Shanghai Exposed Photographer of the Month: Penn Austin

By Emily Wetzki, August 14, 2014

Photography group Shanghai Exposed are opening their archives to us lucky masses with their monthly themed photo galleries and now their Photographer of the Month series.

This month we feature a member of Shanghai Exposed Photography who first found out about the group while taking a photography class at an expat community training center. She and a couple of friends finally decided to dive in; camera’s first - uncertainty a close second and drove to a group meet-up for the first time.

Armed with their compact 'point and shoot' cameras, they found themselves right in the mix, shooting, exploring and learning photography techniques. Shanghai Exposed Photographer of the Month for August is Penelope (Penn) Austin, originally from Australia.

As a new expat, she found that hooking up with friends for weekly lunches, mahjong and knitting were not quite satisfying enough. Finding a group of like-minded people has given Penn a new immersion in an amazing city and country that’s teeming with street-scapes, lifestyles and traditions.

For Penn, photography and her camera have been her travel companions for as long as she can remember.

Fast forward to 2014 and she still rates herself as an enthusiastic novice who’s in a constant work-in-progress mode. In her progress, she’s realized that capturing images that resonate the right mood and draw you in as a silent observer only comes through practice. Here's some words from Penn about her photography journey...

“Joining Shanghai Exposed has taught me to think, then capture an image. By association, you grow through experimentation and being brave enough to venture out more around the city in a group and alone."

"Through these outings and observing others, I pick up something new to practice. One of the things I appreciate most is the fluid participation from everyone. There's no pressure if you don't own 20 kilos of kit and haven't attended every meeting, it's ok.”

Although Penn considers herself is a novice, she has developed a keen eye for creating images that invoke a smile and inspire everyone in the group. She has an endless amount of energy and enthusiasm for what photography represents as an art form and a passion. We hope you’ve enjoyed her images as much as we have.

Penn Austin

// If you would like to be a part of a photography friendly group and be notified of upcoming meetings, please send an email to: shanghai exposed@gmail.com. To see more from our Shanghai Exposed Photographer of the Month series, click here