collecting vintage vases. Penny enlisted Ali to “flower them and do the thing,” because she didn’t know how.

Ali styled the vases with beautiful flower arrangements and then Penny photographed the fleeting beauty. The pair have showcased selected prints in vintage photo frames that range from tiny to XL. The result is whimsical and unique art.

"I think we all need a personal project with no client involved so you can do what you want. It was a labour of love and we're both really proud of what we've pulled off," Penny says.

If you're into vintage or loved your Nana's decor, you might recognize a vase or two.

The "Swan Lace" print features a vase that is identical to one at my mother-in-law's house. (There were two, until a possum danced with one). The vases were purchased in the 1960s by Great Aunty Lila. Lila said they reminded her of Swan Hill.

"It's interesting, everyone's connection with it," Penny says.

"My mom was telling me about this amazing swan vase that her mother had on the mantle. The mail would come and it would go in the swan and then once a week, or once a month, Pa would sit down and he'd get the mail out, open it all and sort the bills and do all the things. It's a vessel for so many different things."

The art works have been selling quickly. Penny promises there is more to come. "Absolutely, Ali and I are obsessed now."

Shelley and I had a hoot chatting with Penny at MainFM about all things Castlemaine, headshots, weddings, family portraits and making art quickly, out of chaos. Here is some of her wisdom.

On making people feel comfortable

I just chat away to people. Find out who they are. Whether it's a family photograph or a wedding photograph I don't want to place you into a pre-set shot. I want you to be you and so that's what I'm always aiming for.

Who are you? What's your relationship with the people in your posse? I'm trying to capture that.

On working with kids

I think that's something I've honed over time and also having kids that don't like to do what they're told, you work out tricks.

My absolute favourite photo of my extended family, there's like kids climbing up the drain pipe and there's a broken toaster and people are holding cricket bats as air guitars. That's the chaos that I love.

On things going wrong

Humans are complex. We're all different. Particularly when it comes to events, weddings, a significant birthday, rights of passage, you really are a fly on a wall for a lot of it. Sometimes it's chaos, sometimes it's calm.

I'll always say to people, at the end of the day you're going to walk to meet the person who's your best friend and that's all that matters. And if you're getting married, you'll be married to them.

Things go wrong all the time. It's just reassuring people that it's not going to derail everything.

I've had to drive groomsmen to the ceremony because the vintage car they've all done up has broken down. There's always things. Lucky I can drive.

Penny's photographic style

I think "authentic" is probably a word that I've grown to be comfortable with. It's quite documentary, observational. Storytelling. But then, you know, it depends what I'm photographing.

Penny and the light

It's a huge part of it. I think I watch light more than I realize and I see things in a particular way. I remember one of my photography tutors describing it as Penny's Eye. I just have a way of seeing. I don't necessarily recognize it, but other people do. Yeah, and people often say they'll see images pop up from something in town and they'll be like, that's gotta be Penny.

On Hot Moves, No Pressure

I love that event. I'm there to just try and capture the craziness and the atmosphere and show all the incredible and gutsy women and men who get up and let it rip because it is just incredible.

I think I've described it as the best mental health program in Castlemaine. It's an intensive 12 weeks with your gang working on this performance, costumes and then celebrating with everyone on the night. I've got goosebumps. It's such a big night.

On the Mount Alexander Falcons

I remember sitting down with Gabe, who's on the committee, and she was talking about the setting up of the club and trying to get it up and running. And I was like, well, I don't know anything about football. I should, but I don't. And I don't have the time to, you know, be on the committee or be a runner or anything. But I want to be involved. And I'm like, my skill set is photos. I will photograph your committee members, the team, you know, whatever you need to get this up and running. I've been on board with them for the very start.

On headshots

More often than not, you won't get a lot of notice when you need to provide a headshot at work. You might be asked to come in and speak on a panel or it's 'Oh, we're running an article you've written, give us a headshot.’ And you can tell when someone's just put the arm out and reversed the camera on the iPhone.

I want to know: How do you want to show yourself? What do you want to project? Where's it going? What do you need it for? Is it about looking slick and professional because you want to climb that corporate ladder? Are you doing corporate speaking events or do you run a small business?

Headshots can tell a story about you. Ali from Hand Picked, we did a shoot for her when she was starting her business. She was saying how people would often comment that they've ordered through her because they've seen her. They've heard about the way she runs her business and there's a connection. She listens. She wants to hear why you want flowers. 

My instructions are, if you don't generally wear three inches of makeup, then don't. Wear what you would normally wear. Come as you and bring some options. You know, like if you're not feeling comfortable in that top, let's chuck a different one on.

I'll ask people, what are your concerns? What are you worried about? Some people will go and have their hair and makeup done beforehand, which is fantastic, because then they feel fabulous. It's been done by a professional. The makeup artist knows they're doing it for a shoot, so they know how to do it. But if that's not how you normally go out into the world and that's not how you want to present, then you don't need to.

Penny's move-to-Castlemaine story

I grew up in country Victoria and like most teenagers you want to get out of there as fast as you can turn 18, get a license, off you go. So, I went to Melbourne for a bit, overseas for a while and then ended up in Sydney. I was there for 18-19 years. I kind of feel like I grew up there. I had grown up jobs, got married, had babies, bought houses.

I just hit a point where I felt this real pull to come back to Victoria and Castlemaine was the only place we could agree on because it had what we wanted and what we felt was essential for a happy life.

It's a creative community, it's got live music, it's got good coffee, it's got good food and it's close to Melbourne. So yeah, that was the pull. And my parents are in Kyneton.

I feel like I found my home. Yeah, small towns are complicated, but also, they’re amazing, like, the support here for any hairbrained scheme that you have is fantastic. 

❀ Djaara Cultural Mud Map ❀

Come along to the Sorry Day Commemoration on Monday to support Uncle Rick and Trace Balla as they launch the Djaara Cultural Mud Map.

Uncle Rick created the map, Trace designed it and I can’t wait to see it.

The Mud Map is a Djaara cultural interpretive sign. It includes pictures, information and landmarks from across the area, including Dja Dja Wurrung language names.

The map highlights culturally significant sites, and shows the shire’s footprint from a precolonial perspective.

The Mud Map will be unveilled at this year’s Sorry Day Commemoration event at Victory Park on Mon, 26 May from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM.

♡˖ EVENTS ˖♡

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