Our Members
Insights - Penny Piddock (and a little bit of Spike!), 21 March 2023
Continuing our new season of Insight articles, who better to ask than Penny Piddock (with a little bit of Spike).
Penny Piddock is ever-present in all that goes on within the Club and is also colloquially known as part of the wonderful “Spike and Penny" team.
Penny owes her interest in photography thanks to her father, who was a keen amateur photographer processing some lovely monochrome images. He gave Penny her first camera, a Halina twin lens rangefinder. It was also to became Penny and Spike’s first underwater camera, when Spike adapted it to fit inside a tin (eat your heart out Tony Hadley!) with a bit of clear Perspex fixed with Araldite on the front (do they still sell it?!) and a rubber glove secured onto it so they could use the controls. Not forgetting, of course, a couple of lead weights to stop it floating! (This was before ordinary people had underwater cameras).
They also bought a second-hand Yashica Rangefinder to take to Cyprus and have so many slides that remind them of those times and their journey home. While in Cyprus someone in the RAF camp showed them how to process their own B&W films and also slide film – proof of that is the thousands of slides they keep saying they will scan. On their return when they moved to Weymouth, Spike invested in a Nikonos for local underwater photograph …. It is now in Portland Muesum!
Much later they had the chance of a lifetime to enjoy a trip to the Maldives and this resulted in a serious ‘addiction’ to the magical world under the waves and the opportunity to return on a regular basis. In this early period Penny used a Canon 20D in a Ewa-Marine heavy duty plastic bag – a step up from the can! Spike used a Nikon DSLR in a housing 9the result of a competition win). As their interest grew, they joined the British Society of Underwater Photographers which gave them the opening to enjoy trips to various locations in Indonesia, the Philippines and the Red Sea. At this stage Spike had all the housings for a DSLR, but latterly now uses the lighter Olympus 4:3 system. Much easier on planes! Penny openly admits she struggled with the shutter delay of a compact, resulting in lots of tails and has now transferred to her Olympus Tough or another Olympus in a dedicated housing. If they don’t manage to travel to warmer climes – there is always the chilly UK!
Who can blame Penny and Spike for relishing the excitement of this genre of photography – to see the variety of subjects, big and small and being able to swim in their environment must be a privilege, whilst at the same time learning about them and being accepted by them – if you are lucky. But it is not just about diving when the sun is shining, night photography is special too. The only light is torchlight for focusing and keeping in touch with buddies and just like on land, so much comes out at night, introducing you to a very different world. At first Penny found this a bit scary, but now enjoys it.
As their pursuit to capture images of our underwater world progressed, they did return on several occasions to the Maldives as it suited both, but for them the most magical place ever has to be Misool in the Raj Ampat, West Papua (you will need an atlas!!) – perfect for Spike’s diving and Penny’s snorkelling.
Like so many of us, with the recent travel restrictions this did cramp their style and as a consequence their enthusiasm. There is still a desire to return to Misool, but this is still to happen. In terms of photography generally, Penny feels that in the past nobody was terribly concerned about photographers, but now with so many worried about how their image may be manipulated through the media, this has become very difficult. There are still some countries and places where tourists are not as commonplace and here if you are lucky people are more accommodating and happy for you to take photos.
With so many years’ experience can Penny recall the best piece of advice passed on – certainly, and from our very own John TIlsey – and that was simply, join a club – preferably Dorchester! And the advice that Penny would give is just as simple - take photos for you and remember to record everyday things, people, places, etc. In years to come people might be looking at them the same way as we value those old photos of family and places.
With so many adventures undertaken – there has to be one that stands out. For Penny and Spike that is memorable and a turning point for them both was Penny winning a Section of Travel Photographer of the Year Competition, awarding them a photo trip to Kenya for two, courtesy of Wanderlust Magazine, Daily Telegraph and The Kenyan Tourist Board. The picture was also the Public Choice in NEC and Olympia. They were taken to so many places, safari and coast, visited a village for disabled people with crafts and wheelchair making. Along the way they were invited to join a father and his child visiting the doctor and a local School. In addition, they were also taken to an island village funded by The World Bank where the women of the village were definitely in charge! The highlight was the Island of Lamu where they stayed in the middle of no-where – idyllic. But of course, times have changed and sadly now it is too close to the Somali border and potential kidnapping by pirates, so they only managed one return visit.
