Penny Stephens

Where have you worked and over what time period?

I started with suburban papers such as the Western Times, Southern Cross and the Bayside Times and have been with The Age and Sunday Age since 1995.

How did you get into press photography - what was your big break?

The first break was James Braund giving me casual work on suburban papers. Then after trying to get a foot in the door for what felt like years, Robert Banks employed me on Saturdays to work at the Sunday Age. Couriers would bring the films from each quarter of footy from each game and deliver them downstairs at The Age building on the corner of Spencer and Lonsdale streets. My job was to get the films and put them through the machines and get them ready for the picture editor to clip the frames he thought should be printed.

What is your favourite photograph of all those you have taken and why?

Honestly, every day it's a different favourite. Which sounds like a cop out, but it's true. Also for us to keep doing what we do, our favourite has to be one that we're yet to take, otherwise how could we keep going?

So my favourite today is this one of James, Christine and their three boys. This kind of job is what we do day in, day out. We go into people's homes and see a little slice of their life and hopefully make a beautiful portrait of them. This was to illustrate a story about work/life balance and how Australian work places are not necessarily keeping up with the change in the role of Dads at home. It's a momentary fragment of someone else's life. It captures that domestic chaos, the madness and the love.

What is the biggest change you've seen in press photography over your career?

Definitely going from film to digital. I don't miss the darkroom or the chemicals, but I do think we work in a very solitary way these days. Technology has allowed us to not go into the office, to file from our cars or from anywhere. I think we are still finding ways to stay connected, to bounce off each other and to have the incidental banter that is so important creatively.

What was the first camera you used and what camera do you use now?

A Pentax k1000. Fellow photographer Angela Wylie (ex The Age) and I saved up and bought one each to use in Year 11 and 12 photography.

Now I use the Nikon D4s. I do love the way it represents colour. I've used both Nikon and Canon over the years. They're both fabulous and currently Fuji is making a play. I'd love a modern Leica one day.

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