On The Up: Farming life in focus with young photographer Lucy Penellum

NZME has launched On The Up — a national campaign showcasing amazing stories of inspiration, success, courage and possibilities. Debbie Griffiths from Coast & Country News catches up with 18-year-old Lucy Penellum, whose photography folio capturing the realities of farming got her into the top 3% of students and earned her a scholarship.

A former Ōtūmoetai College student’s Level 3 photography folio that shines a light on the realities of farming has received a near-perfect score – making it one of the best in the country.

Lucy Penellum scored an “outstanding” 23 out of 24– putting her in the top 3% out of more than 3300 students and earning her a scholarship.

“I wasn’t expecting to get anything,” she admitted.

“I didn’t think it would be good enough.”

“Lucy’s real interest and passion for farming has been very evident throughout her folio boards,” her teacher, Susan Blakemore, said.

“It was important for Lucy to show farming in a positive light.

“She was tired of farmers getting a hard time in the media and wanted to show the resilience within the farming community.”

The 18-year-old recently moved to Palmerston North to begin her degree in horticultural science at Massey University.

The $500 prize money will help cover her rent.

Farming choice

Lucy Penellum’s photos from her Year 13 folio. Photo / Lucy Penellum

It was her family’s Whakamārama farm that decided the theme of her folio.

“It just seemed easier to take photos at home,” said Penellum.

“For the last six years, I’ve lived on a 12-acre lifestyle block.

“We’ve always had beefies, chickens and goats.

“Both my parents grew up rurally – my dad in Cambridge and mum in Ashurst - but dairy farming in Manawatū is where both sides of my family are from originally.

“The Claussens were the first dairy farmers in Palmerston North.

“I loved farming too much to not go into it.”

Creative shots

Former Ōtūmoetai College student Lucy Penellum with her high-scoring photography board. Photo / Susan Blakemore

As her project took shape, Penellum got creative with Photoshop to add the cuts of meat on to photographs of cows and didn’t shy away from the grittier side of farming.

Along with the photo showing a calf being born and the marks where a cow is stunned to death is an image of a carcass being butchered.

“Her imagery is stunning and really captures the essence of being on a farm,” Blakemore said.

“When she mentioned a home kill would be taking place, we knew she only had one shot at getting it recorded, so lots of planning beforehand went into that.”

“I was always going to go for shock factor, and one of my first photo shoots was a home kill because I needed a big finale,” Penellum said.

“I also contacted a guy in Te Puke who was doing maize production with combine harvesters, so I used the school drone to take photos of that.”

Career

Lucy Penellum’s photos from her Year 13 folio. Photo / Lucy Penellum

It was that day that she decided on her future career.

“I knew straight away that’s what I want to do,” she said.

“I want to do my masters in agronomy so that I can do management of crop farming on a large wheat, barley or maize station.”

They’re also among her favourite images.

“The harvester going through the maize is such a satisfying photo for me,” she said.

“Seeing all the lines that he’s making through the perfect rows of crops.

“I love the shapes and that it shows the isolation of farming.

“You hear from so many people who say ‘oh, farming is so easy,’ so I wanted to show that farming is important to our economy, but the reality is that it’s hard.”

Penellum has had several of her photos published in the NZ Herald, The Country and Farmers Weekly magazine and now regrets selling her camera.

“I thought I wasn’t going to need it, but I’m joining the Young Famers down here at Massey, and they have photography competitions.

“I’d also love to join the publicity team because in terms of horticulture, there’s not enough going on to show it and inspire more people to get into farming.”