With all the different styles of photography undertaken by both – the question has to be what kit do you have? Initially Canon and Penny still has her Canon 6D, but over time has had to sell her best lenses as they were just too heavy for her. Now the Panasonic LUMIX G9 is in her bag, but more and more she is using her little underwater Olympus Tough as it has a great Macro facility – she just wishes it had a viewfinder.
I asked if Penny was trying something different “out of her comfort zone” - and her response - What’s a comfort zone?! Surprisingly, she gets very uncomfortable at times doing things she enjoys most because it is usually somewhere a bit damp and full of bugs! She has tried studio, but decided it was not for her, equally landscape is done much better by the early risers and climbers prepared to carry all the necessary gear. She is not keen on contrived pictures with very little connection with reality, but in contradiction, quite willing to try if the opportunity arises! Going back to her roots working in a lab, she is beginning to dabble with photo-microscopy – we shall look forward to seeing her results. She has also tried pinhole and would like to have a go at a cyanotype.
As many of us are aware, Penny has held several positions in the Club, having been President (largely just a watching brief to step in as and where necessary, present awards, represent the Club at events if needed), Chair twice, Vice Chair, Membership, Programme Secretary and – even Webmaster ….. until they found someone who knew what they were doing! Currently of course, she is our Programme Secretary, no easy task when you are juggling dates to work with availability, seasonal differences, budget, members’ interests and working with all the other Committee Members, not to mention where Bank Holidays take our Club Nights several times a year. That said, it is a lovely job networking with speakers and judges even if the ability to do this has changed!
But importantly, a Club is as good as its members and we are so lucky in Dorchester to have Members prepared to share their skills and interests. Those are the Club Nights Penny enjoys most.
Thank you Penny for all that you do.
~ Janine Scola
Penny owes her interest in photography thanks to her father, who was a keen amateur photographer processing some lovely monochrome images. He gave Penny her first camera, a Halina twin lens rangefinder. It was also to became Penny and Spike’s first underwater camera, when Spike adapted it to fit inside a tin (eat your heart out Tony Hadley!) with a bit of clear Perspex fixed with Araldite on the front (do they still sell it?!) and a rubber glove secured onto it so they could use the controls. Not forgetting, of course, a couple of lead weights to stop it floating! (This was before ordinary people had underwater cameras).
They also bought a second-hand Yashica Rangefinder to take to Cyprus and have so many slides that remind them of those times and their journey home. While in Cyprus someone in the RAF camp showed them how to process their own B&W films and also slide film – proof of that is the thousands of slides they keep saying they will scan. On their return when they moved to Weymouth, Spike invested in a Nikonos for local underwater photograph …. It is now in Portland Muesum!
Much later they had the chance of a lifetime to enjoy a trip to the Maldives and this resulted in a serious ‘addiction’ to the magical world under the waves and the opportunity to return on a regular basis. In this early period Penny used a Canon 20D in a Ewa-Marine heavy duty plastic bag – a step up from the can! Spike used a Nikon DSLR in a housing 9the result of a competition win). As their interest grew, they joined the British Society of Underwater Photographers which gave them the opening to enjoy trips to various locations in Indonesia, the Philippines and the Red Sea. At this stage Spike had all the housings for a DSLR, but latterly now uses the lighter Olympus 4:3 system. Much easier on planes! Penny openly admits she struggled with the shutter delay of a compact, resulting in lots of tails and has now transferred to her Olympus Tough or another Olympus in a dedicated housing. If they don’t manage to travel to warmer climes – there is always the chilly UK!
