Meet the Photographer - Helen Griffiths

With the New Zealand magazine out in the world (you can order a copy or bundle here), we took a moment to sit down with cover photographer Helen Griffiths to chat about life, creativity and power of wanderlust. Be warned, this interview will make you want to move to the Land of the Long White Cloud.

Can you remember the moment you fell in love with New Zealand? 

I first visited New Zealand in April 2019. My partner James was living and working in Christchurch, and after a few months of long distance, I joined him for three weeks to see if I could live out there for longer. I remember him taking me on a jet-lagged and slightly hazy tour of the city, which at the time seemed so alien to me - so spacious and new compared to the old architecture and winding streets I was used to in the UK - but which would one day come to feel like home. It was when we drove over the Port Hills on the edge of the city and the view of Lyttelton Harbour unfurled before me, with its turquoise inlets and horizon of rolling hills, that I knew I’d come somewhere special. That’s still one of my favourite views, to this day.

Do you have a particularly special memory from your time in New Zealand? 

So many! Can I cheat and choose a few? They all revolve around Aotearoa’s incredible landscapes and being deeply immersed in nature – from spending a star-drenched night on the only boat in Doubtful Sound, to hiking out to Routeburn Falls Hut in Mt Aspiring National Park, spending the evening playing games and swapping stories by the fire, and waking to find the mountains around us transformed by snow. Most of the best memories also tend to involve being a long way from phone signal, surrounded by some of my favourite people. That’s when I’m at my happiest.

Can you tell us the story behind the cover photo? 

We were driving down to visit friends in Queenstown and decided to break up the journey with an overnight stop at a cabin I’d had my eye on for years. High Country Cabin is such a special place – a wood-clad refuge amongst the exposed flats of an alpine desert. The Southern Alps skirt every horizon and golden tussocks of grass cover the ground. Temperatures dropped to -2°C while we were there and a number of the main highways in the area were closed due to heavy snow. We were very grateful for the log burner and the exceptionally cosy interiors that night! After the deepest of sleeps, we were treated to the kind of crisp, bright morning in the mountains that I am perpetually dreaming of, and I could barely put my camera down for more than five minutes before dashing outside to capture the changing light of the sunrise and its effect on our surroundings. The cover photo was shot moments before we left, as the sun struck the mountains and dancing grasses just right.  

Did life in New Zealand change your photography style in any way? 

I feel like my photography style has grown so much thanks to living in New Zealand. Though I’m back home in the UK now, I’ve spent four of the last seven years in NZ, and these were very formative times in my photography practice. Taking my camera with me on overnight hikes and road trips has helped me to think about storytelling – about how a set of images can take you on a journey. There’s an expansiveness to many of the country’s landscapes that has really allowed me to experiment with capturing scale and using negative space. I also think there’s a very optimistic, can-do attitude amongst New Zealanders which inevitably rubs off on you – a real sense of giving things a go and taking chances with creative work. I find this country, and its people, endlessly inspiring.

What do you enjoy most about the creative work you get to do? 

I love telling stories. That’s what photography, and any creative practice, is all about for me. Whether they’re tales of my own travels, the history and geography of a particular place, or the stories of others that inspire me – all that informs the work that they do. I also adore the fact that each trip and every piece of work brings something different; new experiences, new people and new things to learn about the world.

What do you want people to feel when they look at your photographs? 

This changes with each photo, but I think what I’d like people to feel most is both in awe of, and held by, the world around them. That’s how I feel when I’m standing in front of a mountain range, or nestled up in a cabin in the woods. Everything I do is inspired by my love of nature and a deep respect for this beautiful planet of ours, and I hope that translates into my images.

Do you have any advice for aspiring travel photographers – or any budding creatives for that matter? 

Start in your own backyard and try to keep an eye out for inspiration everywhere. You don’t have to visit far-flung places to develop your skills as a travel photographer – think about what you’d show someone if they were visiting your local area for the first time and shoot that. When you really look, there are interesting stories to be found everywhere, from the local couple running an independent cafe to the folklore surrounding a nearby mountain or lake. I sometimes get asked about the best camera gear for photographers who are just starting out, but really I think what you use matters so much less than just getting out there and capturing the world around you.

You can see more of Helen’s work - and read more of her words - in the New Zealand magazine.