Who can blame Penny and Spike for relishing the excitement of this genre of photography – to see the variety of subjects, big and small and being able to swim in their environment must be a privilege, whilst at the same time learning about them and being accepted by them – if you are lucky. But it is not just about diving when the sun is shining, night photography is special too. The only light is torchlight for focusing and keeping in touch with buddies and just like on land, so much comes out at night, introducing you to a very different world. At first Penny found this a bit scary, but now enjoys it.
As their pursuit to capture images of our underwater world progressed, they did return on several occasions to the Maldives as it suited both, but for them the most magical place ever has to be Misool in the Raj Ampat, West Papua (you will need an atlas!!) – perfect for Spike’s diving and Penny’s snorkelling.
Like so many of us, with the recent travel restrictions this did cramp their style and as a consequence their enthusiasm. There is still a desire to return to Misool, but this is still to happen. In terms of photography generally, Penny feels that in the past nobody was terribly concerned about photographers, but now with so many worried about how their image may be manipulated through the media, this has become very difficult. There are still some countries and places where tourists are not as commonplace and here if you are lucky people are more accommodating and happy for you to take photos.
With so many years’ experience can Penny recall the best piece of advice passed on – certainly, and from our very own John TIlsey – and that was simply, join a club – preferably Dorchester! And the advice that Penny would give is just as simple - take photos for you and remember to record everyday things, people, places, etc. In years to come people might be looking at them the same way as we value those old photos of family and places.
With so many adventures undertaken – there has to be one that stands out. For Penny and Spike that is memorable and a turning point for them both was Penny winning a Section of Travel Photographer of the Year Competition, awarding them a photo trip to Kenya for two, courtesy of Wanderlust Magazine, Daily Telegraph and The Kenyan Tourist Board. The picture was also the Public Choice in NEC and Olympia. They were taken to so many places, safari and coast, visited a village for disabled people with crafts and wheelchair making. Along the way they were invited to join a father and his child visiting the doctor and a local School. In addition, they were also taken to an island village funded by The World Bank where the women of the village were definitely in charge! The highlight was the Island of Lamu where they stayed in the middle of no-where – idyllic. But of course, times have changed and sadly now it is too close to the Somali border and potential kidnapping by pirates, so they only managed one return visit.
With all the different styles of photography undertaken by both – the question has to be what kit do you have? Initially Canon and Penny still has her Canon 6D, but over time has had to sell her best lenses as they were just too heavy for her. Now the Panasonic LUMIX G9 is in her bag, but more and more she is using her little underwater Olympus Tough as it has a great Macro facility – she just wishes it had a viewfinder.
I asked if Penny was trying something different “out of her comfort zone” - and her response - What’s a comfort zone?! Surprisingly, she gets very uncomfortable at times doing things she enjoys most because it is usually somewhere a bit damp and full of bugs! She has tried studio, but decided it was not for her, equally landscape is done much better by the early risers and climbers prepared to carry all the necessary gear. She is not keen on contrived pictures with very little connection with reality, but in contradiction, quite willing to try if the opportunity arises! Going back to her roots working in a lab, she is beginning to dabble with photo-microscopy – we shall look forward to seeing her results. She has also tried pinhole and would like to have a go at a cyanotype.
As many of us are aware, Penny has held several positions in the Club, having been President (largely just a watching brief to step in as and where necessary, present awards, represent the Club at events if needed), Chair twice, Vice Chair, Membership, Programme Secretary and – even Webmaster ….. until they found someone who knew what they were doing! Currently of course, she is our Programme Secretary, no easy task when you are juggling dates to work with availability, seasonal differences, budget, members’ interests and working with all the other Committee Members, not to mention where Bank Holidays take our Club Nights several times a year. That said, it is a lovely job networking with speakers and judges even if the ability to do this has changed!
But importantly, a Club is as good as its members and we are so lucky in Dorchester to have Members prepared to share their skills and interests. Those are the Club Nights Penny enjoys most.
Thank you Penny for all that you do.
~ Janine Scola
Passing Through
